I think Andrew Huberman is great.
And seeing as you’re subscribed to this newsletter, I’m willing to bet you listen to him frequently (or at least know who he is).
But here’s the thing Ollie…
Whilst most of his advice is great, some of it is NOT.
And that’s fine – we can’t all know everything about everything – but I NEED to debunk this one piece of misinformation for YOU because if I don’t…
You could end up with:
• Joint damage
• Bone growth
• Nerve impingement
• Pain and discomfort
Watch the video below if you’d like to – otherwise I’ll state the claim below and address it 🙂
”You can’t do the splits because of a fear-based mechanism and reflex”
☝️ This is the claim I’m talking about.
Why is it wrong?
Because there are MULTIPLE things beyond neuroscience and stretching that affect ROM.
Things like:
• Your anatomy (which you’ll never change)
• Muscle function (which you can change)
• Nervous system (Which you can improve)
And whilst most of Andrew’s advice is great, the advice he gives in the video could get many people injured.
And here’s why (+ evidence)…
Some people can’t do the splits.
AND THEY NEVER WILL.
Not because of their “neurons”. Not because of their “nervous system”. Not because of “inhibitory mechanisms”.
But because of their ANATOMY…
See the thing is, Ollie,
Everyone has:
• Unique proportions
• Unique bone lengths
• Unique joint shapes
And if these 3 things are unique to the individual…
Range of motion must be too…
(This next part is IMPORTANT, Ollie)
If anatomy is unique (Which it is),
It would make sense that some peoples hip structures:
Do NOT allow them to get to 90° hip abduction.
But don’t take my word for it…
In the next 6 tweets,
I’ll show you 6 comparisons (photos) of REAL hip and leg bones.
I’ll explain the differences,
And what those differences mean…
🏴// Hip Socket Side View //
See how the left hip is much more “closed” than the right hip?
Because of this,
The left has less abduction than the right,
and will NOT be able to get into the splits position.
🏴// Hip Socket Front View //
This time around:
You’ll see the left has a much more “open” joint than the right hip joint.
This means the left will have more abduction ROM available.
Ps. The right has less flexion ROM
🏴// Femur Neck Inclination //
In this image,
The neck of the femur has a 40º difference between left and right.
The left example will have a MUCH harder time reaching the “splits” position than the right example.
🏴// Femur neck Length //
The neck of the left femur is approx 2x longer than that of the right femur.
This could provide more “clearance” because the greater trochanter (the thing that looks like a hook) is less likely to hit the hip.
See how ALL these anatomical differences will affect your ability to get into a “splits” position?
This is MUCH more than just “inhibitory mechanisms” + “neurons”.
Ps. In the video,
He says “I can put 1 leg up on a chair, but not both” – he’s missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
If you lift one leg sideways:
You can tilt your hips and almost “double your range of motion” just like this guy…
Who is NOT in 90º hip abduction 👇
Anyways, to conclude this email:
Saying “inhibitory mechanisms” are limiting your splits ROM is misleading at best and dangerous at worst.
Remember your ROM is dependent on:
• Anatomy (joints + bones)
• Bone growth / osteophytes
• The nervous system
• Muscle function
And much, much more.
That’s all I’ve got today – It’s my hope that by sharing this, you avoid the irreversible damage that comes with pushing your body FURTHER than it should anatomically go.
Hope you found this valuable 🙂
— Ollie E.
