ARPwave Step 3: Strength Rehabilitation

After all of the effort our client has put in to get rid of the injury, we want to make sure that the injury does not come back. In fact, we want to prevent virtually all possible injuries. This is accomplished through proper training.

Think of the injury this way: the problem resulted from a long period of time spent building up improper ways of using the muscles. The ARP treatments laid a new foundation by teaching the muscles to work correctly. From that foundation, you can move forward in two possible directions. One is to go back and start using the muscles improperly again until they once more forget how to absorb force and cause another injury. The second is to continually reinforce the proper ways of using the muscles so that they can support a healthy and active life.

Believe it or not, one of the most effective ways to teach the muscles to work properly involves no movement at all. When you are holding an isometric position, you are not moving and are not at risk of re-injury. Therein lies the brilliance! Our isometrics are performed in a very unique way to accomplish several major objectives.

First, by actively pulling into position we are causing the muscles to contract eccentrically. Eccentric contraction is the key to injury prevention, because a longer muscle can absorb more force.

Second, the active pulling induces contractions at very high velocity. So even though we aren't moving, the muscles are turning on in the same manner they would be during a max effort sprint. This allows us to improve performance dramatically in a shorter period of time than traditional training.

One final benefit is that holding these positions trains the body's energy systems. During the hold, the body has to cycle through its anaerobic energy stores and then progress to the aerobic system, which it uses to recharge the exhausted anaerobic stores. Such a stimulus improves the efficiency of the body's energy delivery and is just one more way in which this type of training can benefit everyone who uses his or her body for any activity.

To learn more about this training program, visit our UltraFit Training Site.