Flexibilty/Stretching/Tennis Ball Massage

HankScorpio1985

Hey,

I'm having problems with my flexibility and ability to stretch. I've always had a stiff lower back and not fantastic flexibility as a result. I am extremely stiff in the morning and after football training even with lots of stretching after training. I would be very stiff then the morning after training.
As a measure, any time I would begin stretching after a quick warm up I wouldn't be able to touch my feet bending over. But after loosening out my hips and lower back I would be able to put both hands on the ground. My problem is that I seem to be always return back to square one, so to speak, when I begin to stretch again and it's quite annoying. I probably stretch for 15 minutes or so everyday. More so when I'm in the gym or training.
I also recently tried to massage my back and glutes with a tennis ball. I found a few sore spots on my back but if anything I think I made them worse. So I'm not sure if I'm doing it right at all as I've heard it's a fantastic way to relieve stiffness.
I've been to the physio a few times and they've given me plenty of exercises. I'm just annoyed that I still get quite stiff and I always seem to go back to square one.
Any advice/help appreciated,

Cheers.

Doug Cartel

I don't think you should be trying to stretch your lower back. You want to keep that nice and stable. Your hips are where you want to have flexibility.

siochain

HankScorpio1985 wrote: »

Hey,

I'm having problems with my flexibility and ability to stretch. I've always had a stiff lower back and not fantastic flexibility as a result. I am extremely stiff in the morning and after football training even with lots of stretching after training. I would be very stiff then the morning after training.
As a measure, any time I would begin stretching after a quick warm up I wouldn't be able to touch my feet bending over. But after loosening out my hips and lower back I would be able to put both hands on the ground. My problem is that I seem to be always return back to square one, so to speak, when I begin to stretch again and it's quite annoying. I probably stretch for 15 minutes or so everyday. More so when I'm in the gym or training.
I also recently tried to massage my back and glutes with a tennis ball. I found a few sore spots on my back but if anything I think I made them worse. So I'm not sure if I'm doing it right at all as I've heard it's a fantastic way to relieve stiffness.
I've been to the physio a few times and they've given me plenty of exercises. I'm just annoyed that I still get quite stiff and I always seem to go back to square one.
Any advice/help appreciated,

Cheers.

Lower back stiffness in a lot of cases comes from tight hamstrings, bikram yoga and regular foam rolling has done me a lot of good. This site also has some good pointers http://www.mobilitywod.com/.
Cheers

HankScorpio1985

Doug Cartel wrote: »

I don't think you should be trying to stretch your lower back. You want to keep that nice and stable. Your hips are where you want to have flexibility.

I would consider myself to have decent flexibilty in the hips. It's certainly not as bad as my lower back/hamstrings. Is the cobra/snake, whatever you want to call it, not a fundamental lower back stretch?

siochain wrote: »

Lower back stiffness in a lot of cases comes from tight hamstrings, bikram yoga and regular foam rolling has done me a lot of good. This site also has some good pointers http://www.mobilitywod.com/.
Cheers

I have read a good bit og mobilitywod but he seems to focus a lot on hip flexibilty which I think I am ok on. I will admit that my hamstrings are quite tight. Would you say the best stretch for your hamstring flexibility is the one where you're lying down on your back with one leg straight up at 90 degrees? I find it hard to improve on that stretch in that to get my leg closer to my body. I have been thinking about foam rolling but I started with the tennis ball and I didn't think that went well.

Cheers for your replies.

Hanley

Stay away from your back - if it's sore it's probably because of something below (assuming no acute trauma, which could also be as a result of the below tbh).

Foam roll: quads (all), ITB, hamstrings, upper back
Hockey ball: glutes, TFL
Stretch: hammies, ITB, hip flexor group
Mobility: hips, upper back, ankles

Hanley

Also - look at glute dormancy. Inactive glutes put more stress on the hamstrings and they can start to lock up as a result.

It's kind of all connected and one single thing won't really fix anything.

Doug Cartel

HankScorpio1985 wrote: »

I would consider myself to have decent flexibilty in the hips. It's certainly not as bad as my lower back/hamstrings.

If you have problems with your hamstrings then it's unlikely you have good hip flexibility. The hamstrings are one of the major muscle groups involved in hip extension. When you bend forward you want to try and make sure you do this by bending at your hips and not by bending your back.

Is the cobra/snake, whatever you want to call it, not a fundamental lower back stretch?

No, it's a stretch for the abs and hip flexors.

By the way, do you do lifts like deadlifts or squats?

HankScorpio1985

Doug Cartel wrote: »

If you have problems with your hamstrings then it's unlikely you have good hip flexibility. The hamstrings are one of the major muscle groups involved in hip extension. When you bend forward you want to try and make sure you do this by bending at your hips and not by bending your back.


No, it's a stretch for the abs and hip flexors.

By the way, do you do lifts like deadlifts or squats?

Well maybe you're right. Is there any good indicator of hip flexibility or good stretches to test?
Ya I know that stretching your hamstrings is less about the back and more about the hips but also isn't it true to say that you should also make sure that all your discs in your back are working independently of each other. I went to a physio a while ago and he mentioned that three of my discs were in effect working as one so it was leading to strains. I have improved that.
Ya I live for deadlifts at the minute. I'd do a bit of squatting but it's mostly bodyweight, lightish weight ass to grass or one legged.

Cheers

Doug Cartel

HankScorpio1985 wrote: »

Ya I know that stretching your hamstrings is less about the back and more about the hips but also isn't it true to say that you should also make sure that all your discs in your back are working independently of each other. I went to a physio a while ago and he mentioned that three of my discs were in effect working as one so it was leading to strains.

I don't want to say anything that might contradict what a physio said, and obviously you should take his advice and not mine, but I will say that the spine is capable of bending and twisting in lots of different directions. Lack of mobility in it is a bad thing, but it's not usually considered good form to bend the lower back forward while doing lifts or hamstring stretches, usually you are advised to keep a neutral spine during these actions.

Ya I live for deadlifts at the minute. I'd do a bit of squatting but it's mostly bodyweight, lightish weight ass to grass or one legged.

I'd get your form checked. Doing deads with bad form can give you a lot of problems in the lower back.

Transform

It's all really hard to say unless someone is assessing you properly and basing the exercise selection on what they find

HankScorpio1985

Doug Cartel wrote: »

I don't want to say anything that might contradict what a physio said, and obviously you should take his advice and not mine, but I will say that the spine is capable of bending and twisting in lots of different directions. Lack of mobility in it is a bad thing, but it's not usually considered good form to bend the lower back forward while doing lifts or hamstring stretches, usually you are advised to keep a neutral spine during these actions.



I'd get your form checked. Doing deads with bad form can give you a lot of problems in the lower back.

Ya I do try and keep a neutral spine when stretching but I do try and loosed it out and get it mobile as well before working out and when I'm stretching. Reduce the stiffness if you will. Have you got any good hip flexibility indicators or links as I think I may go back and reassess.
As for my deadlift form...I used to live with a strength and conditioning coach and he corrected my form but maybe it's gone poor once again. I do find that sometimes when lifting big my legs seem to straighten before my back is completely vertical.

cheers

HankScorpio1985

Transform wrote: »

It's all really hard to say unless someone is assessing you properly and basing the exercise selection on what they find

Hi Transform,

I just had a look through your website and I did your flexibility assessment, with someones help, and I'd say I'd be between the two examples. Probably closer to the inflexible client. Sorry I can't remember their names. I've continued with the tennis ball and foam roller(it's a softish one in my gym) but to be honest I can't find any very sore spots in the glutes/hips area. It'd probably be better to buy harder versions of them would it? Also would you say that your yoga for crossfitters routine is a good routine for flexibility progression or would you recommend something more specific from Mobilitywod or anywhere else?

I'm thinking that whilst doing deadlifts my lower back is taking the majority of the weight and not my legs due to the inflexibilty as you mentioned in some of your videos. It's not that I wouldn't have a neutral spine, it would be more the increased pressure to keep it, due to the inflexibilty and lack of help from the legs that's done it.

I am thinking about starting the program Built Like A Badass next week. Around 12 weeks until I head to Poland. So my final question would be...would I be better off leaving out deadlifts(strict from the floor) until I improve my flexibilty, and if so what else would you recommend doing instead, or should I just lift lighter(1rep max is about 150kg) or just do stiff legged deadlifts whilst also increasing my flexibility along the way.

Cheers

nice_guy80

two links, some of the best Irish related info on the subject I have seen/read

http://www.gaahandball.ie/images/gaahandball/fmt.ppt
Flexibility and mobility theory

http://www.gaahandball.ie/images/gaahandball/fmt.ppt
Flexibility and mobility practical