SPS311 – Physical Conditioning

Mohd Fadzil b. Hj Kamarudin

UiTM
Warm-Up
 Important before any athletic
performance;
Helps protect against injury by improving
flexibility of the muscles.
To avoid muscular injury, athletes should
raise the body’s internal temperature
through light activity before engaging in
stretching exercises.
A total warm-up program include:
Flexibility
 Flexibility of the body’s muscles & joints is
an important component of many athletic
movements.
 Optimal musculoskeletal flexibility can
improve an athlete’s performance by
increasing a joint’s movement.
 Range of motion (ROM) – the degree of
movement occurs at a joint.
ROM particular joint is determine by:
○ Connective tissue structure
○ Person’s activity level
○ Age & sex
Flexibility
 Flexibility is a measure of ROM.
 Static flexibility
 The range of possible movement about a joint & its
surrounding muscles during a passive movement.
 Static flexibility requires no voluntary muscular
activity; an external force, such as gravity, a partner,
or a machine, provides the force for the stretch.
 Dynamic flexibility
 Refers to the available ROM during active
movements, & requires voluntary muscle actions.
 The joints & surrounding structures must be
prepared for this stretch through the use of static
flexibility exercises.
Factors Affecting Flexibility
 A number of anatomical & training-related
factors affect flexibility.
 Cannot be altered significantly by training.
Joint structure
Age & sex
 Can alter flexibility.
Activities related to training
Activity level
Weight training
Stretching
Proprioceptors & Stretching
Muscle Spindles
When a muscle is stretched,
deformation of the muscle
spindle activates the sensory
neuron, which sends an
impulse to the spinal cord,
where it synapses with a
motor neuron causing the
muscle to contract.
Golgi Tendon Organs (GTO)
When an extremely heavy
load is placed on the
muscle, discharge of the
GTO occurs. The sensory
neuron of the GTO
activates an inhibitory
interneuron in the spinal
cord, which in turn
synapses with and inhibits
a motor neuron serving
the same muscle.
TYPE OF STRETCHING
TYPE OF STRETCHING
PNF [ Hold-Relax ]
• Fig 16.3 – begins with a passive pre-stretch
that is held at the point of mild discomfort for
10sec.

• Fig 16.4 – the partner applies a hip flexion

force & the athlete is instructed to “hold &
don’t let me move the leg” while the athlete
“holds” & resists the movement so that
isometric muscle action occurs & is held for
6sec.

• Fig 16.5 – the athlete then relaxes, & a

passive stretch is performed & held for
30sec.

• The final stretch should be of greater

magnitude due to autogenic inhibition.
PNF [ Contract-Relax ]
• Fig 16.6 – begins with a passive pre-stretch of the
hamstrings that is held at the point of mild discomfort
for 10sec.

• Fig 16.7 – the athlete then extends the hip against

resistance from the partner so that a concentric
muscle action through the full ROM occurs.

• Fig 16.8 – the athlete then relaxes, & a passive hip-

flexion stretch is applied & held for 30sec.
PNF [ Hold-Relax with
Agonist Contraction ]
• Fig 16.9 & 16.10 - the technique is identical to
hold-relax in the first two phases.

•Fig 16.11 – during the 3rd phase, a concentric

action of the agonist is used in addition to the
passive stretch to add to the stretch force.

•That is, following the isometric hold, the athlete

flexes the hip, thereby moving further into the
new ROM.
Stretching Techniques