2022-08-31
When we hear the term stability training, all sorts of ideas come to people’s minds. Everything from balancing on different squishy surfaces to wobbling barbells with kettlebells bouncing up and down to ground work progressions. So, who is right and what is good stability training?
This odd idea that Dr. Marcello shares about stability training is really about motor control. That means it isn’t enough to just have a muscle be strong, but the muscle has to work at the RIGHT time and with the right other muscles of the chain. This is a big reason that isolated muscle training doesn’t work as explained below.
How do we bring this science to life? The biggest key is in movement patterns like the 7 below.
Once we have developed the foundations in each of these patterns, we can start to challenge our ability to maintain our stability as we change variables such as load and body position. For example, in line positions are great ways to challenge more advanced stability training in pushing, pulling, lunging, and even locomotive drills as physical therapist, Jessica Bento demonstrates below.
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We can use methods like marches combined with stability training in line work to really enhance what is happening at not just the knees, but low back and shoulders as well.
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Good stability training though is FIRST about making strong connections of the body to ensure our patterns are strong. Then we can add movement in different patterns and directions while we try to RESIST unwanted movement, but this has to be done incrementally and with feedback. That is why you often see us cuing the feet, as well as giving core feedback to better control during these exercises. The highest level is doing power training, but learning how to absorb force and not lose our posture and positioning. This has to be done VERY incrementally and with great thought in how we build progressions, but can be accessible to anyone.
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You can see how physical therapist, Jessica Bento, uses our DVRT drills to represent ALL these ideas of good stability training. The idea behind stability isn’t about shaking, but building better motor control through the connections of the chain of our body. How we position our body, how we use load (which is why the Ultimate Sandbag gives us such great feedback), and the planes of motion we use and resist truly make stability training a powerful vehicle not only for the knees, but low back and shoulders as well!
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