The Yin and Yang of Strength

The art and science of becoming stronger can be broken down into 2 main methods.

1. The Addition of Driving Forces (Yang), and
2. The Subtraction of Restrictive Forces (Yin)

When most people train for strength they focus solely on the Yang of Strength – the addition of driving forces.

But this will only get you so far…

It’s like driving a car around all day with the emergency brake on.  You can still get where you need to go, but that extra, unnecessary drag is killing the car’s performance and guzzling gas (consuming energy).

What is the hidden drag in your performance?

Residual muscle tension, or tonus, is the continuous, passive partial contraction of muscles in the body that aids in posture and support. Any type of strength training exercise, stress, fear, and trauma, will all cause an unwanted and unnecessary increase in the normal residual muscle tension of the body.

Usually this extra tonus goes unnoticed, or worse is simply deemed an acceptable and natural side effect of living.  The problem with this added tension is that the continuous contraction of muscle throughout the day, ever day, is using up energy.  Energy that can, and should, be available to us is being siphoned off thereby putting the brakes on our performance.

Rather than increasing our energy, freeing our movement, and allowing us to access our full strength potential as human beings, the consistent focus on the Yang of Strength makes us literally muscle bound.

The Yin of Strength

The Yin of Strength is how we strategically and systematically remove those restrictive forces to reveal our true strength potential as an Integrated Human Being.

What specific recovery methods are used?

• Mobility Training
• Yoga Postures to act as compensatory movement
• Vibration Training to literally shake out the tension
• Breathing Exercises
• Foam Rolling and Fascial Release
• Qigong

Check out my latest program, Vital Force: The Yin of Strength

Jon

Jon Haas, "The Warrior Coach" has been training in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu for more than 25 years and is currently ranked as a Kudan (9th degree black belt) under Jack Hoban Shihan. He has also trained in Okinawan Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Russian Systema, BJJ, Krav Maga, as well as Internal Martial Arts of Yiquan and Aiki.He is a certified Underground Strength Coach-Level 2, a certified Personal Trainer as well as founder of Warrior Fitness Training Systems. In 2008, Jon wrote the book, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts, and since then has created numerous other online training and coaching programs helping people around the world become the strongest, most capable versions of themselves!

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