Integrating Tension Reduction Into Your Training

The integration of training variables is vital to optimal athletic outcomes. I’ve invested 20+ years working with coaches and athletes in teams, squads and individually guiding them in this process.

The aim here is to share simple ideas to apply to your training if you’re not already. 

Sometimes it’s simple. Other times it’s time consuming. Mostly it’s somewhere in between. Either way it’s worth it.   

A retired athlete who now coaches a group of hobbyists, asked me about the hobbyists going to the gym to get stronger on the off days from their group sports training (the training for the sport has a strength component already). 

I said of course though you might advise they devote at least half their time stretching and the other half in the gym. I suggested this to improve the ratio of tension reduction to tension producing activity. They’re on their feet, training hard while not doing enough stretching and soft tissue work as it stands. Adding strength training on their off days compounds the tension production activity.  

In theory it sounds nice to add x, y and z on your off days, however theory and practice don’t always align, especially as the body ages.

Next was a consultation with a male athlete approaching his physical prime. He’d been getting programmed by his masseur to this point. I analysed his ratio of tension producing to tension reducing work – it was way out of whack. Then assessed his posture and flexibility. He scored poorly in both. I was beginning to think the soft tissue therapist didn’t understand how to address the body long term. I don’t say that arrogantly or disrespectfully.

While blind to many, the difference between getting an ‘amazing’ massage once every week or two versus integrating daily flexibility and/or tissue work into your training program long term, is subtle but significant in my experience.

This need for it to be integrated into your training daily is easily missed.  

Stretching (static, passive stretching, etc) contributes enormously in this area, as does soft tissue manipulation via hands on massage, foam rollers, hockey balls and so on. There are no shortcuts, everyone, excluding the genetically gifted, has to pay full price in this area.     

We also have indirect opportunities like saunas and hot spas. For example, having a sauna in the afternoon/evening may help with sleep and quality sleep helps all aspects of recovery and performance. 

Nutrition is another area. Cutting out inflammatory type foods (alcohol, junk food, etc) while concurrently taking in magnesium rich nutrition regularly as an example. 

These are distant seconds however to the big three: stretching, soft tissue work and optimally planned training. 

What Can You Do? 

Outside of seeking professional advice, I’ll provide two recent examples with some education to help your decision making in this area.

Case Study #1  

I assessed a Jiu-Jitsu athlete recently. He’s early 30’s and trains/teaches 6 days/week. Some are double day sessions. He didn’t pass his flexibility assessment and his soft tissue tension was off the charts in places. Add to this (but to his credit), he’s got to where he is without doing any stretching/soft tissue work because he’s never enjoyed stretching/massage. 

During our chat he recognised some opportunity cost neglecting these areas in training. Particularly as he’d recently added strength training into his program.   

We decide upon a simple 10-15mins of flexibility and/or rolling (not BJJ rolling. Rolling on a ball/foam roller) prior to every grappling session. This was his commitment at this stage. We’ve integrated 60-90mins/week of targeted tension reduction stimuli his body is now experiencing and importantly building the habit of doing it before training.

This is the first of a series of soft tissue strategies to be integrated if he is consistent and open to further change.  

Summary:

He’s started addressing his soft tissue status daily as opposed to a history of ignoring it. A big tick! 

It’s not enough to reverse his challenges, while at the same time it’s a step in the right direction. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.   

He’s prioritised his soft tissue work via doing it first in the training session. The training effect he will receive from this sequencing is superior to doing it after training in my experience. That said, time will tell and his body will provide the answer. 

Case Study #2

I assessed a Kayaker/Ocean Paddler recently. He’s mid 20’s training 6 days/week. All are double day sessions. He scored poorly on his flexibility and postural assessment though has allocated some time and money to address his tissue tension recently. 

Fortunately he was in his pre-season (general preparation phase – GPP) at the time so we made significant changes. The main one being a two week training block prioritising flexibility, lowering tissue tension and improving posture. He paddled only twice weekly during that training block with double day flexibility and soft tissue sessions. 

He reported feeling fantastic during this training block. Fresh, healthy and ready for the remainder of the GPP. 

Summary:

His body was screaming out for gains in soft tissue length and tension. 

We have not achieved them yet, but are well on the way, accelerated by the prioritisation phase. 

Dedicated flexibility sessions are now a regular part of his training week. 

The daily soft tissue sessions we implemented in the prioritisation phase have been retained in his daily training moving forward. 

He noticed he’s paddling better while feeling fresh and loose physically and mentally. It’s a great sign he’s recognised these inputs and outputs so soon.  

A Note on Strength Training: 

If you’re participating in sport training and/or competition and add strength training into the mix, it’s in your highest and best good to also include flexibility training. Do it before your strength training and/or as a dedicated session in itself. The more strength training sessions you do the more flexibility sessions you need to do. 

Paraphrasing Tony Robbins to conclude, this article is not intended to impress you, but to impress upon you fundamentals around integrating tension reduction into your daily training program.