Profound Realization!

I've been working on a regimine to improve the function and strength of my hip flexors. While I can now get into a good horse stance with little effort, I'd also noticed that my over-all strength was going down hill. After talking this over with my Sifu, I came to a grand realization:

I did not loose my strength. I am just not using my "strong" muscles the same way, so my results are different than what I'm used to. I used to use them to make up for a lack of strength in my hip flexors. Now I use them to suport my hip flexors, but make my hips do thier fair share. This is not what my body is used to, so I tire easier. The sign that this is true, Sifu said, was in my stradle splits. I used to stop when the pain got to be more than I could handle. Now it is my stretch that stops me and I have little pain at all because I'm now "doing the stretch right".

Untill that conversation, it had never crossed my mind that I was doing the stretch wrong. I looked like every one else. But I was trying to force muscle to work that were not suposed to be working and letting the muscles that were s'posed to be working slack off.

I get it, cool! ;) I bet you'll find that after a period of training in the new manner, you will find that this muscle recruitment pattern is optimal for one reason or another.

Refinement of neural-pathways for muscle activation. At first, an unusual signal will travel a myriad of pathways in order to reach their destination. Upon practice, a single pathway will start to be used more than others and not only will this make the movement more effecicient/effortless, but the excitation patterns stimulate growth and reinforce specific neuro-sensory and motor pathways.

I had a feeling you guys could explain why that happened. Thanx!