Is dynamic flexibility good enough?

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Warriorspirit91, Dec 16, 2016.

  1. Warriorspirit91

    Warriorspirit91 Valued Member

    Hey guys I've been trying to improve my flexibility for roundhouse kicks a while now using the advice of Shane from fightTIPS but i dont seem to be improving.

    I was just wondering if all im interested in flexibility for roundhouses would dynamic stretching alone be enough and any dynamic stretching plans for roundhouse kicks you guys use would be appreciated.

    Many thanks

    Heres the video of what im doing currently
    https://youtu.be/ajLaXML8YLM
     
  2. Van Zandt

    Van Zandt Mr. High Kick

    Overall dynamic flexibility is influenced by overall static flexibility. Work towards your splits as well, if you want high kicks.
     
  3. YouKnowWho

    YouKnowWho Valued Member

    You will need both static stretching and dynamic stretching.
     
  4. Warriorspirit91

    Warriorspirit91 Valued Member

    Thanks guys.
     
  5. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    You will also need strength. Being physically capable of lifting your leg high enough to kick where you want is going to be a factor.

    Surprised Van Zandt didn't post this already:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxokaEvKnD8

    :p
     
  6. Warriorspirit91

    Warriorspirit91 Valued Member

    Thanks a lot fish, appreciate the video guide.
     
  7. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    Best instructional video on the interwebz.
     
  8. dan.scriabin

    dan.scriabin New Member

    Hi Warriorspirit91.
    I'm going to mention something no one else did I believe. ACTIVE flexibility. There's more than flexibility to a kick, you need strength in the muscles that will actually move your leg.

    The opposite muscles of those being stretched need to be strong in the short range, what this means is, let's say you can hold your leg up at 100 degrees, but if you place it on top of something high or someone pushes you your leg can go as high as 120 degrees. So from 100 to 120 that's your weak range, that range is flexible but not strong, and you need to strengthen it in order to improve your kicks (otherwise it's just your are throwing your leg up). It's also said that if you don't balance your active flexibility, your static and dynamic flexibility ranges will not improve (I got this from Michael Alter and tested it and seems to work).

    The way to do it is lift as high as you can, then lift the rest of the range with your hand and try to hold it up with the strength of your glutes, just a second or so, and keep doing it, lift with your hand and hold as high as you can, rest for a second lift again. Each time you let go of your leg it will want to come down of course, use all your strength to prevent that. At the beginning you'll manage just a couple of reps, build that up.

    This will also produce Reciprocal Inhibition, and your muscles being stretched will stretch even further, so combine it with your dynamic and static stretching.

    I hope this helps, it made a big difference for me. Let me know if something's not clear.
     
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2016
  9. Warriorspirit91

    Warriorspirit91 Valued Member

    I appreciate the time you took out to type that Dan, I will be adding that to the video guide fish posted and have seen some of VanZandt's stretching methods in other threads which will be beneficial.

    Many thanks guys!
     
  10. dan.scriabin

    dan.scriabin New Member

    Pleasure to share. Knowledge is like water, if it does not move it starts smelling haha
    Keep us posted on your training.
     
  11. Warriorspirit91

    Warriorspirit91 Valued Member

    Thanks, will do brother.

    Just a quick one, does foam rolling benefit flexibility in anyway or is it just predominately for recovery?
     
  12. Van Zandt

    Van Zandt Mr. High Kick

    Foam rolling (or jamming any suitable object into the soft tissues and creating movement - even something like a softball or deflated soccer ball) will do a lot to restore range of motion to your joints, because it addresses issues that traditional stretching does not.
     
  13. Warriorspirit91

    Warriorspirit91 Valued Member

    Much appreciated.

    Been stretching regularly since the start of this thread also following that Bill Wallace video and have noticed slight improvements.

    :D
     
  14. dan.scriabin

    dan.scriabin New Member

    Slight + slight + ... + slight = Noticeable
    Keep focused and keep it coming.
     
  15. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    I have a bit of a problem with that Bill Wallace video (and most of the stretching videos on the internet) as they all seem to show an incredibly flexible person saying "now do this..." then lifting their leg into a position that only a very flexible person can reach. So you get a sort of Catch 22 problem of "I can't do that movement without being flexible but I can't get flexible without doing that movement."
     
  16. mjl

    mjl ITF Taekwon-Do (1st Dan)

    Agreed.

    It would be great to take an inflexible middle-age person like myself and make a video showing flexibility and strength progression.

    Or lack of. Which is presumably why there are no such videos. :)
     
  17. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    Thing with that is, those things are in great part developed simply by the continuous effort to try to do them. How do you lift your leg higher? Keep lifting your leg as high as it'll go until it goes further. The ability to physically make the leg rise is a function of muscle strength and activation, and you can only develop those things by using the muscles in question, and the flexibility restrictions will be from antagonist muscles (opposed to the movement), which you must stretch and make relax. Antagonist muscles "actively" relax due to activation of agonist muscles (prime movers), that is, doing the actual movement, and to stretch them you need to lengthen them, which amounts to the same thing, do the movement that is restricted by them being shortened, in such a way that you apply a force that resists that shortening and lengthens them. The people demonstrating the stretches don't have these restrictions to the same degree, but the movements are the same. If you can't lift your leg a lot, then lift it a little, but TRY to lift it a lot. Eventually, you will lift it, if not a lot, then likely a lot more than before.
     
  18. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    Always noting that complete range of motion is also determined by the shape of the joints themselves, which vary slightly from person to person, which will make different "extreme" movements or positions easier or harder for different people, and trying to force these anatomically restricted ranges of motion can lead to joint damage and/or a lot of frustration. However, this is for end-range mobility, and the vast majority of people aren't anywhere near that, so be wary of the temptation of using this as an excuse to drop mobility and stretching work. Still, as a general guideline, the action needs to adapt to one's body, not the other way around; if the body can be gradually changed to accommodate a more "optimal" action, perfect, but forcing it prematurely is le bad.
     
  19. mjl

    mjl ITF Taekwon-Do (1st Dan)

    "Thing with that is, those things are in great part developed simply by the continuous effort to try to do them. How do you lift your leg higher? Keep lifting your leg as high as it'll go until it goes further. "

    Yes it is the same advice from my instructor; which is dynamic movement throughout the sessions; keep kicking which will eventually help to kick higher and build hip strength.
     
  20. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    In great part (although not exclusively) it really is just a matter of consistency. The problem is partly that it's also boring and frustrating :p
     

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