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Author: [[Kelly Starrett, Glen Cordoza]] Full Title: Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition Category: #books The third and most notable problem with our current thinking is that it continues to be based on a model that prioritizes task completion above everything else. It’s a sort of one-or-zero, task-done-or-not, weight-lifted-or-not, distance-swum-or-not mentality. This is like saying, “I deadlifted 500 pounds, but I herniated a disc,” or, “I finished a marathon, but I wore a hole in my knee.” Imagine this sort of ethic spilling over into the other aspects of your life: “Hey, I made you some toast! But I burned down the house.” Less than six hours of sleep? Say hello to elevated blood glucose levels (think prediabetes). Stressed out? Forget about getting a healthy adaptation response to that crushingly difficult workout—you will simply get crushed. PART 1 PRINCIPLES AND THEORY 1 MIDLINE STABILIZATION AND ORGANIZATION (SPINAL MECHANICS) Braced Neutral Sitting Position I have a saying: Sitting is death. It causes muscle tightness, but that’s not all. Long periods of sitting devour your athletic performance potential. This is even more true for those who spend seven to nine hours a day sitting in compromised positions. It should come as no surprise when you feel like a broken-down mess after sitting on a plane, in a car, or at a desk. You’ve forced yourself into a toxic position that feasts on your athletic potential and wreaks havoc on your health. In order to stabilize your spine in a neutral position, you have to get organized while standing by following the bracing sequence. (Note: A basic understanding of how to box squat—see page 176—also plays a key role in organizing your body to sit.) Once seated, you need to keep at least 20 percent tension in your abs to maintain a rigid spine. And herein lies the problem: Keeping your abs engaged at 20 percent is extremely taxing. All the research indicates that it’s not muscular strength, but muscular endurance, that dictates loss of spinal position. The best way to keep from defaulting into a bad position and avoid the negative health effects that stem from prolonged sitting is to stand and reorganize yourself every 10 to 15 minutes. It’s almost impossible to remain in a good static position for longer than 20 minutes.

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Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition by Kelly Starrett, Glen Cordoza presents wisdom from the contemplative traditions.

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