In our Modern Age, we like to pat ourselves on the back, and pretend we’ve reinvented the wheel.

We tell ourselves that our physical training ideas are modern, we tell ourselves that they are new. 

We tell ourselves that surely, no one knew how to train in the history of mankind before the advent of Instagram and TikTok.

But the reality is, we’ve been doing it since the dawn of time…and in fact, the Old Masters might be able to teach us a few new tricks!

THIS TIME, BABY, I FEEL BULLETPROOF! 

One of the most important forms of training out there is what is colloquially known as Bulletproofing…it’s strengthening a particular joint by moving it through a full Range of Motion, so that it is protected from injury. 

It gets blood flow to the tendons and ligaments, getting them strong and healthy so that they can support extreme feats of strength and endurance. 

Likewise, their ability to get blood flow can help heal an injured joint, as tendons and ligaments don’t have their own blood supply, and need movement or manual stimulation for this. 

Oftentimes, Bulletproofing is aimed at joints of the Lower Body…Ankles, Knees, the like. But it can also be for the upper body too, things like the vulnerable Shoulders, Elbows, Writs, etc. 

Most Bulletproofing Exercises are primarily classified as Isolation exercises because they work at a Single-Joint. They work, as stated above, by moving the Joint through a full Range of Motion.

You can do them with added weight or by changing the leverage. You can do them in Bodybuilding Hypertrophy Reps like Ben Patrick likes to do (as did DeLorme and Watkins, whose work is the basis of much of the PT field today).[1] 

You can also do them in the high rep ranges of the 100xs with only bodyweight, making the leverage easier. Thomas Kurz and Nikolia Amosov liked to do this, as did both Bob Hoffman and DeLorme and Watkins before they moved to preferring Bodybuilding Hypertrophy Ranges.[2] 

Both styles are often used as a regression to prepare and protect a joint for going into a heavily weighted, Compound, Multi-Joint movement. 

But however you do them, they’re not the only way to do Bulletproofing!

Enter in Accupressure! 

WHAT THE AGONIST-ANTAGONIST KNEW  

“Acupressure is an ancient healing art that uses the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities,” Acupressurist Michael Reed Gach explains 

“When these points are pressed,” he continues, “They release muscular tension and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force to aid healing.”[3] 

This operates according to the principle of Agonist-Antagonist. What that means is is that when one muscle is stretching, its opposite muscle is tightening, contracting, and strengthening. 

By applying pressure at the Acupressure Point with our fingers, we are tightening, strengthening, and contracting the muscle we are applying pressure too…and at the same time stretching out its opposite.

THE SECRET TO ITS SUCCESS

This is a wonderful technique, because it works on the same principle as Static Passive Stretching, which Thomas Kurz defines as “relaxing your body into a stretch and holding there by the weight of your body or by some other external force.”[4] 

Essentially, your fingers are the external force that is allowing you to contract the muscle-agonists. If you are tired or injured and can’t contract them yourself, your fingers just do it for you…that’s the essence of Accupressure. 

You can do this for time in Static holds…I recommend anywhere from 3-5 minutes. 

Or you can do them Dynamically and fast, planting your fingers at the desired Acupressure Point, and rubbing it in a circle at the planted point. 

I prefer to do this myself, as I like Dynamic a lot better than Static, and I find it has a soothing effect due to its repetitive nature. I like to do sets of 100x reps here. 

But there is another part of the Agonist-Antagonist muscle relationship you may not be aware of…and one simple, important tool to work it…

WHAT THE SARAN WRAP REVEALED 

Surrounding all of our muscles in the body is a substance called Fascia. It’s a connective tissue that has nerves in it, and it’s a substance that is like saran wrap all around our muscles. 

Fascia can become tight and constricted, just like the muscles they surround. And this can become a problem. 

Say a muscle is tight, and you are trying to stretch it. Maybe you’re doing it for a Static hold. Maybe you are Dynamically working to move it through it’s fully available Range of Motion. 

But it’s not really going anywhere. 

So, remembering the Agonist-Antagonist Principle, you work on tightening, contracting, and strengthening the opposite muscle, to get that original tight one to relax and stretch. 

Again, maybe you’re doing it for a Static hold. Maybe you are Dynamically working to move it through its fully available Range of Motion. And maybe now, you are using the external force of your hands in Accupressure. 

But it’s still not working!

What’s going on? 

THE GAS AND THE BRAKES 

The problem is, the Fascia at the muscle you are trying to stretch is tight and constricted. And stretching it won’t fix it.

That’s why when you are stretching, it feels stuck.

And when you start working the Agonist-Antagonist relationship to tighten, contract, and strengthen the opposite muscle, it’s still not going anywhere, because you are pushing on the gas and the brakes at the same time.

The opposite muscle is pushing the gas. But the stuck fascia tissue is pushing the brakes!

If stretching out the Fascia doesn’t work to open it up, then how do we get it to open?

How do we get our foot off the brakes? 

Enter in a simple, mechanical tool…so easy a caveman can use it…

HAIR BRUSH FOR THE FASCIA  

Some call it a Gua Sha. Others call it a Graston Tool. 

I like calling it the Wooden Tool myself…it’s a little less pretentious that way! 

Whatever you call it, it’s a small series of cheap tools that come in different shapes. Some are made of wood, others metal, and others from precious stones like jade or amethyst. 

If you can’t get a hold of these, you use a wooden cooking spoon, the non-serrated side of a metal butter knife blade, or even a simple metal spoon.

What’s the job of these tools? 

 Scrape the Fascia. 

Because while stretching doesn’t do much to get the Fascia unstuck and loose, scraping is what gets it unstuck and loose!

It’s pretty easy…make sure you have some kind of cloth covering like clothing or a cloth over the area you need to scrape. You can also use lotion if doing it on bare skin. 

If doing it on your bare skin, don’t do it without lotion…you will literally peel your skin off!

From there, all you do is scrape! 

It’s like brushing your hair, but it’s brushing your skin. 

Apply as much pressure as you feel you need to in hair brush-like strokes, as long or as short of strokes as you feel you need, as fast or as slow as you feel you need, and feel the fascia release!

The brakes are off! 

It’s that simple!

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT! 

Having a knowledge of anatomy is key to using the Wooden Tool for Fascia Scraping. 

Understanding where the Fascia Train Lines are in the body allows you to strategically target them.[5] For sets and reps, I like to hit sets of 100x reps dynamically, of course. 

Are you sensing a theme here? 

Once you get the Fascia opened up, the breaks are off, you can begin working the external force of your hands in Accupressure, Dynamically working it through its fully available Range of Motion, or holding it in a Static holds. 

The sky is the limit!

Integrate these Single-Joint, Isolation Bullet-Proofing Exercises with Compound, Multi-Joint Coiling Core type movements, and the movement world is yours!

Pulp Fiction Power to you, my friends!

Sincerely,

Richard Barrett

09-29-2024

Written at 1:36 PM, somewhere in the USA…

Sources Cited 

Image 1

[1] For Delorme and Watkins’ rep ranges, see John, Dan. The Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge: A Fundamental Guide to Training for Strength and Power. Dragon Door Publications: Little Canada, MN: 2017. Pgs. 79-81. You can also find the original study sold here. 

[2] For Thomas Kurz, see Kurz, M.Sc., Thomas. Science of Sports Training: How to Plan and Control Training for Peak Performance. Stadion Publishing: Island Pond, VT, 2001. Pgs. 163-165. For Dr. Nikolai Amosov, see Tsatsouline, Pavel. Super Joints: Russian Longevity Secrets for Pain-Free Movement, Maximum Mobility, and Flexible Strength. Dragon Door Publications: St Paul, MN, 2001. Pgs. 3-14. 

[3] Gach, Michael Reed. Acupressure’s Potent Points: A Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments. Bantam Books: New York, New York, 1990. Pg. 3.   

[4] Kurz, M.Sc., Thomas. Stretching Scientifically: A Guide to Flexibility Training. 3d Edition. Stadion Publishing: Island Pond, VT, 1994. Pg. 29. Please note that the 4th Edition is found in the link above. 

[5] For Fascia Train Lines, see Training Academy, Fascia. “The 7 Most Important Fascia Chains”. Fascia Training Academy, September 20, 2022. https://fasciatrainingacademy.com/the-7-most-important-fascia-chains/. Note that this article is cited as an excerpt from Muller, Divo G.; Schleip, Robert. “Fascial Fitness: Fascia oriented training for bodywork and movement therapies”. Terra Rosa e-magazine, Issue no. 7, 2001. Pgs. 2-11. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Fascial-Fitness-Fascia-oriented-training-for-and-M%C3%BCller-Schleip/786b69a90f65a1bb84ee952b7a624eb580de5988.