SledgeHammer Stretching | Stretch Therapy partner exercises
Channel: Kit Laughlin
Date: 25/03/2021

Please note:

This is an intermediate–advanced technique. It definitely is *not* for beginners.

We have an article on the ST website which details the SledgeHammer Stretching protocol. We strongly recommend you read this article *before* trying the sequence in this video. Find the article at https://stretchtherapy.net/sledgehammer-stretching.

This is the one you've been waiting for! If you are an experienced stretcher, and you have a part of the body that just does not want to let go, you need the SledgeHammer.

You need to have had enough experience with intense contractions to know how far to push your system (Olivia is demonstrating her two contractions with all of her strength, one contraction for a full 30", and the second for 15") and you also need to be able to relax into the forces being applied by you and your partner together—this means you need to be strong enough to control the elongation we are going for.

When we taught this system at the Australian National University in the Monkey Gym, we required the attendees to have had experience with intensive resistance training (IOW, strength training) already, so keep that in mind. You really do need to have had experience in this area to get the most out of this (and to be safe).

As well, you need a partner for this. I mention this to forestall the inevitable "I don't have a partner, how can I do this?" kind of questions! A creative person might be able to duplicate the loading using equipment, but we also know from experience that a partner completely changes the relaxation–elongation part of the technique in an extremely beneficial way. Find a partner.

Part of this technique overloads the central nervous system, and this facilitates an over-riding of the normal protective mechanisms that so often prevent us from going deeper into a desired range of movement. The technique uses a combination of 'going to failure' (well known by anyone who does resistance training), but as rapidly as possible, ideally in a 4–5 rep. range and, further, immediately adds two maximum-effort contractions in the end stretch position to strongly invoke the "post contraction inhibition reflex" (PCIR). This phase mostly works on the neuromuscular system. The final part carefully allows the combined forces to slowly elongate the part we are working, and its main effect is on the fascial system. In sum, whatever tissues need to lengthen (muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia, and nerves) will lengthen—but do make sure you are in full control of this process, to ensure you do not go too far.

In this video, Olivia and Kevin are demonstrating the SledgeHammer technique only for the *calf muscles*. We will be bringing out the full "SledgeHammer Stretching" Course later this year.

Find the audio file of this video at https://supplementary-material.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/SledgeHammer+Stretching+%7C+Stretch+Therapy.mp3.