As it relates to strength training, fascia (connective tissue that
envelopes everything within the body, most notably as it relates to strength
training are the nervous and circulatory systems) can easily become a limiting factor
directly (circulatory), and indirectly (neurologically), in strength and size
development. Obviously if you are training to get the best results given your
time and effort, then you probably want to avoid any sort of derailments that
could throw you off track.
ADHESIONS
Adhesions are when the cells and fibers that make up our fascia
(connective tissue) get bound together.
Directly, fascial deformations, such as adhesions, can impair the body’s
ability to build up optimally in response to your workouts. If the connective
tissue is bound together for whatever reason (ex. dehydration), especially in
the area of the bodypart trained, it will impair your body’s ability to shuttle
much needed nutrients through the blood and into the muscles, thus limiting your
results (think of putting a kink in a hose, not much, if any, water can get
through the nozzle).
The two ways in which muscles can grow are:
A) The muscle cells themselves can increase in size (hypertrophy)
B) Additional muscle cells can be added as needed (hyperplasia)
Fascial deformations can limit the body’s ability to do both of these
things. Adhesions will make it difficult for the body to increase the size of
the cells, no matter how much we want them to grow. There just isn’t enough room
for the cells to grow if the tissue they are enveloped in is limiting their expansion
(growth). This also means that there may not be any room to add more cells
either. So you can see how having your fascia resting at its optimal length can
influence your results.
Indirectly, fascial deformations can negatively affect function/movement,
as tightness in one or more areas can force the body to make unnecessary
compensations during movement (ex. exercises). When the connective tissue is
resting at optimal length, the muscles for a given movement can perform their
task efficiently. But when an adhesion is present, those same muscles have to
work harder to do the same task, leading to premature fatigue. To avoid working
harder, the body will opt to take the path of least resistance, and make
unnecessary compensations. These compensations become ‘memorized’ by the
nervous system, and therefore become permanent, which can lead to imbalanced
muscular development among other things. Even if the deformations are addressed,
the motor pattern developed will still exist, and could take years, if not a
lifetime, to correct.
It is for the reasons above that anyone would want to have their fascia
functioning optimally.
FASCIA 101
Here are some key points that will help you understand the importance of
fascia as it relates to size and strength development, without getting to
scientific:
Fascia is a body wide connective tissue that envelopes everything within
the body, most notably as it relates to those interested in strength and size development,
as stated earlier, the nervous and circulatory systems. Because of this, any
sort of disruption in the fascial system can affect things locally, as well as
globally. It is for this reason that what may appear to be an issue in one area
of the body, could essentially be the result of a problem elsewhere in the
body. Very often pain, or even a dysfunctional movement pattern, is the result,
not the cause.
The mechanical properties of fascia as it relates to size and strength
development are:
Resistant – Fascia has great tensile strength, which makes it very
resistant to pulling forces (ex. stretching).
Elastic – Paradoxically, fascia can also be very accepting and tolerate pulling
forces, but will then return to position after the pulling forces desist.
Plastic – If the fascia is under stress (ex. pulling forces) for prolonged
duration, it adapts by depositing more connective tissue along the line of
strain, and therefore becoming more permanently lengthened.
Viscosity – Fascia behaves more like a solid at low temperatures, and more
like a liquid at high temperatures. When inactive (ex. sleeping), fascia
becomes more solid like and hardens up, which can restrict movement. When
active (ex. weight lifting), fascia becomes more fluid like and loosens up,
enabling you to move freely. This is a prime reason to warm up prior to a
training session.
These properties are dependent on a number of differing variables such as
fiber type ratio (which is predetermined by our genetics, and therefore out of
our conscious control), and hydration (which is a variable that we can
consciously control by simply choosing to drink enough water each day) to name
a few. When the connective tissue is hydrated, it can function optimally, which
also enables the nervous and circulatory systems to work efficiently as well.
When dehydration occurs, the fascia essentially shrivels up, and the space
between the cells shorten, and they can even stick together (becoming an
adhesion). Because the nervous and circulatory systems are enveloped by
connective tissue, you can bet that they will be negatively affected by this as
well.
As far as fascia goes, the body responds to physical stress and strain by adding
more connective tissue to areas that need it, in an attempt to add extra
strength by thickening the fascia. Unfortunately, this thickening of the fascia
disrupts the fiber type distribution that makes up our connective tissue, which
results in a decrease in flexibility. Physical stresses to the fascia come in
the form of poor posture, injuries, and repetitive movements on a daily basis
(which could also result in poor posture).
Poor posture is the result of muscle imbalances created from
overuse/underuse in everyday life. When a muscle is ‘locked’ in a lengthened
position, you can bet that the opposite muscles, which are responsible for the
opposite movements are ‘locked’ in a shortened position. The body will
naturally lay down more connective tissue along the lines of strain created by
imbalanced muscular development. Because connective tissue primarily has great
tensile strength this will affect movement, as well as flexibility, and the
imbalanced development associated with having poor posture becomes pretty much
permanent and very difficult and time consuming to attempt to correct.
In the event of an injury, the body responds by laying down additional
connective tissue to help thicken the fascia in the injured area to add extra
strength. Needless to say, an injury will cause dysfunctional movement patterns
to compensate as a result of the pain that comes with being injured, which will
lead to muscles becoming relatively imbalanced. These imbalances result in
certain muscles taking on more work on a daily basis then they were intended
to, to which the body adapts by depositing more connective tissue along the
lines of stress and strain. Movement and flexibility are both compromised when
this happens, and it just becomes a vicious cycle, that doesn’t get better,
only worse.
Repetitive movements performed on a daily basis can all lead to imbalanced
muscular development to which the fascial system adapts to as well. Common
everyday activities that most people perform are sitting at a desk for several
hours, or driving. Certain positions in sports can also negatively affect the body.
For example, a tennis player holds their racket in the same hand every time
they play, and swing the racket in a very similar manner several times over the
course of a game, not to mention all the hours of practice that go into it. A
pitcher and a catcher in baseball are other examples of athletes that perform
the same movement pattern repeatedly. The pitcher obviously throws a great deal
of pitches, while the catcher spends a tremendous amount of time in a crouched
position.
As with an injury, the body adapts to all of those activities by
depositing more connective tissue along the lines of stress and strain. Sitting
down all day puts a lot of pressure onto the buttocks, so you can bet that’s
one area that your body will thicken the connective tissue. If you drive a lot,
and you always steer the steering wheel with the same pattern, and rely on only
one arm to hold the wheel, then you can bet that the body will end up
depositing more connective tissue in that area, along with the buttocks due to
the seated position. The tennis player and pitcher heavily rely on one arm for
the majority of their movements to which the fascial system adapts, and the
catcher remains in a crouched position causing stress and strain along the
joints of the lower and upper body.
Strength training is also perceived by the body as a stress, to which the
muscles positively adapt by getting bigger and stronger, but as far as fascia
is concerned, the body will deposit more connective tissue around muscles that
were pumped during an intense training session. While the increase in
connective tissue may be minimal, over the years it accumulates and can
significantly affect size and strength development, both directly, and
indirectly as stated earlier.
The connective tissue that is wrapped around the muscle fibers perceives
the swelling of the muscles as a stress, to which it responds by adding more
connective tissue to provide support. The additional connective tissue
compromises its elastic properties, which is why most people that put on
additional muscle mass end up losing flexibility.
LONGITUDINAL LINES OF FASCIA
If you were to take a close look at an anatomy chart, you’d eventually
notice that certain muscles essentially flow into the next ones as you make
your way up or down, or even diagonally across, the body. For example, on the
back side of the body, you could easily follow the fiber orientation of the
calves upward and notice that they flow in the same direction as the
hamstrings. From there, the hamstrings travel up under the glutes, and continue
up to where they meet the muscles of the back (erectors), which then travel up
the spine to the skull. That would be considered a myofascial (fascia that
envelopes muscles) meridian, or ‘track’.
There are several myofascial meridians, or tracks, within the body (to be
discussed below). These tracks can be used to help identify where exactly a
fascial restriction may be that is limiting function. Using the example above,
if there was a great deal of adhesion build up, or even additional connective
tissue laid down in an attempt to thicken the structures to provide extra
strength for reasons discussed earlier, in any of the muscles along the track,
all the muscles running along that track will be affected.
It is extremely common these days that people lack flexibility in the
hamstrings, as evident in the lack of ability for most people to bend over and
touch their toes without bending the knees. Logic would tell you that to
improve your hamstring flexibility, you should focus on stretching the
hamstrings. But very often, tight hamstrings are the result of an issue
elsewhere in the body (perhaps along the same track). Imbalanced development in
the pelvic musculature can very often be the culprit of hamstring
inflexibility, but as it relates to the scope of this article, it could also be
due to fascial restrictions along the track(s) that the hamstrings travel (as
they are a part of more than one line).
Using the example above, the easiest way to put this to the test for yourself,
is to use a tennis ball, baseball, or golf ball (if you have a high tolerance
for pain) and roll one of your feet back and forth over the ball longitudinally
(from toes to heel), applying as much pressure as you can tolerate to
break/loosen up the fascia, for a few minutes, and then attempt to touch your
toes without bending your knees. You may notice that one arm hangs lower than
the other. If this happens, that means that you have a great deal of either adhesion
build up, or additional connective tissue laid down under your feet to add
extra strength, that is restricting all the muscles along the track from
lengthening to their potential.
Because many of the myofascial tracks pass through the bottom of the feet,
by breaking/loosening up the fascia under the foot, you are enabling all the
muscles along the tracks that pass through the foot, to lengthen to a greater
degree than would otherwise be possible. If the connective tissue along any of
the tracks is thickened, or bound together for reasons discussed earlier, it
will ‘pull’ all the muscles along the track towards the bundle of fascia, and will
restrict the muscles along the track from lengthening to their potential.
MYOFASCIAL TRACKS
There are seven myofascial tracks that have been popularized by Thomas
Myers. Those tracks, from the most outer (superficial) layers to inner (deep)
are referred to as:
Superficial Back Line – This line begins under the toes, and travels up
the back of the shin (calf) to the knee (hamstrings), up under the hip (glutes),
along the spine (erectors), and over the top of the skull finishing at the
eyebrow.
Superficial Front Line – This line begins above the toes, and travels up
the front of the shin (tibilialis anterior) to the knee, up through the thigh
(quadriceps) to the hip where it ends, but restarts at the bottom of the
abdomen, travels up the sternum, and ravels its way up to the back of the base
of the skull.
Lateral Line – This line begins at the side of the foot, and travels up
the side of the shin across the knee (IT band), up through the hip (TFL), and
ravels its way under the ribs up to the back of the base of the skull.
Spiral Line – This line is very tricky to follow, as the left and right
lines cross paths to form an ‘X’ across the back and front of the body. This line
begins at the base of the skull (traps), crosses over towards the opposite
shoulder blade (rhomboids), to which it wraps around between the shoulder blade
and the ribs, to the front of the body (serratus anterior) where it crosses
over the belly button to the opposite hip (which is on the same side of the
body that the line started on). From the hip, it travels down the side of the
thigh to the side of the knee, down to the inside (medial) part of the foot,
loops under the foot and travels up the back and side part of the shin, up the
back of the thigh (hamstrings) to the lower back (erectors), and up the
erectors back to where it began at the base of the skull.
Arm Lines – There are four arm lines: Superficial Front and Back, and Deep
Front and Back. Both front arm lines begin in the pec region, and make their
way down the flexors of the elbow (biceps) and wrist (forearms). Both back
lines begin from the spine in the trap region, and make their way down the
extensors of the elbow (triceps) and wrist.
Functional Line – There are two functional lines: Front and Back
Functional Lines. The front functional line begins in the upper arm where the
pec attaches, crosses over the abdomen in an ‘X’ pattern very similar to the way
the spiral line does, and makes its way down to the contra-lateral adductor.
The back functional line begins in the upper arm where the lat attaches, makes
its way down to the contra-lateral glute, and wraps around the thigh ending at
the lateral side of the kneecap.
Deep Front Line – This line begins under the foot and travels up the back
of the shin, up through the inner thigh (adductors), through the ribcage,
between the superficial front and back lines, up the side of the face to just
above the ear.
Following the concept that ‘everything is connected’, these tracks can be
used to help identify where the root of the problem is (if there is one), that
is affecting function, or causing pain. If there is pain, or
movement/flexibility is compromised within the muscles along the line, then it
would make sense to use the lines above and look globally, not just locally, to
try and identify the cause.
MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
If there is a fascial deformation affecting function, it’s important to
address it sooner than later. While there are many ways in which skilled
practitioners go about releasing soft tissue, they are often very expensive,
which isn’t necessarily practical for the majority of the population,
considering that such a vast amount of the population are plagued with
adhesions, trigger point development, and an imbalance in connective tissue
fiber type distribution which negatively affects flexibility/movement. While
some people may in fact require a skilled practitioner to help restore
function, self myofascial release is a very inexpensive alternative.
As stated earlier, fascia has what could be termed as ‘visco-elastic’
properties, meaning that at low temperatures it becomes more stiff, and solid
like, and at high temperatures it becomes more loose, and liquid like. You can
take advantage of this all by yourself in an attempt to break up adhesions, and
restore function with foam rolling (and obviously manipulating the temperature of
the fascia to your advantage by either warming up, or performing foam rolling
in a warm environment).
When mechanical pressure is applied to adhesions, or trigger points as it
is when foam rolling, pain will often radiate outwards (that’s actually the
difference between the two, as trigger points will cause a greater deal of pain
compared to adhesions due to nerve entrapment). Applying pressure increases the
temperature of the bound connective tissue, enabling it to just ‘release itself’.
Rolling back and forth over the tissue as its releasing will help restore
length to the tissue.
Primarily, rolling is done on the lower body only. But that doesn’t mean
you can’t perform self myofascial release on your upper body either. I mean, if
all of the myofascial meridians pass through both the upper, and lower body,
then bypassing the upper body would be incomplete.
To get into the smaller muscles of the upper body, rolling can be done
with a tennis ball (as described earlier in the case of the foot), or any other
object that ‘rolls’ and can apply a significant amount of pressure. The smaller
the object (ex. golf ball), the more localized the pressure will be, and
therefore a higher pain tolerance is needed (especially over trigger points).
The most common areas to roll are the:
Hip Flexors/Quadriceps – The major myofascial meridians that would be
positively affected by rolling out the hip flexors/quadriceps are: Superficial
Front Line, Spiral Line, Front Functional Line
Glutes – The major myofascial meridians that would be positively affected
by rolling out the glutes are: Superficial Back Line, Lateral Line, Spiral Line,
Back Functional Line
Hamstrings – The major myofascial meridians that would be positively
affected by rolling out the hamstrings are: Superficial Back Line, Spiral Line,
Back Functional Line
TFL/IT Band – The major myofascial meridians that would be positively
affected by rolling out the TFL/IT Band are: Lateral Line, Spiral Line, Back
Functional Line
Calves – The major myofascial meridians that would be positively affected
by rolling out the calves are: Superficial Back Line, Spiral Line, Deep Front
Line
Lower and Upper Back (Lumbar and Thoracic Spine) – The major myofascial
meridians that would be positively affected by rolling out the back are:
Superficial Back Line, Spiral Line, Superficial and Deep Back Arm Lines, Back
Functional Line
Even though those are the most common areas, special attention should also
be given to areas unmentioned based on your own personal needs. If you get
creative you can roll out your triceps, various rotator cuff muscles, lats,
pecs, etc.
If you take your training seriously, and want to get the most out of your
efforts in the gym, then you need to take care of your fascia. As we age, our
connective tissue loses its elasticity (primarily because of an imbalance in
connective tissue fiber type distribution), and the way to prevent this from
happening is to maintain your flexibility by stretching, and foam rolling
(though stretching is not nearly as effective if there are fascial deformations
limiting you).
Neglecting to take care of your fascia will result in less than optimal
gains, dysfunctional movement patterns, lack of flexibility, reduce your body’s
ability to transport oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, and can result in
injury (to which even more connective tissue is built to exaggerate everything
just stated). The point is, if you want to enable your body to build up, to the
best of its ability, then putting an extra hour or so a week into foam rolling
is definitely a worthwhile investment.
That also builds strength and stamina.
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