Build a Pain-Free, Strong Body for Life
Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT®)
What is MAT® ?
Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) was developed by Greg Roskopf, who is also a consultant for various professional sports teams including the Denver Broncos, Utah Jazz, and Denver Nuggets. MAT® is a biomechanically based systematic process to check the current state of your neuromuscular system. It is a non-invasive technique that is designed to balance the muscular system in people of all ages. While many approaches focus on reducing tension in the muscular system, "releasing" tissue is not the way the body works. Tension is what helps fight gravity, not looseness. MAT® looks for parts of the body that may have an inefficiency to contract. It takes a deeper look to identify the underlying causes of excessive tension, and restores tension in the body where it needs to be by improving muscle contractile capabilities. MAT® does not force changes on the body, but instead works with the body by restoring internal stability in the body via improved muscle contractile efficiency (in other words, get the muscles contracting better will allow you to truly strengthen them and you will function at higher levels).
Muscles are what move the bones and hold our joints in proper alignment. Muscles get signals to contract and generate tension from the nervous system. Due to overuse, stress, and trauma, the resulting inflammation will alter this communication between the muscle and the brain. It is like having a loose battery cable in your car, as the muscles will then lose their ability to contract efficiently. The quality of your movement is dictated by all muscles working optimally and on demand, as function is beyond our conscious control. When muscles lose their ability to communicate with the brain, the body will have less to work with and will start to compensate by using surrounding tissues. Thus, the body being an integrated system requires that every muscle needs to be doing its job or bad alignment will occur. Inhibition and compensation are similar to cancer in the body, as it will only spread if not addressed. With muscle inhibition, the body will sense instability and opposing muscles will tighten up to protect from moving into those unstable ranges of motion. When. muscles aren't working well in one area, you will put stress on passive tissues (ligaments, cartilage, fascia, etc) or muscles in other areas of the body.
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​​Muscular inhibitions are a significant cause of decreased performance, limited ranges of motion, strength, and more. You don't want to workout on a body that is not functioning optimally. It is like driving a car with a flat tire. By activating inhibited muscles, the body can be in a better environment to heal and tolerate more stress. Once stability in the body is restored, mobility will also be restored. MAT® gives us the ability to test the contractile abilities of almost every muscle in the body. This is an invaluable tool like nothing else that can give us information to determine if someone's body is ready to begin an exercise program, and if they are, how to appropriately proceed and progress. It can also let us know if someone's program or training is exceeding their current tolerance levels. MAT® is an adjunct to everything out there, and can fill a missing gap between the medical and exercise fields. It can be used on almost anyone from elite athletes to someone rehabilitating from an injury and anyone in between. MAT® can help make you more "bulletproof" to handle the stresses from exercise and life.
Heather is the first to offer Muscle Activation Techniques in the state of Tennessee, and has been certified MAT Specialist since 2002. She is also fully Mastery Certified . For more information on MAT®, you can go to www.muscleactivationtn.com
Your body is the most important piece of equipment in the gym. MAT can help muscles tolerate more stresses in life without breaking down in the process.
MAT® In The News
Peyton Manning Credits MAT® in SI article!
"...he would pay every week to fly in Greg Roskopf, a Denver-based specialist in the cutting-edge Muscle Activation Techniques-finding muscles that have been traumatized or strained and strengthening other muscles to compensate-who had become popular with veterans such as former Broncos safety John Lynch, a friend of Manning's
Using Neuroscience to Avoid Injuries for Runners
...When traditional paths to better health fail, some athletes are finding solutions to vexing injuries by trying neuromuscular therapies. These routines are thought to improve coordination, power, and traction time by training the body to better work together-activating muscles that the brain is failing to reach.
Inside Hope Solo's innovative goalkeeper training and fitness
Since 2013, Solo has worked with Ben Dragavon, who doubles as the goalkeeper coach and head strength and conditioning coach for Solo's Seattle Reign FC. He's also a certified specialist in Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT), which seeks to optimize muscle contraction to provide stability and increase range of motion.
Seeking help with injuries, Redskins players consult specialist who can strike a nerve
..."you never have to think about firing your muscles," Lichtenberger said. "You lift weight and all these muscles just fire. I was at the point where I was trying to think about firing these muscles and they still wouldn't fire. After I saw [Roskopf], it came back to that involuntary thing again and it was encouraging. To not see any results for so long, for five, six, seven weeks then all of a sudden like that...
Inside Bryson DeChambeau's quest to get massive!
"The numbers don't lie either. DeChambeau now leads the tour in driving distance with an average of 321 yards, when compared to this time last year, he was hitting drives just 302 yards. But how does a video game loving , self-professed science nerd build the body of a linebacker in such a short period of time?
Muscle Activation Techniques that's how."
John Isner's Secret Weapon: How America's No. 1 Tennis Player stays on top
"It's all about going in and trying to figure out which muscles aren't firing correctly, then targeting them to help with range of motion, your sport, or active daily living, Cordial says. You want to have your muscles work and fire as efficiently as possible. This helps promote mobility, stability, and pliability, he says.
In large, Isner credits this kind of work to his continued success on the court..."
