This course will examine the causes of tight and sore muscles. We will look at a common muscle group of concern, the hamstrings and explore their primary and synergistic actions from a biomechanical and neuromuscular perspective. We will look at some reasons the hamstrings are vulnerable to fatigue, soreness and failure. There are many reasons for muscular tension variations that are often referred to as a dysfunction or imbalance... 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand necessary and purposeful muscle tightness
2. Understand appropriate assessment methods to determine if altering the current symptom of “tightness” is within the scope of the personal trainer
3. Understand that what we determine to be dysfunctional relative to function, the nervous system may find as a solution to protect potential vulnerabilities
4. Determine risk or benefit to using common methods to “loosen” tight muscles 

Participants will be able to:

1. Apply methods of assessment to potentially offer a solution to reducing muscle tension and improving muscle function
2. Assess the synergist muscles associated with joint actions produced by the hamstrings to determine their participation
3. Use a functional approach to potentially altering muscle tension 

Presenter: Vincent Carvelli