RECONsider... Infrasternal Angle Explained and Applied with Bill Hartman | Episode #61

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Episode Summary:

In this episode, Chris and Bill continue their discussion on the Infra-Sternal Angle (ISA), diving deeper into how to identify and assess it, the implications of narrow vs. wide archetypes, and how this understanding can guide more individualized movement and training strategies. They demystify common misconceptions, clarify measurement expectations, and highlight how structural biases affect both breathing and performance potential.

 

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction to the ISA Discussion

01:14 – Clarifying Archetype Confusion

 They discuss the confusion many people have around their own classification  noting how perceptions, measurements, and inconsistent cues can cloud understanding.

01:59 – The Helical Nature of the ISA

 Bill explains that the ISA is helical He dismisses simplistic goniometric measurements in favor of observing breathing and movement behavior patterns.

04:30 – Biases of Wide vs. Narrow Archetypes

 The duo explains that wide archetypes are structurally biased toward external rotation and struggle to compress, while narrow archetypes are biased toward internal rotation and have difficulty expanding.

05:19 – Measuring the ISA: Article and Video Resource

 Chris mentions an upcoming article and video demonstration from Bill on the UHPC network, aimed at helping viewers understand and measure the ISA more effectively.

06:13 – Hands-On Expectations with Narrows

 Bill walks through what one should expect when measuring a narrow ISA—minimal outward rib movement during inhalation, with little external rotation visible.

08:40 – Hands-On Expectations with Wides

 For wide ISAs, the ribs are more externally rotated at baseline, with limited ability to compress inward. Bill notes that wides start with hands farther apart, and don't move closer together easily during breathing.

10:39 – Assessing Intervention Impact on Relative Motion

 They discuss how improvements in movement capacity post-intervention can be observed through increased rib cage excursion—especially in narrows gaining more expansion ability.

12:23 – Limitations of Clinical Populations

 Chris notes that most clinicians are dealing with compensatory, not ideal, movement archetypes, which distorts perception of archetypal norms.

13:36 – Table Measure Differences in Narrows and Wides

 Bill describes how narrows typically show greater external rotation and limited internal rotation, while wides present the opposite—again emphasizing these as structural biases, not dysfunctions.

17:12 – Training Considerations by Archetype

 They shift into applying this knowledge to training choices. Interventions should account for each archetype’s structural bias to prevent loss of relative motion and capacity.

18:37 – Training Risks for Narrows

 Bill warns that narrows do poorly with heavy deadlifts and compressive strategies that reduce their ability to expand, even if they can still get stronger.

20:20 – Training Risks for Wides

Wides, being naturally force-oriented, may lose external rotation and movement variability if driven too far into compressive strength training patterns.

21:50 – Compression vs. Expansion in Both Archetypes

 Bill outlines how both archetypes deal with compression and expansion, just in different orientations—toward or away from the body’s long axis.

23:03 – Episode Wrap-Up and ISA Takeaways

 

Key Takeaways:

ISA is a Helical Concept: Not a flat-plane angle, and shouldn't be oversimplified.

Structural Biases Matter: Narrows compress well and struggle to expand; wides expand easily but struggle to compress.

Movement Assessment Requires Nuance: Table measures should be understood through the lens of structural archetypes.

Training Should Be Archetype-Specific: Optimizing performance and minimizing compensation starts with matching intervention to structure.

Avoid Overcompensation: Excessive training that aligns too strongly with a person’s structural bias can reduce variability and create new limitations.

 

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