If you are a combat athlete then you need Z-Health
The Problem & The Solution: Your Nervous System
If you are an athlete, especially a martial artist you no doubt have some old injuries that nag you from time to time.
You may also be bewildered at how someone else in your class can be so dynamic, athletic, explosive and flexible while you remain tight and weak.
Well my friends it is time you were introduced to your nervous system.
Your nervous system (your brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves) are the king of your body. Not a muscle contracts or relaxes without a signal from your nervous system.
You are strong enough to pick up a car, as evidenced by real-life stories of mothers who lift cars off of their children or how the insane seem to have inhuman strength... but why can't you voluntarily access this strength?
Reflexes that live within your nervous system.
You are also flexible enough to do the splits... maybe not while awake but if you were in a coma, under anesthesia or really drunk you sure could. As Comrade Pavel Tsatsouline says, your muscles are not too short and thus don't need to be stretched, your nervous system is protecting you from a potential injury and thus contracts your muscles... that is why you can't do the splits.
In fact, it is proven via MRI that the average person's voluntary maximum muscular contraction is about 25 to 30% of their actually muscle fibers!
World champion powerlifters, guys who squat 1,000 lbs have been shown to use only between 40 to maybe 50% of their muscle fibers when setting a world record.
This explains why you can see a muscle-bound guy who is actually quite weak and a scrawny guy who has unnatural strength. The big muscle guy may only be using 25% of his huge muscles and the scrawny guy may be using 38% of his. Now teach that big guy to use 38% and we have one strong dude!
But how do we teach our nervous system to allow us to use more of our natural strength? To allow us to access our natural flexibility? To exert power, force, explosiveness, agility, suppleness and more?
This is where the research of Dr. Eric Cobb founder of Z-Health comes to play. Dr. Cobb a combatives guy, nationally ranked athlete and classically trained Chiropractor has spent his entire life studying his two passions... fitness and fighting. In that research he has dug extensively into the nervous system and continues to as I write this in order to find the best ways to get the most out of your athletic ability.
You Are Governed By Hard-Wired Reflexes
The sooner you realize that a human being's athletic potential and the amount of tightness, muscle tension, pain and lack of strength is really just governed by reflexes, the sooner you can start searching for how to use these reflexes to make you better!
The Arthrokenetic Reflex = Jammed joints make you weak and tight, mobile joints make you strong and loose
The body is comprised of a whole series of hard-wired neurological reflexes. Flinching when something flies at your face/eyes is an example. Flinching your hand away quickly when you touch a hot iron is another one. The arthrokenetic reflex shown in the video below is yet another, more subtle, but very important one. The arthrokenetic reflex basically states that "jammed joints make the body weak."
Arthrokenetic Reflex Demonstration
A person filled with arthrokenetic reflex from a past injury, a chronically jammed or frozen joint will have chronic weakness and tightness in parts of their body or the entire body. This weakness can lead to compensations in the way we move which over time creates chronic tightness and eventually pain. Doing joint mobility for jammed joints can essentially un-jam them and allow your strength to return.
This is all about what is called neural inhibition. Neural inhibition means this, you could be using 40% of your muscles to throw a kick but because of a jammed joint, the arthrokenetic reflex kicks in causing neural inhibition... now you are only able to access 12% of your muscles for that same kick!
So you can see it does not mean you can't walk, it just means you won't be nearly the athlete you could be... but it also has a deeper meaning, the longer you let this negative reflex go on without correcting it the more your body will compensate in its movement patterns which will lead to pain and chronic stiffness... bad mojo for a combat athlete.
Concepts in Pain Relief
& Athletic Performance
If you have pain in your low back it must be coming from your lower back right? Wrong!
Pain is just a symptom indicating that something has gone wrong and needs to be fixed. The site of pain is often not the cause of the pain. Find out why here.
If you have pain in your lower back your body is NOT
saying "I've hurt my back." It is really saying "something in my body is not moving correctly and as a consequence my lower back is working too hard."
Likewise, if you have a weak punch you may be thinking that you need to go lift weights to get stronger... for the record, I totally support you lifting weights to get stronger... but what may really be going on is that an arthrokenetic reflex is limiting your force production in your body.
The Problem
Most often the reason that your pain lingers around so long is because your "specialist" - whether they are a doctor, physical therapist, masseuse or personal trainer - is working on the site of pain rather than the cause of the pain.
The human body is a collective of inter-dependant parts; none of them work in isolation. The whole body must be considered when attempting to eliminate aches, pains, stiffness, etc.
So if you have pain in your lower back, or shoulder or elbow or wherever; it could really be coming from your foot, ankle, neck, hip, knee, etc... or the wallet as in the previous article. The fact is that if you focus solely on the area where it hurts you will almost never solve the issue.
Worse is the prescriptions of drugs, expensive orthotic footwear, expensive and painful surgeries and doctors telling people that they will never be able to do x, y or z again! There is a better way.
In almost every case, musculo-skeletal pain is a result of a body-wide movement problem that is causing a cascading chain of events leading to overuse and abuse of a certain joint or area of the body.
Z-Health takes a whole-body approach to identifying and fixing your movement problems.
You may be thinking, "I move all day long, won't my joints fix themselves?" And in most cases you would be correct, but the problem arises when we have certain patterns of movement that we do all of the time and we end up never moving certain joints until someone shows us that we don't or can't move them... then you get that "ah HAA" moment.
The arthrokenetic reflex is just one of the many areas that a qualified Z-Health Specialist will address. Many things can cause pain, weakness, tight muscles or lack of performance. Z-Health tries to address as many as science has discovered.
"I suffered an SI joint sprain 7 years ago. I was prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and pain medication which I took when needed. Lifting a grocery bag would sometimes onset discomfort.
I was told by the doctor to carefully choose
my activity which may cause a sudden reoccurrence in pain which I experienced
up until I started training with Brian very recently. I am dedicated to exercising at
the gym but, still felt discomfort after exercising. I would go to bed feeling back
pain and, wake in the morning feeling stiff on my lower back. After, a recent
private session, my deadlift weight increased and, I am able to perform these exercises without any discomfort. I am also able to increase my weight in all
exercises after each session. My back problems did not improve doing my regular exercises at the gym and with a personal trainer there. I immediately felt relief
after my first session with Brian and, I have dramatic improvement in each session thereafter. After a recent session my deadlift weight increased by 25 lbs. This accomplishment did not dawn on me until I went home that evening. While
settling in for the evening, my eyes watered. I was in disbelief of my ability
to perform this well physically after suffering many years after a back injury.
I am grateful to have met a very skilled knowledgeable instructor like Brian.
I would highly recommend him as a personal trainer. Thank you Brian."
- Toni
Just a few facts:
If you have a pain problem, chronic tightness or weakness, you have a movement problem
Your movement problem is almost certainly not where your pain is
To get out of pain permanently you must fix where your movement problem is
Because your specific movement problem can literally be anywhere, you need a precise, body-wide approach to finding and fixing it quick! Only Z-Health can do this.
If you have had a "torn rotator cuff" or "blown out back" for the last 5 years... you don't. Soft tissue heals faster than that. You need to find out what kind of a movement problem you have that is causing that area to experience pain.
Things you NEED to know to eliminate pain forever:
While surgery may be required in some circumstances, such as a complete tendon tear, it rarely fixes pain. In fact, since surgery alters natural tissue and creates scar tissue, pain often gets worse in the long-run. - For instance, carpal tunnel surgery has a dismal success rate. Post surgery when the incisions are healing, scar tissue builds up in the same area of the wrist often making the carpal tunnel symptoms worse! We have other, easier and cheaper ways to fix this... often instantly!
Constantly stretching and massaging an area that hurts will typically only aggravate it and make it worse. There are other better ways to eliminate pain.
Remember that the site of pain is almost never the cause of the pain, you need an specialist who can help identify the cause.
The nervous system is king of the body, change the nervous system and you change the body.
Stop doing things that cause pain. Practice makes perfect, right? Well the more you practice feeling pain the better you get at feeling it!
Practice lots of high quality, pain-free movement in every joint at all speeds.
"I feel 100% comfortable sending my patients to Brian. His knowledge base is exceptional and his attention to detail is phenomenal.
If you suffer from a previous weakness, Brian will find it and make it strong. - Dr. Hamilton, D.C., ART - Active Health Chiropractic PLLC - Aurora, CO www.healthyyouchiropractic.com
Other modalities and treatments
Many people have experienced relief from Chiropractic, massage, trigger point work, acupuncture, exercise, etc. And to be fair all of these methods can and do work.
The thing to remember is that they each have their own unique area of specialty and pain can be caused by anything. So, if you go to an Acupuncturist and what you needed was acupuncture, you will feel great. But if what you needed was a Chiropractic adjustment then the acupuncture may not be of any use to you. It doesn't mean one modality is invalid, it just means it wasn't what your body needed right now.
If your car has a flat tire should you get an oil change? An oil change is still good for your car but what it really needs right now is a replacement tire, right?
Z-Health looks at as many different modalities as possible to fix you:
How your joints move
Neuromuscular reflexes
Occulo-motor reflexes (visual system, how vision affects your postural muscles to give you balance)
- This one will really surprise you!
Vestibular reflexes (your inner ear that is responsible for equilibrium... think sea sickness)
Nutrition (poor nutrition can cause chronic inflammation in the body and thus pain and stiffness)
Stress/sleep/psychological factors
Respiration (poor breathing patterns such as upper chest breathing can make your upper back tight)
Strength and Joint Stability (if you are weak you will be tight)
Flexibility
and much more...
There really aren't any other systems out there that look at all of these things. That is why I use Z-Health with my clients. If there was something better out there, I would be doing that instead.
The Solution
You may have a hint at the solution by now. Stop doing the things that are causing the problem and start doing specific targeted movements to help eliminate the problem all together.
What you will learn from Brian:
The 6 areas of the body that tend to cause 80-90% of all our problems... and how to fix them
Could your shoes be causing your aches, pains and tightness?
Could a vision issue be causing your pain? Yes, it could! And there is more to vision than 20/20.
Discover why pain that has lasted over 10 years can often go away in less than 2 minutes of targeted Z-Health work
Are you holding tension in your body? Let's get rid of it!
Are you compressing joints with your daily movement? We need to fix that!
Why jammed joints create weakness, tension, tightness and pain
How to un-jam your joints yourself in seconds per day
You may be breathing yourself into tension and pain
Is your hypochondriac relative really making themselves sick? Yes... I'll explain why
How to eliminate pain from your body and regain fluid movement
How to develop the nervous system so that you learn mental and physical things faster! Great for athletes and business professionals... or anyone!
How your typical shoes can be making you weak!
"After living with frequent, intense back pain for several years I took the advice
of a friend and went to a kettlebell and Z-Health class taught by Brian Copeland. From the
very beginning he taught me the "why" along with the "how" to get
the most
out of my workout, pain free! After two weeks in his class, my
back pain was
non-existent and has not returned. His philosophy
concerning exercise is refreshing. I don't have to work myself to death or feel
pain to get some really fantastic results! He trains both mind and body and cares
to know where you
want to be. He is available at all times to help with your
fitness goals.
I recommend him to everyone I know!"
- Angela
Dr. Eric Cobb says that we are all athletes whether you play a sport or not. Let's find your inner athlete and make it become your outer athlete.
"...so thank you for all the kettlebell swings, all the deadlifts, pistols
and front squats, all the Tabata drills (especially the Tabata's!) ;) and all the Z-Health! My knees thank you too, as I had NO knee
pain
on the bike for the first time in 3 years, while clocking more miles
than in my past 2 attempts at this 150 mile event!!"
Reading about how to feel better won't cut it, you actually have to do it... Yeah, crazy huh?
Your Next Step
Ok, if you are finally convinced that a combination of kettlebell training, Z-Health and the rest of Brian's bag of skills is what you need then here is what you do...
You need to contact Brian for the best option for you from the following list:
Private Training - 1-on-1 personalized to your needs.
- This is the best option for someone experiencing pain, tightness or range of motion issues.
Semi-Private Training - You and your family, friends or coworkers can experience personalized attention. This is appropriate for 2-3 people with minor to moderate issues who want to get rid of aches, improve posture and range of motion and then begin fitness training.
Group Jeet Kune Do Classes - We incorporate Z-Health dynamic joint mobility and vision training into our Jeet Kune Do classes to make us better athletes. However, I do not have the time to work on specific areas of pain, tension and weakness in a group class, private sessions are more appropriate for that. So is using the R-Phase DVD below.
Workshops or Seminars - Need government, corporate or sports team training? Contact me with the details.
Not in Colorado? Ask me about my phone and internet based training options or one of my products.
Purchase the R-Phase DVD & manual - Performing regular Z-Health drills is the best way to prevent and eliminate pain, aches and tightness and improve your athletic ability.
You can get the R-Phase DVD & manual
from Z-Health here:
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Progressive Combat Systems is the place to go for the most realistic self defense in the Denver, Aurora, Colorado area. We offer self-defense, combatives, martial arts training, jujitsu, boxing, muay thai, jeet kune do, firearms combat, edged weapons training, kettlebell training, pain relief, Z-Health, and more.
Progressive Combat Systems is a Martial Arts and Self-Defense academy in the Denver, Colorado area. If you are looking for Self Defense or Martial Arts in Aurora, Centennial, Park Meadows, DTC, Denver, Lakewood, Littleton, Englewood, Lone Tree or other Denver Metro areas, then come train with us. If you are not from the Denver, CO area and want to train with us then contact Chief Instructor Brian Copeland to discuss our Intense Personal Training Course. We can help you locate a hotel near our Aurora studio.
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