CHRIS CIOMPI
Jake and Marty LaSalle practice a lot—often twice a day. They tumble. They juggle. They plan routines together. They watch each other. They judge each other. And, at the end of the day, they stretch (check them out on the next page), walk it off and return to the Columbia University campus, where they recently finished out their senior year.
At our photo shoot with the twins, I watched them interact, laugh and critique each other. Looking at some mid-shoot outtakes, Marty said, "See how your back is out here, and it’s pushing your stomach out?" Jake just nodded. When they went back to do the same set-up again, Jake fixed his positioning, and the picture landed on the cover of this issue. Not too bad for 2 nice, smart guys from small-town Pennsylvania.
The first-born sons of a university professor and a nurse, Jake and Marty grew up performing together and depending on each other, but even in all that time they spent together, they never talked to each other about being gay until 2 years ago. "I’m a pretty systematic guy," said Jake. "So, I planned to tell everyone I was gay within the span of one week. I just didn’t want anyone to have the burden of keeping it a secret for me." But, when I asked Jake how Marty took it, he said, "Well, he was surprised. I always knew Marty was gay, but I guess he never thought I was."
Even after all those years together, Jake and Marty didn’t know everything about each other. And yet, when the time came to be honest, they just listened, accepted and moved forward—kind of like they still do in their daily practices.—Chris Ciompi
For lots more of Jake and Marty (and their strength stretching technique), go to lasallebrothers.com.
One reason flexibility is so often overlooked by the fitness enthusiast probably has more to do with the myths about flexibility training than the reality. Flexibility is not necessarily synonymous with gym diagrams—those detailed displays of static stretching positions, underlined by the imperative of a 20-second hold and a super-hot guy demonstrating just how he got the body he has. (Yeah, right!) Flexibility, rather, represents a much broader domain of exercise: One that develops, simultaneously, the strength and the elasticity of your muscles with the goal of maximizing the mechanical range of your body, and one that is crucial for a unified sense of physical well-being. Below is a small series of exercises that helps develop this wider understanding of flexibility as a means to achieve balanced health. (Oh, and by the way, it’ll also help you look like that long, lean, ripped dude on the poster.)
Start in a sitting position with arms stretched outwards behind you, hands parallel, legs extended in the front. Take a deep breath or two, feeling the stretch along your biceps and the top of your pecs, and then bring your knees up to your chest, squeezing your abdominals and making sure to be aware of your feet (toes pointed or flexed). Repeat this motion until your quads and abs become tired, then relax your muscles for a few moments and pull your knees to your chest. Repeat with legs straight, feeling the stretch along your hamstrings and calves at the height of abdominal contraction.
Start with legs together, hands on the floor several feet in front of you, backside pointing to the ceiling. Lean forward a foot or 2 (ideally, until your body becomes straight), and hold for a breath, feeling the pull in your forearm muscles. Push the floor with straight arms, so that your shoulders move back to their initial position, and feel the stretch in the back of your calves and hamstrings as you pull your hips upward. Repeat 10 times, or until muscles become tired. Relax into the "cobra position" and breathe deeply.
Sit on your knees with your legs shoulder width apart, stretching your arms up to the ceiling (pushing your shoulders as high as possible), and feel the pull along the trapezius muscles of your upper back. Slowly lean backwards, keeping your outstretched arms straight and parallel, until you have reached a comfortable level of a back-bend. Hold the position for a second, and then squeeze your quadriceps and the muscles of your lower back until you return to the starting position. As always, repeat this exercise until your muscles become fatigued.
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