Which two active inhibition techniques utilize concentric contractions?

The correct answer is based on the principles behind Contract Relax and Agonist Contraction techniques, both of which involve concentric contractions.

In Contract Relax, the client is asked to actively contract the muscle that is being stretched—this is a concentric contraction—while the therapist resists this motion. After holding the contraction for a brief period, the client is then instructed to relax, allowing the muscle to lengthen during the stretching phase. This method enhances flexibility by exploiting the body’s neuromuscular pathways.

Agonist Contraction involves the client actively contracting the muscle on the opposite side of the muscle being stretched. Here, the contraction is also concentric, as the agonist muscle (the muscle being contracted) shortens to facilitate the stretch of the antagonist (the muscle being targeted for stretching). This technique helps to promote reciprocal inhibition, which can further enhance the stretching effect.

Other options listed do not utilize concentric contractions in the same way. For example, static and dynamic stretching focus more on the passive aspects of stretching and do not rely on the active contraction phases outlined in the correct answer.