To make an appointment call: (301) 656-3101
For questions and more information please email: david_w_gottfeld@yahoo.com
What is MAT?
MAT (Muscle Activation Techniques) was developed by Greg Roskopf, a biomechanics consultant for the Denver Broncos and the Utah Jazz. MAT is a revolutionary new technique which identifies and corrects muscle weakness, imbalances and muscular compensatory patterns to prepare the body for movement, prevent injuries or aid in the recovery from existing injuries.
How is MAT different from other methods?
Most techniques address the symptoms of the injury i.e. muscular tightness. However, MAT looks at muscle tightness as a form of protection in the body. Weak or inhibited muscles can create the need for other muscles to tighten up in order to help stabilize the joints. MAT gets to the root of pain or injury by addressing muscle weakness rather than muscle tightness. This helps to restore normal body alignment, thereby, decreasing pain and reducing the risk of injury.
Dave Gottfeld (ACSM, ACE and MAT Certified Specialist) utilizes state of the art plantar pressure equipment along with unique MAT evaluation methods to identify the specific inhibited muscles and imbalances. When a weakness is identified, a customized strengthening program is developed that emphasizes the weak link. This training program then micro progresses the athlete into multidirectional functional movements to complete their recovery and help prevent recurrences.
Some examples of who MAT can help…
MAT enables you a new lease on your active lifestyle. With MAT, you can return to the golf course, tennis court, ski slopes or athletic field with renewed strength and without pain. With MAT, athletes of all ages will perform at a higher level while decreasing the risk of injury and allowing them to "stay in the game".
Golfers: The golf swing is one of the most complicated movements the body performs. The swing is all about timing, having the club and the body in the right position at the right time. MAT can ensure that the muscles are firing in the correct sequence for maximum efficiency. MAT is a great adjunct to your golf game.
High School Athletes: Make sure your child’s body is functioning at the maximum level while preventing overuse injuries which can happen in extreme ranges of motion. MAT can identify weak links in the body, making sure your child has strength and stability throughout his or her entire range of motion.
Inactive People: MAT can help get you moving again while minimizing the risk of pain or injury. MAT will identify weak links in your body that can create compensation patterns.
David W. Gottfeld:
Injury Prevention and Post-Rehabilitative Specialist: (Muscle Activation Techniques Certified Specialist, Authorized Tekscan Plantar Pressure Distributor) graduated from Frostburg State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Fitness in 1994. After graduation he worked for the nation’s largest personal training company, First Fitness Inc., under Gregory Flores. After leaving First Fitness Inc., Dave pursued further training with Dr. Pamela Peeke, a renowned clinical nutritionist and weight-loss specialist. He then worked hand in hand with top physical therapists at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, transitioning medical patients to health and wellness.
Dave started his own post-rehabilitative training company in 2000. After recognizing the need for understanding muscular function, and biomechanics, Dave studied directly under Greg Roskopf (the founder of Muscle Activation Techniques, and a biomechanics consultant for the Denver Broncos and the Utah Jazz),and became the first Muscle Activation Techniques Certified Specialist in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.
Dave is continuing his study of biomechanics, taking courses in advanced foot function, Chain Reaction Transformation, and cadaver anatomy. Dave started using Tekscan Plantar Pressure equipment to identify compensatory movement patterns in all age groups including athletes, and geriatric populations. Dave has been a guest lecturer for the E.A.T.S. 2K4 Strength Conference at the University of Maryland; the Hill Health Spa in British Columbia, Canada; Frostburg State University; and the sports medicine fellows at the National Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Dave continually searches for new information and lives by the motto “You are never an expert, you are always a student.”
