Success in flexibility after being totally inflexible

Does anyone have any real success stories about how they've gone from extreme inflexability i.e not being able to kick above knee level or being barely able to get 30% to full 180% splits. What methods did you use, how long did you take to get success?
Nearly every time I hear of someone doing the splits or being able to kick high with ease its been by someone who started their flexibility programme whilst either being reasonably flexible already or who was so flexible they only needed a few inches to complete the splits. Whilst this is also impressive what I'm looking for is motivational stories from people who struggled but overcome their obstacles.
I know some will say that you don't do anything different no matter how inflexible you are so why should it matter, but it would be like me giving someone overweight advise on how to get a six pack when I only need to drop 5lbs to have good visible six pack. eating clean for about a month to achieve this when most of the time I can live on junk food. I'd give them the correct advise to drop the weight but they would find it hard to believe that they could achieve the same as me because I already have genetics and a huge head start on my side .

 

Are you meaning 30° ? As in π/6 radians? Your max extension from foot to foot is 30 degrees and you want to be able to do a 180 split?

I'm no biomechanics expert by any means, but that seems to be a good bit of real estate to cover.

I've managed to increase mine quite a bit from time to time, but it was something that I worked at daily. I started slow and continued even slower. A mindset of patience more than anything. I had to learn to really quiet my head and hold the postures - easing in and out and back in again - very slowly.

Breathing very important.

There's a fellow on here...Van Zant, you should look up. Also Simon.

Good luck

 

I had my hip replaced nearly five years ago (an old army injury, not martial arts related). I could do the splits before my surgery but my flexibility nose-dived immediately after. I used a combination of relaxed stretching, isometric stretching and weight lifting (e.g. doing heavy squats with a gradually widening stance) to regain my flexibility. It took me several months of dedicated effort (relaxed stretches every four hours for example) but I got there in the end. My flexibility has never been better and I'm able to do stuff now that I couldn't before (like hanging splits between two chairs while holding a heavy barbell). I believe if you're not gaining an inch or more per month, your flexibility training method is wrong.

 

Cheers this is exactly the type of thing I was looking for. Not so much looking for a flexibility program as such more motivational stories such as the one above from Van Zandt showing that any obstacles can be overcome to increase your flexibility to a good standard.

 

It's important you guard yourself against testimonials and products offered by people who are simply demonstrating their flexibility. Several 'experts' show a few poses, call them "stretches" and then people who aren't flexible get frustrated because the "stretches" don't work for them.

The biggest revelation for me was changing my side split from straight leg to horse stance. It was a necessity due to the reduced ability to handle loads in my new hip, but it also reduced recruitment of the hamstrings in the exercise.

 

I am on my way to get those splits. I started very stiff, never done full splits in 30 years never. I have made good progress in 1 n half month. ( i m jobless for 2 months so got loads of time) things working for me i do dynamic stretching as soon as i get up 10 - 15 min. I do splits side front once a day add to that kicks and stretching and workout at the dojo. I can hold kicks now easily at a decent height. Check eric wong, elastic steel those guys nice workouts. Work on making your hips flexible. You will get there
Good luck

 

I have no flexibility what so ever and am currently working towards becoming more flexible as well. So far iv done a beginners yoga class that helped a lot. I'm now doing basic stretches that you would have probably learned in any gym or fitness class. Progress is slow but it's getting better. I think I progressed the most in the yoga class and would encourage anyone looking to improve their flexibility to try it, ill probably do the beginner class again or move on to an intermediate class depending on how I feel when my schedule is more open.

 

In the morning do dynamic stretches before breakfast. Do Dynamic stretches twice in the day. You will get lot of workouts for opening your hips and hams it band. Try and identify what is stopping you from being flexible and you will easily get there

 

Yep, exactly - yoga. I've not time to work in formal classes, but I've found using that approach to be a necessity in my own case.

Don't know about the rest of you, but I've noticed that anytime I stop training ( for flexibility ) for a bit, it doesn't take long before the embalmers from the mortuary begin knocking on my door

Must be my age...and/or the fact that I warn't to flexible as a kid.

Just curious, Devildog, did you do any sort of athletics that required any degree of flexibility when you were younger, or is this the first time you've attempted to address the issue?

cheers,

 

It's more of an obsivational thing rather than trying to fix any issues I have I was quite flexible ( enough to kick at head height with ease) when I got my tkd black belt a few years ago but damaged the ligaments in my leg and since then my flexibility has all but disappeared. I am working on a programme at the moment but this post was more about the motivational side of hearing from others that are not naturally flexible or that have had to regain flexibility after an accident.

 

Did you damage your legs in MA training?

 

I tell ya...from 35 to 40 my flexibility nosedived. I'd bear that in mind.
In my 20's and early 30's I could kick head height with no warm up at all. Never had to work on my flexibility to do martial arts.
But the last few years? Oh boy.

 

Any thoughts what might be the cause?

 

Age, family life, lack of training, desk job, 2 hours of driving a day, laziness, all of the above.

That do ya?

 

Smart ****

 

Isn't it fairly natural to lose flexibility as you age?
Unless you actively attempt to maintain it?

 

As in bailing the Titanic with a bucket...but your a young 'un still...

 

"If you don't gain an inch per month your training is wrong"

I'm just gonna leave that there....

 

I tried yoga, it did nothing good for my back/hip inury although I suspect that is because I did it from a book. My sports therapist (also muay thai instructor, although not my muay thai instructor) recommends pilates for both core strength and flexibility, but I've found it very poor for the latter.

The issue for the recreational martial artist is time. I am at the ma club twice a week for training, heavy bag and gymnastic strength twice a week in the garage, I'm supposed to to the pilates at least twice a week, and then there's the stretching as well!

Is there a book/routine out there that can be followed at home to achieve results? Every injury I've ever had has resulted from the twin evils of lack of core strength and lack of flexibility, two things I thought were too dull to do when I was younger.