Positional Release is a technique that I learned about at a seminar I recently attended with “The Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory.
Here’s a quick video that I shot to give you a basic understanding of the principles behind Positional Release.
I tried to keep it as simple as possible.
For more information check out the Positional Release Therapy Institute’s homepage by clicking here.
Here’s a video of a better explanation.
One of the things that caught my attention in the video is the emphasis he put on muscle tenderness.
If you’re experiencing pain/tenderness in a muscle this may be a great way to address it. Like other rehab methods, this technique will help to alleviate pain and discomfort. However, it does so without having to aggressively “attack” the trigger point as you would with various forms of self massage.
As far as this post goes, I won’t be adding a ton of videos for different positional release techniques. Therefore, I highly suggest you do a search on YouTube to find videos specific to the muscle(s) that you are experiencing pain and/or tenderness in. I’m confident this technique will improve your mobility as well as help to eliminate any discomfort.
Positional Release For Quads And Hamstrings
Here are two positional release techniques to add to your program. They will undoubtedly improve your flexibility on the mat and in the weight room.
The first is for your hip flexors and the second is for your hamstrings.
Basically I have my wrestlers use these if I see that they’re having trouble hitting a low depth in their squats.
I ask them where they’re feeling the most resistance when they start to reach the bottom.
If they tell me they feel tight in the hamstrings, I have them use the positional release for the hamstrings.
If they tell me that their hips feel tight, then I have them use the hip release.
Both positions should be held for about 1:30 (1 min, 30 sec). I’ll have the wrestler hold the position in between warm-up sets of squats until they indicate to me that they are no longer feeling resistance and their technique shows improvement.
Most of the time this only takes 1 or 2 sets of holding the release position.
In most cases, in just 3 minutes or less you can be working in much greater ranges of motion. Pretty cool, don’t you think?
As I mentioned in the video in above, you want to shorten the muscle that you’re targeting. One way to decide how to shorten the muscle is to first think about how to stretch it. For example, a fully stretched hip flexor is demonstrated by the picture below (~180-degree angle at hip).
So, in order to shorten the muscle, find a way to shorten the angle of the hips. Here’s how:
Similarly, a fully stretched hamstring is shown below.
Just like the Hip Flexor Release, do the opposite for the hamstring.
One additional trick- rotate both feet in to shorten the hamstrings more.
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Hi, I’m Dickie (the author of this blog). Here I am with my good buddy, Kyle Dake. While he doesn't have a nice coat like me, he is pretty good at wrestling. Here's what he said about my training system:
Before I began lifting using Dickie's system my wrestling skills were getting slightly better. I've now been lifting under his guidance for more than 5 months and I have begun to dominating ALL of my competition. At first I had little faith in Dickie and his program, but now I would run into a wall if he told me I would get stronger! I know it sounds insane, but I would. The bottom line is Dickie is an expert and knows what he is talking about. If you want to defeat those kids whom you've always lost to and reach a level you never thought possible, I suggest you start lifting using Dickie's system immediately.
-Kyle Dake, 4X NCAA Division 1 National Champion