385: Alex Lee on Hangs, Isometric Holds and Neurological Efficiency in Human Performance

Today’s podcast is with Alex Lee. Alex is the owner of Circadian Chiropractic & Sport in Sarasota, Florida. He grew up outside Boston and entered the health realm after recovering from several long-standing injuries through a combination of chiropractic care and neurologically-based physical training. Alex played and coached baseball in Europe and Australia for four seasons and ran two private facilities for 3 years following a D1 college baseball career. When he is not doing 5-minute hangs or helping clients achieve a higher quality of life and movement he is intently observing his cats, golfing, or bronzing at Florida Gulf beaches with his wife. If we really break it down, we have two “ends” of the human (and therefore athlete) performance spectrum. On one, we have the ability to generate high tension and forces, and on the other, we have the ability to sustain those forces over longer periods of time. We can liken this to short and maximal isometric holds on one end, and then long, sustained holds on the other. Where central nervous system drive and aggression fuel the former, the ability to relax the body and reach a more “flow” state of being drives the latter. In general, we tend to spend a lot more time considering methods to improve short holds without a balancing element on the sustained side of things. Ultimately, we need to understand both to reach our highest athletic and physical potential. On the podcast today, Alex goes into aspects of long isometric holds on a physical and mental level, and how he incorporates them in his training programs. Alex details the factors and benefits of being able to sustain longer holds, and what that means for athletic and human populations in general. Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat. For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly. 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Timestamps and Main Points 3:10 – Nuts and bolts of hanging from a bar for time, mindset, and breathing patterns 12:35 – Breathing strategies in isometrics and performance training 19:21 – The importance of the “Strength, Feel, Play” teaching points in Alex’s system 23:34 – The relationship between maximal strength, and maximal hold duration in movement 34:07 – The “non-doing” and withholding aspect of long isometric holds 47:56 – Neurological inhibition, electrical current and the impacts of neurologically focused training 55:37 – Influence of electrical resistance on the local level, and subsequent speed and athletic performance markers 59:37 – The value of being able to take the body to a high level in a “mundane” activity, like isometric holds, relative to one’s sport 1:09:03 – Alex’s take on isometric hold duration for younger athletes 1:12:20 – Basic isometric hold standards for the general population, and then athletes Alex Lee Quotes “What I like with hangs in having sensory information from the environment when the sun is going down” “It’s one thing to meditate, and it’s another to step into what is going to be a simulated, sketchy experience” “I came up with this equation, and it was (neuromuscular efficiency = coordination x time), From a neuromuscular standpoint, how efficient can you possibly be, and that is how long you can stay in a position, while keeping that position perfect” “When I can see people relax their face, or relax their breath, I see a 2 minute hang turn into 2:30, 2:45, or 3’” “95% of sports, you need your body to be very relaxed, and a relaxed body is able to produce and absorb higher amounts of force than one that is pre-tensed” “At the end of 4 weeks of them really grinding out iso’s and neurologically focused training, they can get rid of hotspots and weak links in the same way as someone who is working with (electrical stimulation devices)” “I’ll do sessions of an hour of training with just doing ISO’s and I’ll do grip strength and the beginning and the end, and it’ll be higher at the end” “(For general population iso hold 'standards', picking only 3 exercises) I’d go straight leg raise (3’), lunge (2’) and hang for 90”” “(For athletes) ISO lunge 3+”, ISO Pushup 2-2.5”, and Hang 90-120” depending on frame” About Alex Lee Dr. Alex Lee is the owner of Circadian Chiropractic & Sport in Sarasota, Florida. Alex grew up outside Boston and entered the health realm after recovering from several long-standing injuries through a combination of chiropractic care and neurologically-based physical training. Alex played and coached baseball in Europe and Australia for four seasons and ran two private facilities for 3 years following a D1 college baseball career. When he is not doing 5 minute hangs or helping clients achieve a higher quality of life and movement he is intently observing his cats, golfing, or bronzing at Florida Gulf beaches with his wife.