We all share struggles with flexibility, and the abundant theories on how to achieve it, maintain it, and prolong it.  Doubtless, you too have experienced the frustration of learning many of the theories and training concepts don’t have practical benefits.  Johnny Carson once interviewed Alabama Coach Bear Bryant, and questioned whether he would have done anything differently recognizing his knowledge gained over the years.  Coach Bryant had been talking about how Joe Namath was the greatest athlete he had every coached, and in retrospect, had he (Coach Bryant) known in the beginning what he knew then, Joe Namath would have played 10 more years.  Starting in the 1970’s and going through to current, new knowledge regarding training and flexibility began trickling out of the Orient, but even more so, from what we previously knew as the Eastern Bloc.  The Soviet Union and its Allies were stringing together impressive records of athletic performance, and despite the rumors, most of it had very little to do with drug enhanced performance.  They had made training breakthroughs, we had not.  As this new information began to find its way to the West, our own concepts of training were forced to adjust, if only because  enhanced performance results demanded  we do so.

I had always hoped to compile this new knowledge into some type of meaningful format, and was about to do so several years back, when, through happy circumstance, I encountered an article written by Brad Appleton, and available over the internet.  I’ve been using Mr. Appleton’s piece, and the updates ever since.  He has done a remarkable job of assimilating and documenting virtually everything you need to know, or to have regarding stretching and flexibility.  More importantly, he has generously allowed free distribution of his piece to parties interested.  I have included the entire document for your own benefit in training.  You will note  Mr. Appleton has his own terms of use stipulated within the piece, and I would expect  you respect his wishes in that regard.  There are references to download sites incorporated into his article.    I recommend the easiest way to print copy of the entire article is to load the “.txt” file into your browser (to do so, simply click here), then save it to you own computer for normal viewing and printing in your word processor.

I know you’ll enjoy Mr. Appleton’s contribution to the arts.