Chemical, physical, and emotional stresses all take their toll on the muscular system. When our individual stress tolerance levels have been exceeded, it shows up as muscle weakness.
Naturally, people get "weaker" as they age and tolerance levels, relative to stress or forces put on the body, continue to decline. And therefore, the majority of people we see as MAT Practitioners are in this "over-trained" state.
You know the drill – poor sleep, poor digestion, increased irritability, constant muscle aches and pains, and overall weakness are all signs of "overtraining" and create extreme stress on the body.
Muscle weakness (otherwise known as muscle inhibition) is the result of the inability of muscles to effectively tolerate the forces that have been placed on them. These weaknesses are what make us more prone to injury.
Forces are placed on the body every day. Remember that we define "forces" as any physical, emotional, or chemical stress. From a neuromuscular standpoint, daily life beats us up and someone needs to be there to put you back together.
Think about it like professional car racing — the racers will drive their cars hard, but afterward, the car is taken back to the mechanic and repaired in order to continue to function optimally. The mechanic tunes it back up and corrects the alignment all so that it can be driven at a high level again.
In reality, we treat race cars better than we treat our bodies. We continually place forces on our bodies that can potentially exceed tolerance levels. This in turn alters neuromuscular function. But then we go right back out and beat ourselves up repeatedly without putting the body back together first.
Negative things happen – i.e. tightness, pain, inability to heal, and injury!
So, as our summers get busy with activities, remember to be kind to our bodies.
Get restful sleep, drink lots of water, see your local practitioner for a tune up, and continue to make a difference in this world! (And yes, MAT practitioners need a tune up from time to time too)!
Looking for concepts to help explain your MAT skill set? Use this example when discussing what you do as an MAT Practitioner to your potential clients, current clients, family, and friends!
Greg Roskopf has launched a new video interview series. This video series features MAT Practitioners from all walks of life and how they came to MAT, how they used MAT to advance their careers, and what they are looking forward to in the years to come.
Interested in sharing your story? Write to us on support@muscleactivation.com if you have a story you want to share with Greg about your MAT impact!
Along with MAT's exclusive education provider Broadview College, we continue to bring more learning opportunities! Details regarding each course beginning July 5th, 2022 can be found below.
Join the modules by registering here:
Specialist Modules (July 5th Start)
Specialist and Mastery Voucher Opportunities — for anyone with vouchers remaining due to COVID restrictions, contact support to register. Vouchers are only valid for use through 2022.
Check it out:
The simple difference is ART is about release of tissue. MAT is built on the foundation of muscle tightness is secondary to muscle weakness. We do not look at releasing muscles, we look at testing and treating weak muscles and in turn resolving tightness.
We simply approach tightness in a completely different way. We work with a lot of athletes, and it really helps when you can get their muscles functioning at the most optimal rate, they feel less tight and perform better.
To us, tightness is a symptom, not a problem. If we can find a problem, the symptoms resolve.
We have asked Julia Krengel, MAT Practitioner from Minnesota, to join us in the spotlight this month! Get to know Julia and learn from her success utilizing this unique skill set.
How long have you been a practitioner and where do you practice?
"Three years at The Perfect Fit Personal Training Studio in St. Joseph, MN!"
Who is your most memorable MAT client and what was their outcome?
"I have many, but I can't help but get excited about a client who came to me with frozen shoulder.
Her range of motion was so limited that she couldn't wash her hair or fasten her bra without extreme pain.
With each MAT session, she gained more range of motion and within 3 months, she could use her arm completely with no pain. At every session, she would hop off the table and give me a big hug! This technique is amazing!"
What are your goals for this year as a Practitioner of MAT?
"My goal is to keep a full MAT client load (like I do now) while finding another MAT practitioner to work at my facility.
I would also like to continue learning the technique and hopefully find time to take classes for my Mastery Certification."
How do your clients describe MAT?
"They have a hard time describing it, but they can't stop talking about it. It's working for them and they tell their friends that they HAVE to try it also!"
What do you want our readers to know?
"If you are suffering from joint or muscle pain, have a hard time holding your chiropractic adjustments, and/or deal with muscle tension, you should try MAT. I've never seen one modality that solves muscle and joint problems as effectively as MAT.
I've been a trainer for 14 years and throughout those years, have worked with clients who suffer from issues such as IT band syndrome, hip surgery, knee pain, tennis elbow, sciatica, incorrect movement patterns, headaches, chronic muscle tension, runner's knee, lower back pain, herniated discs, etc. MAT is definitely a technique that will help with all of these concerns!"
This past month we had students come in for their Exam Prep and Certification Exams (EPCE). Students from all over the world came to Headquarters to test for certification for Lower Body, Upper Body, Trunk and Spine, and Cervical, Hand, and Foot.
It was a great group of like-minded individuals looking to continue to create change in the health and wellness industry.
Their positive feedback on being able to participate together at the headquarters excites us to host our future modules and assessments. So happy to see these students and connect with them in person!
The Annual Skills Assessment process replaces the annual CEC requirement and costs only $199 per year! This is the most affordable option MAT has offered in regards to maintaining individual practical ability and credentials.
Specialist Assessment and Mastery Assessment dates are also voucher opportunities — for anyone with vouchers remaining due to COVID restrictions, contact support to register. Vouchers are only valid for use through 2022.
Are you currently a non-active practitioner looking to regain your MAT credentials while improving your skill level in MAT? 2022 is going to be an exciting year to be part of MAT — don’t miss out! Click here to connect with us on how you can get back into active status!