{"id":682,"date":"2014-12-31T15:16:04","date_gmt":"2014-12-31T02:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/?p=682"},"modified":"2014-12-31T15:16:04","modified_gmt":"2014-12-31T02:16:04","slug":"is-gym-movement-biofeedback-nonsense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/bodybuilding-2\/is-gym-movement-biofeedback-nonsense.php","title":{"rendered":"Is Gym Movement Biofeedback Nonsense?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n

It sure looks like nonsense – and I didnt try it out yet. Its also definitely NOT Biofeedback – here is my rant…<\/p>\n

Applied kinesiology
\n(AK) is a term used to describe the manual
\nmuscle testing diagnostics primarily
\ndeveloped by Goodheart (1964). Goodheart
\ntook classic manual muscle testing and
\nmoulded it into a precise diagnostic tool.
\nPrior to him, muscle testing was used
\nprimarily to diagnose motor nerve
\npathology and assess recovery during and
\nfollowing therapy. He astutely observed
\nchanges in muscle resistance patterns in
\nthe absence of motor nerve pathology.
\nWhat he discovered was that disturbances
\nanywhere in the body would lead to
\nchanges in normal muscle contraction
\npatterns. The main and most notable
\nchange from the past was that the muscle
\ntest became less an assessment of
\ncontractile strength and more an
\nassessment of proprioception, spinal and
\ncentral nervous system regulation and
\nthe effects they have on neuromuscular
\nfunction.
\nStrengthening a weakened muscle by
\nexercise is only sensible and efficient if
\nneuromuscular, proprioceptive control of
\nthe muscle is intact. Usually, it is not the
\nloss of strength in a muscle that is most
\nimportant, but a degrading of normal
\nneuromuscular function both within
\nand between individual muscles that is
\nresponsible for the greatest number of
\ndisturbances. AK is the only available
\nmethod that allows for a clinical diagnosis
\nof this type of dysfunction.<\/p>\n

The Muscle Test Handbook- Functional Assessment, Myofascial Trigger Points and Meridian Relationships<\/p>\n

Neuromuscular Functional Assessment (NFA)
\nseries by this author (at this printing
\navailable only in German) and in Walther\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s
\nclassical Applied Kinesiology, Synopsis
\n(Walther 2000) or the flow chart manual by
\nLeaf (1996)<\/p>\n

OK this is NOT biofeedback – it is very crude applied kinesiology which is a very complicated methodology in proffessional practise<\/p>\n

Is it a valid technique? possibly – Does it do the same thing as biofeedback? – no<\/p>\n

Biofeedback & applied kinesiology can however compliment each other nicely –
\nalso biofeedback devices & protocols could be adapted to measure the
\nApplied Kinesiology physiological parameters which would be far more efficient and technologically sound.<\/p>\n

Biofeedback can be used to alter the underlying physiology and change the response to AK muscle testing –
\nhence enabling the practise of selected exercises that would have otherwise shown a pathological response.<\/p>\n

I think used together the two are potential dynamite.<\/p>\n

My issues with the Gym Movement book are…<\/p>\n

1. He claims biofeedback has only been used in the past by athletes to detect over training.<\/p>\n

This is nonsense. Biofeedback is primarily used to autoregulate. To alter relaxation, enhance meditation & visualization,
\nand as an adjunct to autogenics and hypnosis. Autogenics itself goes far deeper than mere relaxation as that is only the
\npreliminary stage. Read the original text books by shultz.<\/p>\n

So the uses of biofeedback for athletes are many.<\/p>\n

2. He claims his methods are advanced biofeedback – no his methods are Applied Kinesiology.<\/p>\n

Probably something less advanced than biofeedback.<\/p>\n

3. He says to follow your body signals and do not try and model yourself into something you are not.<\/p>\n

This to my mind was the most pathetic thing in the book. Defeatism and he bases it upon the initial misnomer of
\ncalling applied kinesiology biofeedback.<\/p>\n

With biofeedback you can alter your physiology and hence the response to AK tests and genuinely perform better as a consequence.<\/p>\n

You can indeed achieve greater goals or models. Much greater in fact.<\/p>\n

Despite these misgivings the concept of using applied kinesiology testing to enhance training is sound and many appear to be
\ngetting great results. I’m sure by integrating this with real biofeedback & psychological techniques like hypnosis & autogenics
\neven more incredible things can be achieved by athletes.<\/p>\n

But please lets stop calling applied kinesiology biofeedback & lets stop discounting real high tech biofeedback techniques.<\/p>\n

Questions that remain to be answered …<\/p>\n

Just how do crude ROM tests or grip tests indicate a more optimal training approach?<\/p>\n

How could real biofeedback & other modalities be used to alter the testing response to match a goal with reguard to exercise selection?<\/p>\n

Can a strong result on a ROM test actaully indicate a weakness in antagonistic muscles which would actually signal not to train?<\/p>\n

If the results from ROM testing are as good as claimed how can it be explained scientifically & improved?<\/p>\n

Basically I am skeptical – but keen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tweet It sure looks like nonsense – and I didnt try it out yet. Its also definitely NOT Biofeedback – here is my rant… Applied kinesiology (AK) is a term used to describe the manual muscle testing diagnostics primarily developed by Goodheart (1964). Goodheart took classic manual muscle testing and moulded it into a precise […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[574,575],"class_list":["post-682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bodybuilding-2","tag-gym-movement","tag-muscle-testing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=682"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1309,"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682\/revisions\/1309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.freefitnessguru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}