Improving flexibility

Hey folks.

I've been wanting to improve my general flexibility for a while now. I'm quite tall — 6'4" — and have always been fairly inflexible as a result. I weight train every second or third day (and run and cycle 3 or 4 times a week), so I would like to find some kind of stretching routine that I could incorporate into my current regime. Ideally, I would like to stretch for 10/20 minutes each day (or every second day, whatever would be ideal). I don't really know where to begin, and my knowledge of stretching is quite limited. I would like to improve flexibility in my back, glutes, hips and hamstrings, in particular, as my form when deadlifting or rowing is not as good as it could be — my entire back, from lumbar to shoulders, tends to round, with my hamstrings feeling quite burdened when the weight begins to increase.

Is there any programme that I could follow? A guide that specifies what stretches to do on what day, progressing over weeks or months. I've no idea if something like this exists; if not, I'll just have to develop my own routine. Any tips for doing so would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all.

nice_guy80

gvn wrote: »

Hey folks.

I've been wanting to improve my general flexibility for a while now. I'm quite tall — 6'4" — and have always been fairly inflexible as a result. I weight train every second or third day (and run and cycle 3 or 4 times a week), so I would like to find some kind of stretching routine that I could incorporate into my current regime. Ideally, I would like to stretch for 10/20 minutes each day (or every second day, whatever would be ideal). I don't really know where to begin, and my knowledge of stretching is quite limited. I would like to improve flexibility in my back, glutes, hips and hamstrings, in particular, as my form when deadlifting or rowing is not as good as it could be — my entire back, from lumbar to shoulders, tends to round, with my hamstrings feeling quite burdened when the weight begins to increase.

Is there any programme that I could follow? A guide that specifies what stretches to do on what day, progressing over weeks or months. I've no idea if something like this exists; if not, I'll just have to develop my own routine. Any tips for doing so would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all.

the shoulder rounding may be due to over developed front muscles - chest, shoulders. you need to exercise your back - chin ups, horizontal rows

foam rolling. buy one and use it before you stretch or exercise. lots of good videos out there on that.

static stretching is great (people will claim it has no benefits, but have they actually read the studies which suggest that?). 20 mins everyday. 30 seconds hold. get a routine going and implement it. the order I use for the lower body is hamstring, quad, glute, hip flexor, groin, calves.

yoga when you can. it'll quickly tell you how inflexible you are.

Burkatron

gvn wrote: »

Hey folks.

I've been wanting to improve my general flexibility for a while now. I'm quite tall — 6'4" — and have always been fairly inflexible as a result. I weight train every second or third day (and run and cycle 3 or 4 times a week), so I would like to find some kind of stretching routine that I could incorporate into my current regime. Ideally, I would like to stretch for 10/20 minutes each day (or every second day, whatever would be ideal). I don't really know where to begin, and my knowledge of stretching is quite limited. I would like to improve flexibility in my back, glutes, hips and hamstrings, in particular, as my form when deadlifting or rowing is not as good as it could be — my entire back, from lumbar to shoulders, tends to round, with my hamstrings feeling quite burdened when the weight begins to increase.

Is there any programme that I could follow? A guide that specifies what stretches to do on what day, progressing over weeks or months. I've no idea if something like this exists; if not, I'll just have to develop my own routine. Any tips for doing so would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all.

http://mobilitywod.com/ is your answer! Best bet is to start from day 1 but you can jump in anywhere!
or yoga!

Mellor

nice_guy80 wrote: »

static stretching is great (people will claim it has no benefits, but have they actually read the studies which suggest that?).

When people say to avoid static stretching, they are generally referring to dynamic over static as movement prep before working out.
This is completely different to static stretching for fkexibility, which probably shouldn't be done before working out anyway.

nice_guy80

Mellor wrote: »

When people say to avoid static stretching, they are generally referring to dynamic over static as movement prep before working out.
This is completely different to static stretching for fkexibility, which probably shouldn't be done before working out anyway.

show me the studies which show static stretching before working out is bad for you?

Burkatron

nice_guy80 wrote: »

show me the studies which show static stretching before working out is bad for you?

This article names/takes from a load of papers on the subject! Easy enough to find articles on pubmed if you type it in! Static stretching has it's place just not before training!

Hanley

Static stretching before a workout improves power output.

discus

Wait wait wait.... static stretching is back in?

discus

nice_guy80 wrote: »

...the order I use for the lower body is hamstring, quad, glute, hip flexor, groin, calves.

I use the same order when I'm stretching post exercise, but I remember being told by someone I trust that you shouldn't stretch hamstrings before exercise. Any creedence in that?

nice_guy80

discus wrote: »

I use the same order when I'm stretching post exercise, but I remember being told by someone I trust that you shouldn't stretch hamstrings before exercise. Any creedence in that?

what village idiot told you that??
its probably the most important one to stretch!!! that abd the glute

Anyway, to the OP.
A big part of stretching is maintaining body heat. So when doing it you need to wear layers and stay warm.
for foam rolling tracksuit bottoms actually improve the effect as heat is maintained in lower body.

Oisinjm

nice_guy80 wrote: »

what village idiot told you that??
its probably the most important one to stretch!!! that abd the glute

Anyway, to the OP.
A big part of stretching is maintaining body heat. So when doing it you need to wear layers and stay warm.
for foam rolling tracksuit bottoms actually improve the effect as heat is maintained in lower body.

DeFranco has a video that shows you how to do, I guess you'd call it, dynamic foam rolling with a medicine ball. It's on the Amped Warm-up DVD that he has. I've recently started doing it and find it really good for raising my heart rate, increasing body temperature while also foam rolling. Makes it a bit less boring as well.

Oisín

nice_guy80

Oisinjm wrote: »

DeFranco has a video that shows you how to do, I guess you'd call it, dynamic foam rolling with a medicine ball. It's on the Amped Warm-up DVD that he has. I've recently started doing it and find it really good for raising my heart rate, increasing body temperature while also foam rolling. Makes it a bit less boring as well.

Oisín

ok, but for a fella starting out looking to improve flexbility, I'd say the foam rolling on a med ball might be a wee bit advanced...

anyway, if I was sending him in that direction i'd be recommending a hockey or lacrosse ball to really get into the muscles

Aimeee

http://www.ekhartyoga.com/videos/free
Might be helpful. Do some every day and you will see benefits.

Mellor

nice_guy80 wrote: »

show me the studies which show static stretching before working out is bad for you?

On my phone, so cant get you links. But they shouldn't be too hard to find. The general position is that aggressively stretching a muscle reduces power output in that muscle immediately following the stretch.*
And just to clarify, I never said either way was correct, or offered my opinion. I was simply clarify the idea of dynamic over static warm ups, as I thought you were misrepresenting it slightly.


*The opposing theory/example which gets mentioned a lot is stretching your hip flexors before a vertical jump. The HFs oppose the movement so weakening them by stretching results in a higher jump; ie increased power output.

Hanley

Re: static stretching - stretch the f*ck out of a muscle and immediately attempt to do something and you'll get crap results. Leave it for a few minutes and do some additional movement and power output doesn't seem to see a significant drop, I think that's what the studies say.

nice_guy80

Hanley wrote: »

Re: static stretching - stretch the f*ck out of a muscle and immediately attempt to do something and you'll get crap results. Leave it for a few minutes and do some additional movement and power output doesn't seem to see a significant drop, I think that's what the studies say.

bing, feckin, go

mobility and activation drills after stretching

Mellor

Hanley wrote: »

Re: static stretching - stretch the f*ck out of a muscle and immediately attempt to do something and you'll get crap results. Leave it for a few minutes and do some additional movement and power output doesn't seem to see a significant drop, I think that's what the studies say.

That's what I understand it to be also. And why I said "immediately". I was trying to explain the theory a little more accurately than "static is bad".
Afaik time for power to return varies a lot from study to study.

nice_guy80

Mellor wrote: »

That's what I understand it to be also. And why I said "immediately". I was trying to explain the theory a little more accurately than "static is bad".
Afaik time for power to return varies a lot from study to study.

some of those studies make the participants hold a static stretch for up to 5 or 10 minutes
that skews the results

Clearlier

Perhaps personal experience should be your guide?

My own observed experience as a teenager was that if I stretched (static was the only game in town) before a race my performance suffered but if I just warmed up with perhaps a couple of minor stretches to ensure a full range of motion I performed better.

Mellor

nice_guy80 wrote: »

some of those studies make the participants hold a static stretch for up to 5 or 10 minutes
that skews the results

Not surprised tbh. The study's are useless without a detailed look at the methodology.

I find pnf stretching very aggressive and only use it in isolation for flexibility not warming up. On the other hand I'll do light static before striking, where I want full ROM but I'm not overly concerned with a small drop in power (if any).