123 Approach Model

The 123 Approach is a simple concept. We believe that for bodies to function well and remain pain-free, we need to learn how to manage the tension in our muscles. You can do this using a combination of:

-       strength building exercise (tension on)

-       muscle stretches (slackening off)

-       release work (resetting muscles to a pliable state) for when trigger points develop

(Trigger points are a tender area in a muscle that causes musculoskeletal pain when external pressure is applied to it.)

We like a Triangle, as you will see when reading on. Here’s the first we’ll use to describe our idea of the 123 Approach:

Two of these areas are common:

-       1 Strength

-       2 Stretch

One of them is often left to people who work in the professional realms with their bodies. As such it’s often neglected:

-       3 Release

These three areas, 1 strength, 2 stretch, 3 release, are the cornerstone points of conditioning programmes for athletes the world over.

Now, your Andy Murrays of this world have the best massage therapists on hand, post-match, or training session, to soften their muscles back to a state of relaxed tension. They have the best personal trainers helping them look at increasing speed, power, and explosive effort. They often have someone to hold their leg up to stretch the hamstring. In short, elite athletes have a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to keep them doing what they do!

In working with the Royal Ballet School and helping to prepare dancers for the demanding world of elite ballet, these are common concepts. These strength, stretch and release strategies are also applied in elite Premiership football, and we have used them to positive effect at West Ham United. We are aiming to provide you with the same kind of approach that elite sports people and dancers use to maintain and get the most out of their bodies.

Not that we are promoting our book here, but we have written one about our ideas on this topic.  Our teaching generally aims to teach the average person these concepts to help them manage their own bodies themselves. With a little understanding of these principles, we believe you can be your own Personal Trainer, Massage Therapist and Stretch Specialist. You can become your own multi-disciplinary support team!  We are interested to hear whether you work in a similar way, of if this does not resonate with you at all.  Either way get in touch to share your thoughts with us.