Flexibility training stand

The flexibility training card is not the "unified clock-in IQ tax" complained about online. The essence is to transform the abstract and individual flexibility improvement logic into a visual, implementable movement reference and risk reminder tool. Its core function is to help trainers avoid the common misunderstandings of "blind pressure" and "not knowing the training boundaries", and adapt to the needs of all stages from zero-level enthusiasts to professional athletes.

The first time I came into contact with a customized flexibility training sign was in the warm-up field of the Provincial Huayou Team in 2019. At that time, the team’s new rehabilitation instructor set up a half-person-high PVC sign next to each team member’s warm-up area. It was not a large PVC sign with the words “Press your legs for 3 minutes and lower your waist in place” printed on Taobao for 9 yuan and 9 free shipping. The hamstring stretch angle and hip external rotation threshold on each brand are individually marked in red based on each person's physical test data last week - if it is below this line, it is not fully activated, and it is easy to get injured on the field. If it is above this line, it will be too flexible on the day, which will affect the force control of the complete set of movements.

At that time, I thought this was a bit of a fuss. It wasn’t until later when I was browsing fitness forums that I saw a CrossFit coach openly criticizing the slogan “purely take off your pants and fart”, saying that flexibility is gained through practice and not from the angle. Everyone’s physical condition is different every day. It’s just a bad idea to practice to a dead standard. This is actually true. I know an older brother who has been running marathons for 12 years. The tension of the iliopsoas muscle is directly linked to the temperature of the day and the quality of sleep the day before. He never believes in any fixed stretching standards. He walks two kilometers before each run, and his body will tell him how far he should stretch.

But turning to the children’s dance class run by my friend, the complaint problem that had been a headache for several years was solved by custom-made signage. In the past, there were always parents who felt that teachers deliberately pressed their children's legs too hard, and felt distressed when they saw their children crying through the glass. Later, they found a children's sports rehabilitation expert to do a basic flexibility assessment for each child, and made a batch of stand-up signs with cartoon bunny logos. Each child only needs to stand on the line corresponding to his or her level and press his or her legs. The sensor sticker next to his or her threshold will change color. The teacher does not have to call stop repeatedly, and parents can see that it is not the teacher who is pressing hard. The number of related complaints dropped by 90% last year.

To put it bluntly, this thing is positioned like a "traffic sign" for flexibility training. It does not tell you how much you must run to meet the speed limit, but it marks you clearly in advance where there are pitfalls and high-accident areas to prevent you from walking blindly into a ditch. Nowadays, the logic of the signboards made by different training schools is very different, and there is no unified standard at all: the signboards for static passive stretching will focus on the holding time and pain threshold of each movement, and the signboards for the PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) school will be printed clearly. Chu's alternating rhythm of "contract for 6 seconds, relax for 10 seconds", and even a dynamic flexibility stand for combatants. They don't even mark the duration. They only draw movement trajectories and minimum activity requirements. It's hard to say who is right and who is wrong. They are all adapted to different training goals.

I also used the mini version of the stand when I was practicing rock climbing. I had an old injury around my shoulder at that time, and I couldn't grasp the stretch of the shoulder external rotation every time I warmed up. Either the shoulder would get stuck in the two movements without opening it, or it would cause pain for several days. Later, the rehabilitation specialist evaluated me and printed out a palm-sized cardboard stand and stuffed it into my climbing bag. Two values ​​were marked on it: when the shoulder external rotation reaches 75 degrees, it is just activated; when it exceeds 90 degrees, the dynamic force-generating movements must be reduced. I've been using this piece of paper for more than half a year, and I haven't had any shoulder injuries again.

Of course, if you have a particularly strong sense of your body and can accurately figure out your status during each training session, then this thing is really of no use to you. If you are new to sports and cannot figure out the boundary between "a little sore" and "about to strain" when stretching, or you have suffered sports injuries before and need to control the training intensity, you can definitely find a professional rehabilitation therapist or coach to do a basic assessment and customize an exclusive small stand. It is much more reliable than blindly browsing the wild tutorials on the Internet to "learn to become a one-character horse in 7 days". Oh, by the way, don’t buy the mass-produced uniform model, that’s the real IQ tax.