Fascia is actually more elastic than we realized; in fact, it experiences similar stretch-shorten cycles as muscles and tendons do.
Training fascia with whole-body movements that require force and speed sequences is the ideal way to increase its elasticity and resilience, and by changing up load variations rather than engaging in repetitive exercises it trains it more effectively than repetitive exercise regimens alone.
1. Flexibility
Flexibility refers to the ability of moving muscles and joint structures through their natural range of motion without discomfort, increasing movement efficiency while supporting healthy muscle balance and posture. Flexibility plays an integral part in athletic performance as it may reduce injury risk.
Reaching down to touch your toes is an example of flexibility; this requires you to temporarily lengthen a muscle. Flexibility has long been considered essential component of physical fitness and most health-related fitness test batteries include a sit-and-reach test as part of their battery.
Fascial training involves dynamic stretching and whole-body movements that engage long myofascial chains to target fascial training. These exercises have proven more successful than static stretching or isolated training because the fascial network responds more favorably to variations in angle, tempo and load.
2. Strength
Fascia’s elastic properties make it an indispensable training component. This is because, unlike muscle fibers which typically experience significant strength gains quickly only to hit a plateau over time, fascia tends to adapt slowly. Therefore, effective fascial training requires 6-24 months before noticeable strength improvements occur.
To develop fascia for elasticity, the best training approach involves global movements (like jumping and bounding ) that require sequencing force through various vectors, as well as local movements like med ball or landmine jumps that require proximal stiffness to promote distal freedom and speed. Together with slow and dynamic stretching exercises, these movement principles prioritize quality over quantity.
Preparatory countermovement, or preparatory flexing, is another key principle. By bending down before extending up and winding up before pitching or flexing down to move the kettlebell closer to your body before pushing off, fascial elastic recoil can reduce muscle demands at push off and make movement more manageable and fuel-efficient.
3. Stability
Traditional training programs emphasize adequate muscle fibre development, cardiovascular conditioning and neuromuscular coordination; however, most sports-associated overload injuries occur within elements of the fascial net. Fascia contains numerous mechanoreceptors which respond strongly to strong stretches, sustained pressure or tangential forces (lateral stretch). Utilizing slow dynamic stretching incorporating elastic recoil and preparatory counter movement techniques with a fascial refinement training approach may stimulate and increase its responsiveness.
Stability can be defined as the ability to resist disturbances and maintain equilibrium despite disturbances; also known as Dynamic Stability. To analyze stability mathematical methods and principles such as Laplace transform, Eigenvalue analysis, Lyapunov’s method can be utilized. These mathematical tools can assist with design and control of mechanical systems.
4. Endurance
Endurance refers to an organism’s capacity for sustained physical effort over long periods, including minutes for high intensity anaerobic exercise or days for lower intensity aerobic workouts.
Fascial tissues respond well to being stretched and tensed, producing elasticism within their water-filled tissue matrix. Plasticity and elasticity may be further increased through slow dynamic stretching, fascial refinement exercises such as high kicks, walking lunges and trunk rotations, foam rollers or massage balls and slow dynamic stretching techniques.
Research suggests that shifting focus away from muscle-centric strength training towards fascial tissues could make strength training more efficient. The goal is to increase proximal stiffness across your entire body suit and optimize force transfer; this type of movement training may take anywhere between six-24 months before seeing noticeable results.
5. Performance
FST’s training methods can enhance movement practitioners, physical therapists and instructors who work with clients of all ages and levels. For example, making small changes in how you set up a barbell can promote more fascial focus during deadlift by increasing demand on unilateral function.
Researchers are still learning about all of the tasks performed by fasciae, one being providing support to tendons, ligaments, and muscles (much like how tight body suits provide support to our structures). Indeed, some researchers believe that without fasciae’s tensional integrity our bones would collapse!
Fasciae are more resistant than muscle fibres to loading stimuli; thus it is essential that when engaging in fascial-orientated training you be patient and adapt slowly.