Active Calf Stretch with Modifications for Fibularis (Peroneal) Extensibility

The Active Calf Stretch with Modifications for Fibularis (Peroneal) Extensibility is an exercise designed to improve the extensibility of the fibularis muscles (peroneal muscles) of the calf. By actively stretching these muscles and working against resistance, a person can improve their range of motion and reduce the risk of discomfort and injury in their lower leg. To perform this exercise, one should begin by standing with feet hip-width apart and toes pointing forward.

Transcript

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This is Brent, President of B2C Fitness, and
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we're going to talk about progressions
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from our static stretching techniques and move
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on to active flexibility. Now, in active flexibility we use our antagonists
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to pull our agonists through their full range of motion,
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that is, we're going to use the opposing musculature, we're going to ask
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them to contract, to increase neural drive, and create something called reciprocal inhibition
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to calm down our agonist muscles.
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Now, when this happens and we do it as a technique, we increase neuromuscular control
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and end range strength. We give our body a better ability to control this new range of motion.
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I'm going to have Vinnie come out and help us demonstrate our first active stretching
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technique which is going to be for the calf. First thing you can see is we set up a slant
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board here, slant boards work really, really well for all calf stretching, both static
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and active, but will become a little more necessary when we move onto active stretching.
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Just like we set up for our static stretch I'm going to have him slightly interally rotate his feet just a little bit,
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we're going to try to force inversion a little bit since we tend to evert and externally rotate, and
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then what I'm going to have him do is I'm going to have him use his glutes and his
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tibialis anterior to increase the amount of stretch on his calf. The way we're going
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to do that is he's going to drive his heel by squeezing his glute and squeezing his quad,
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drive his heel into the ground, and then I'm going to have him lift this leg up and
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reach forward, and slightly away from the camera, slightly out.
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By doing this slighty away and forward, I'm getting an increase in dorsiflexion,
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and increase in tibia on foot inversion.
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Now the protocols for active stretching are going to be 2 to 5 second holds for 8 to 15 repetitions.