Flexibility and Core Stability for GAA

biffo2014

Hows it going.

- 6'5 and 14.5 Stone
- Use to play GAA regularly but only back playing last month due to Work Commitments

I have very poor flexibility in my hips and lower legs. Hips and hamstrings are very very poor. My core is gone pretty shocking to. I want to get back in the Gym and start bulking up for next year - but first I Want to sort out my flexibility and Core.

Where do I start?
Like I started basic stretching the last week and can feel the difference so what I am asking is do I keep stretching for a few weeks and then do the core? Or will I combine the core and stretching? Any help be appreciated?

Alf Veedersane

Stretching and mobility should always form part of your workout programme so there's nothing stopping you from doing both.

The stretching isn't something you do to improve your flexibility to a point such that you then drop it.

mobilitywod.com is a great resource for improving mobility.

In short, combine the core work with flexibility/mobility work and then when you start back at the gym, combine that with flexibility/mobility work.

generic2012

Front squats are serious for any athlete. If you're inflexible they will force you into positions which will make you more flexible over time. It might be the 'right' way but it's fast. They are very very good for the core too.

Be careful when stretching, you have to make sure to strengthen the muscle and ligaments too. I have a friend who had very tight hamstrings, he managed to increase his flexibility through constant stretching. He now injures one or both of his hamstrings every season. He strengthened his hamstrings through his own range of motion, then when he increased that range of motion, but not the muscle within the new range of motion, they were weak in the range. If the lack of flexibility isn't holding you back too much, take it slow and gradually increase it. Or if you have to increase quick use relevant strength exercises concurrently eg. front squats.

nice_guy80

I say, find a coach who will do you out a program. Everyone needs a coach.

Either based in a weightlifting gym or S&C coach with a gym/studio

A decent screening test will identify your weaknesses and maybe give an idea of what you need to progress.
You might need a load of single leg variations to sort out imbalances, or basic plyo and ankle mobility stuff to get you moving better
you might need loads of scalp work for tight upper back/shoulders.

Stretching will only get you so far. Mobility issues in the joints are a much bigger issue.

biffo2014

Thanks for the advice everyone. I was doing a bit of research last night and it seems its not as simple as doing some exercises and it will be grand. I have played GAA all my life but its only in the last year or so that I have become interested in increasing my flexibility and core.

I was thking of starting off with:

- Doing a good warm up consitising of stretches for all muscles and joints from toes up to my head
- Then starting off with bodyweight exercises such as Back Squat, Front Squat, Deadlift, Lunges, Overhead Shoulder Press
- Then when I get the right technique and mobility in these, start adding a light weighted barbell, then increase the weight from there?

What do yee make of this?

Transform

start here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct6lJcYh-Ak

if you cant pass all these then get working on it asap (foam rolling and just do those 4 stretches DAILY or twice daily if you're really fuxked).

Core work - unless you can hold a hollow position first then get working on thata asap, do it between stretches.

100% of the GAA guys ive worked with have three things in common -

1. Piss weak - cant even squat or deadlift their own body weight with good form not to mention do proper push ups or chin ups.

2. Diet sucks - most eat like they ate the first week of college when mammy stopped cooking for them

3. mobility is non existent - see above, can you pass ALL the tests?

there are exceptions to this but for the most part this is my experience and soccer players were worse.

Work on all of the above

deadlybuzzman

Transform wrote: »

start here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct6lJcYh-Ak

if you cant pass all these then get working on it asap (foam rolling and just do those 4 stretches DAILY or twice daily if you're really fuxked).

Core work - unless you can hold a hollow position first then get working on thata asap, do it between stretches.

100% of the GAA guys ive worked with have three things in common -

1. Piss weak - cant even squat or deadlift their own body weight with good form not to mention do proper push ups or chin ups.

2. Diet sucks - most eat like they ate the first week of college when mammy stopped cooking for them

3. mobility is non existent - see above, can you pass ALL the tests?

there are exceptions to this but for the most part this is my experience and soccer players were worse.

Work on all of the above

I noticed when playing soccer against gaa players that they were much weaker than what I expected. I'd be marking some guy that'd be 4 inches taller than me and I'd be thinking I'd be in for a hard time but no, it'd be grand. Quite straightforward to hold my ground, lean guys out of the way etc

deadlybuzzman

biffo2014 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice everyone. I was doing a bit of research last night and it seems its not as simple as doing some exercises and it will be grand. I have played GAA all my life but its only in the last year or so that I have become interested in increasing my flexibility and core.

I was thking of starting off with:

- Doing a good warm up consitising of stretches for all muscles and joints from toes up to my head
- Then starting off with bodyweight exercises such as Back Squat, Front Squat, Deadlift, Lunges, Overhead Shoulder Press
- Then when I get the right technique and mobility in these, start adding a light weighted barbell, then increase the weight from there?

What do yee make of this?

If you do your flexibility work when in the gym that's alot of time lost that could be spent on lifting. Personally I've always done my flexibility stuff at home in front of the telly where times not an issue and you can take as long as it takes to work on things

nice_guy80

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

I noticed when playing soccer against gaa players that they were much weaker than what I expected. I'd be marking some guy that'd be 4 inches taller than me and I'd be thinking I'd be in for a hard time but no, it'd be grand. Quite straightforward to hold my ground, lean guys out of the way etc

a soccer player better at soccer against guys who have trained to play GAA?
Gee wizz, I wonder why...

nice_guy80

Transform wrote: »

start here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct6lJcYh-Ak

if you cant pass all these then get working on it asap (foam rolling and just do those 4 stretches DAILY or twice daily if you're really fuxked).

Core work - unless you can hold a hollow position first then get working on thata asap, do it between stretches.

100% of the GAA guys ive worked with have three things in common -

1. Piss weak - cant even squat or deadlift their own body weight with good form not to mention do proper push ups or chin ups.

2. Diet sucks - most eat like they ate the first week of college when mammy stopped cooking for them

3. mobility is non existent - see above, can you pass ALL the tests?

there are exceptions to this but for the most part this is my experience and soccer players were worse.

Work on all of the above

Most GAA or soccer players won't work on any of that because generally they are subjected to piss poor training techniques and ideas.
Unless there's a bit of a culture in the club/team of the best players really looking after themselves, then there are terrible habits in most things they do.

deadlybuzzman

nice_guy80 wrote: »

a soccer player better at soccer against guys who have trained to play GAA?
Gee wizz, I wonder why...

I was a v limited player in a low standard league so skill didn't even figure, I'd rely on being the stronger guy as i didn't have much else in my bag of tricks. The thing is when I'd mark the big gaa guys they were not near as strong as what they could've been compared to average sized lads

biffo2014

Transform wrote: »

start here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct6lJcYh-Ak

if you cant pass all these then get working on it asap (foam rolling and just do those 4 stretches DAILY or twice daily if you're really fuxked).

Core work - unless you can hold a hollow position first then get working on thata asap, do it between stretches.

100% of the GAA guys ive worked with have three things in common -

1. Piss weak - cant even squat or deadlift their own body weight with good form not to mention do proper push ups or chin ups.

2. Diet sucks - most eat like they ate the first week of college when mammy stopped cooking for them

3. mobility is non existent - see above, can you pass ALL the tests?

there are exceptions to this but for the most part this is my experience and soccer players were worse.

Work on all of the above

Only able to access the interweb now. Thanks for that Transform. Very good video and I can safely say that I would not be able to do all 4 stretches with any sort of ease. So I'm gonna start tonight doing these stretches in the morning and then in the evening. How long will I hold each stretch for? Would you be able to advise me on some stretches to do during the day as I do a lot of driving for my job and been 6'5, long journeys can be a killer Just some simple stretches where I get out of the car on site and can do a few that will loosen me up?

As regard your 3 points about GAA Players. I can safely say all three are correct - especially at club level. I played the highest standard football and hurling in College few years back and it was amazing to see how fine tuned most of the inter county players are. What I found amazing was that although they all had good physique, fitness etc. they were shocking at squatting and dead lifting etc. Now it wasnt all the players but I say at least half. Their diets were pretty bad aswell. A lot of processed food and their mobility was actually ok but you would get a few that were very bad in that department.

At GAA club level all three of these are rampant. But that is down to lack of coaching and old GAA heads not believing in stretching and proper foods. This year I was at a match and the manager told a sub to warm up. He jogged up the line and back down and did one stretch. This was after sitting on a bench for a good 40mins. He went on the field and 5 minutes later, hamstring was gone. See it every year and its actually shocking how bad GAA Players are at stretching and warming up etc.

So would doing your 4 stretches for the next two weeks be sufficient before moving onto core work? Obviously I will keep the stretching on going along with the core work. Thanks again

IvoryTower

tried these myself earlier, quite bad as expected

i'm going to try out together some sort of program using the mobility wod videos on youtube

biffo2014

Mine were very bad when I started on Sat night, but I'm act feeling the effects already. Hips and hamstrings do be sore last few mornings but thats just from been a lot looser I think. Still though, I am a long way off having proper mobility

Transform

most people DONT need to add in more stretches, they just need to foam roll or get manual work done on the areas they are tight in AND just do the stretches shown DAILY and ideally twice daily for 15mins

biffo2014

Thanks for that transform. I have a foam roller. So would I be best using that after the stretches or before?

Alf Veedersane

Roll before stretching. The rolling is aimed at releasing knots in a muscle so stretch after you roll to get a more effective stretch

Sangre

Transform wrote: »

most people DONT need to add in more stretches, they just need to foam roll or get manual work done on the areas they are tight in AND just do the stretches shown DAILY and ideally twice daily for 15mins

I think is a really great video. For most people, the problem is they are tight almost everywhere and try and do a hundred different things at once. This video really helps to focus the energy and gives them four areas to work on which, importantly, are testable.

Transform

Sangre wrote: »

I think is a really great video. For most people, the problem is they are tight almost everywhere and try and do a hundred different things at once. This video really helps to focus the energy and gives them four areas to work on which, importantly, are testable.

fuc@ing right.

Sick of people turing mobility and their training into an exercise of the week BS system when they just need to focus on sorting some bacis stuff out.

Mellor

Transform wrote: »

fuc@ing right.

Sick of people turing mobility and their training into an exercise of the week BS system when they just need to focus on sorting some bacis stuff out.

My mobility is good, but not as good as is like it. It's certainly improved over the years but I'm struggling to improve past this point.

Shoulders are good, I've done dislocates as part of my warm up for a long time.
Ankle mobility is pretty good, knee to wall test etc.
But hips are dire. The whole area, hammies, glutes, my splits are terrible. I do the pigeon position in every session, but progress is virtually non-existing.

Alf Veedersane

What other hop mobility work do you do apart from the pigeon?

Mellor

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

What other hop mobility work do you do apart from the pigeon?

Every weights session includes the Pigeon, lunging hip flexor stretch, and shoulder dislocates.
If I'm squatting I'll add ankle warmup/stretch.
And Thoracic mobility warm up when benching.

Certain other sessions will include specific stuff. Like splits, or neck mobility or bridging.

Alf Veedersane

Mellor wrote: »

Every weights session includes the Pigeon, lunging hip flexor stretch, shoulder dislocates.
If I'm squatting I'll add ankle warmup/stretch.
And Thoracic mobility warm up when benching.

Certain other sessions will include specific stuff. Like splits, or neck mobility or bridging.

Could be more stretching in there for hamstrings and around the groin.

It's probably something you cover but how long do you hold the stretches for?

Mellor

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Could be more stretching in there for hamstrings and around the groin.

The splits variations cover the groin area a lot. There's downward dog type positions too, which hit hamstring hard on me. There's too many positions to list here. That's not every session btw.
If it's a warm up stretch before training, it might be 30 seconds hold each side.

Alf Veedersane

Mellor wrote: »

The splits variations cover the groin area a lot. There's downward dog type positions too, which hit hamstring hard on me. There's too many piditiobs to list here. That's not every session btw.
If it's a warm up stretch before training, it might be 30 seconds hold each side.

I've narrowed it down to a degenerative hip disease but the good news is it probably isn't ebola. New bionic hip and you're sorted

FWIW, a lot of stretching did seem to improve my hip mobility a lot. And yoga.

nice_guy80

You need to have separate stretching sessions during the week

Helps a lot.
Put on some music, mat out on the floor, take your time with it

conzy

nice_guy80 wrote: »

You need to have separate stretching sessions during the week

Helps a lot.
Put on some music, mat out on the floor, take your time with it

Did this lastnight, great way to get in an album or a podcast. going to try and make it a bi-weekly thang

Alf Veedersane

When I stopped NDTP, I used give over a good 90 minutes to mobility work and really noticed the difference. As did the physio.

Transform

nice_guy80 wrote: »

You need to have separate stretching sessions during the week

Helps a lot.
Put on some music, mat out on the floor, take your time with it

this, this i agree with