Stretching Anatomy

See inside every stretch as you increase flexibility and improve muscular strength. Expanded, enhanced, and updated, the best-selling Stretching Anatomy returns to show you how to increase range of motion, supplement training, enhance recovery, and maximize efficiency of movement. You'll also gain a detailed understanding of how each stretch affects your body. Stretching Anatomy, Second Edition, is like having an X-ray of each stretch, only better. Not only do you see full-color illustrations of the muscles in action, but you also see how a change in position can alter the muscle emphasis and difficulty and how variations can improve safety and effectiveness. A new Stretch Focus section details the procedure and benefits of every exercise as well as safety considerations and variations according to skill level. Each exercise describes how to stretch, when to stretch, primary and secondary muscle emphasis, and which muscles are activated for support. Stretching programs provide three levels of difficulty, including light stretching that can be used to aid in recovery from soreness and injury. A new chapter on dynamic stretches covers the most effective exercises for athletic warm-ups, while another chapter shows you how to customize a program based on your individual needs, including a program of passive static stretches proven to help lower blood glucose. Whether you seek increased flexibility, better athletic performance, or reduced muscle soreness and tension, Stretching Anatomy is your visual guide to proper stretching technique.