The most common complaint I get from clients (of all ages!) is that they feel “tight”. And- clinically- that can mean many different things but let’s put surgeries and chronic problems aside and simplify it: there are two types of “tight” people are describing:
1) Hypertonic muscles are stuck in a shortened position. If I bend my elbow and flex my bicep, the muscle fibers pull the two ends of the muscle together to make it happen. The muscle contracts. If it gets stuck there, it is hypertonic.
2) Hypertensive muscles are weak and have stretched to their fullest possible length with nowhere else to go. Think of the example above, the triceps let go to bend the elbow and allow the opposite side of the joint to activate. If the triceps get stuck in this lengthened position they are hypertensive.
So, think of holding a rubber band. You ball up the rubber band and keep it in a tight ball in your fist. The band is hypertonic, we’ve pulled the ends towards one another and bunched it up to a shorter length than it was at rest. Now take the rubber band out of your palm and with both hands, pull the two ends far away from each other to create tension. The band is hypertensive, stretched beyond what it would be at rest.
Knowing the difference between the type of soft tissue discomfort you’re feeling is important. Oftentimes a hypertensive muscle on your back will feel tight but what it needs is strengthening to restore it’s natural balance; while a hypertonic pectoral muscle often needs to be stretched first to restore a comfortable posture. Differentiating the two helps you plan workouts and stretch sessions appropriately!
