Al Kavadlo - Stretching Your Boundaries: Flexibility Training for Extreme Calisthenic Strength

Flexibility Training for Extreme Calisthenic Strength

Copyright 2014 Al Kavadlo

A Dragon Door Publications, Inc production

All rights under International and Pan-American Copyright conventions.

Published in the United States by: Dragon Door Publications, Inc

5 East County Rd B, #3 Little Canada, MN 55117

Tel: (651) 487-2180 Fax: (651) 487-3954

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This edition first published in January, 2014

Printed in China

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

Book design and cover by Derek Brigham

Photography by Jordan Perlson

Models: Jack Arnow, Norris Baichan, Jasmine Brooks, Angelo Gala, Meng He, Al Kavadlo, Danny Kavadlo, Rachel Kuhns, Keith McDermott, Ted Michalek, Jeff Montfleury, Bob Rothchild, Wes Sanchez, Lauren Sison, Kim Wong

Additional photography by Al Kavadlo, Danny Kavadlo, Rachel Kuhns and Wes Sanchez

DISCLAIMER: The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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FOREWORD :

By Elliott Hulse

very tradition, religion and science recognizes that the human being balances between the world of Matter and an intangible, yet mysteriously palpable and somewhat measurable world of Energy. The building blocks of human form, whether you scientifically refer to them as atoms, or poetically refer to them as dust, are impelled towards movement by a primal impulse we call breath. We are the movement of breath through the body.

Just as beautiful music is produced when the skilled musician blows through a wellcrafted flute, so too does mans life become a beautiful song when the breath of the Universe moves smoothly and softly through his body. But unlike the flute, which holds its creators form the duration of its existence, the human body is constantly in flux. It is always growing, reacting and respondingit is a sensitive thinking body that is highly malleable.

From the very first slap laid upon the babys backside by the doctor, the soft, supple, spiritual conduit we call body begins taking the form of the demands pressed upon it by its Earthly existence. From this point onward, the once unobstructed respiratory wave begins to exhibit defensive, utilitarian and even neurotic restrictions created by and held on to by the muscular system.

According to the late Wilhelm Reich there are several bands of muscular tension that regularly manifest throughout the core of the body, all of which restrict the capacity to breathe deeply. Muscles in the face and skull, the jaw and neck, the chest, the belly, and finally the pelvic floor all contribute to the subtle flexion and extension of the physical human core that he called the respiratory wave. As a psychoanalyst, Reich determined that each of these muscular restrictions is created by the organism as a physical defense against a psychological pain. He asserted that by helping his patients release their muscular tension and restore their capacity to breathe deeply that they not only felt better mentally, but obviously they will look better!

A body free from muscular tension breathes deeply, allowing a fuller expression of the spirit energy to pass through it; also this body will stand taller and move Z8 lUbetter though properly aligned joints and sound human biomechanics.

In the past it was the Tai Chi and Yoga masters who understood and became practitioners of bringing about the physical alignment which allowed full spiritual or psychological expression though the human form. Just like the instrument repairman who might fix the damaged or mistreated flute, allowing the musician to once again breathe into the instrument creating beautiful music, so too does the practitioner who brings physical alignment back into the human form allow his client to once again produce beautiful music though his life.

Al Kavadlo is a fitness trainer who not only recognizes the physical benefit of stretching and breathing, but also recognizes how working with his clients in this way changes their livesfrom the inside, out. In Stretching Your Boundaries youll sense Als deep understanding and love for the human body.

You will experience Als appreciation for poetry and practicality. In this book, Al invites you to take a deeper look at the often overlooked, and sometimes demonized, ancient practice of static stretching. He wrestles with many of the questions, dogmas and flat-out lies about stretching that have plagued the fitness practitioner for at least the last decade. And finally he gives you a practical guide to static stretching that will improve your movement, performance, breathing and life.

Thank you Al, for helping to bring awareness to perhaps the most important aspect of physical education and fitness.

Grow Stronger,

You have your way.
I have my way.
As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.te+xml" href="

STRETCHING FOR STRENGTH

Change is only possible through movement.

-Aldous Huxley

f you look around any commercial gym, youre likely to see a wide variety of activities taking place: strength training, aerobics, simulated bicycle riding, people doing god-knows-what on a vibrating stability platform, and of course, good ol stretching. Most gyms even have a designated stretch area. Though you sometimes see serious-minded folk in these rooms, the stretching area in many fitness facilities seems to be primarily for people who want to bullshit around, be seen at the gym and feel like they accomplished something productive.

For this reason (as well as others), a lot of serious strength training enthusiasts are quick to overlook or even decry flexibility training. Ive heard several professional fitness trainers proclaim stretching to be a waste of time. Some even argue that static stretching will actually hinder your strength gains and athletic performance. Though I believe stretching is generally more helpful than harmful, there is some truth to these claims. Lets get this out of the way quickly so we can move on.