Torque

 

Creating torque is how the body generates strength and stability around a joint.  Muscle fibers wrap around key joints, and just like wringing water out of a rag, they elicit a twisting force to keep the joint tightly secured during movement.  The hip and shoulder joints have slack inherently built into their anatomy, and rely heavily on muscular control for stability.  This slack allows for tremendous amounts of mobility, however, uncontrolled slack quickly turns into instability. While an unstable shoulder makes for some good party tricks, it leaves hard earned performance on the table and places the athlete at risk for further injury. Being able to effectively create torque, stabilizes and protects the body during strenuous movements or exercise.

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When you are unable to create a stable joint position one of two things will happen:

 

1.  Your brain will shut down prime drivers of movement. Functionally this is a self limiting mechanism initiated in order to prevent you from stressing a joint in an unsafe position. Think of this as driving a car only in second gear.  No matter how hard you mash on the accelerator you will never get up to the cars full top speed.

 

2.  Your body will seek out a position of stability, correct or otherwise.  Often seen as a “speed wobble” or “power wobble” in weightlifters.  The side to side jiggle of the knee when straining during the last repetition of a heavy set - the body is searching for a more stable platform to drive off of.  Fortunately, most of the time the lift is successful or the athlete quits before an injury results. 

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“If there is no torque, there will be instability.  And if there is instability, things get ugly quickly.  The ankles and knees will collapse inward, the hips will wobble, the spine will bend, and the shoulders will round into an unstable position.  Its a recipe for disaster.”  - Dr. Kelly Starrett - Becoming a Supple Leopard

 

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Torque in the shoulders and hips is expressed as either Internal or External Rotation. 

 

• Internal Rotation - when your hand or foot rotates towards the midline of your body. 

  • Clockwise on the Left, counterclockwise on the Right.

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• External Rotation - when your hand or foot rotates outwards, away from midline. 

  • Counterclockwise on the Left, and clockwise on the Right.  

 

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For the movements and exercises in this program External Rotation torque will need to be generated to maintain optimal position and power.  

 

Lower Body:  Think of it as screwing your feet into the ground by trying to twist the heels together.  

Upper Body:  Focus on pulling the elbows into your sides and squeezing the shoulder blades back and down.

 

 

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