The big stretching thread of 2011 - your questions answered!

Can anterior pelvic tilt be corrected by stretching?

 

Good thinking Dan, here's a couple from an old guy-
-a young guy i train with (he's 14) can't do side splits or even touch his toes standing up, yet he can do roundhouse and reverse-roundhouse and spinning reverse roundhouse at head height- what gives?
- i'm working on stretching at the moment (up to level 13 on your programme). I've had to give up on side stretching for the moment, my range was decreasing and i've been getting a lot of joint pain- soft tissue? My question is this, at my age, i presume my recovery is slower than younger peeps, so if i want to maintain the benefits of my stretching so far, what factors can i adjust to allow for this recovery? Stretch every 72 hours rather than 48? Take rests between tensioning? More joint rotations? More passive stretching?
I've had no measureable increase in length of stretch for some time, is this normal, will things start to move again when i hit the stretching with weights?
Thanks.

 

Thanks again for all responses. Some great questions for me to work on. Just a friendly reminder that the closing date for questions to be included is 31st March.

 

OK I’ll add another question

When flexibility increases, proportionately how much is due to the following changes
-Decrease in automatic activation of the partnered antagonist muscle?
-Increase in muscle/tendon length?
-Increase in muscle/tendon elasticity (stretchiness)?

And will this be different for different people?

 

Hmm seems like I can't edit my posts at the moment, so I will repost below what the above post should be after thinking on it. It should be more correct this way.

OK I’ll add another question

When flexibility increases, proportionately how much is due to the following changes
-Increase in activation (strength) of the partnered antagonist muscle?
-Decrease in automatic activation of targeted muscle (the one that's at it's end of ROM)?
-Increase in muscle/tendon length?
-Increase in muscle/tendon elasticity (stretchiness)?

And will this be different for different people?

And while I'm at it, why not add some more Qs.

I just read through the isometric stretching thread. Great stuff.

-Is there anything wrong with doing all three stretches in one session i.e. side split, front split right and front split left.
-Is there any benefit to either doing three these in one season or split throughout.
-What is the minimum workout schedule per week or fortnight to improve and maintain flexibility. e.g. once a week.

Personally I feel a bit insecure doing these. I feel like my feet risk slipping on the floor and suddenly achieving the split in a most sudden, painful and uncontrolled manner. This is particularly when easing down between sets in between contractions and before the penultimate contraction. The contraction itself gives enough grip on the floor but it's not much good doing the contraction if you aren't at end of ROM because it's scary to get there. Have you got any tips on this?

 

Are there any freeweight exercises that can strengthen the right muscles to help get a side split and/or front split? i.e. any dumbell or barbell exercises, that don't require pulleys, cables, levers etc?

 

Just one more!

I train ITF Taekwondo. I am not to much flexible, not static and active stretching. But i can do most of the kicks pretty good (except roundhouse kick). Pretty good i mean i can do them strong and good technique while i do them in mid section.

In head i can do only front kick, axe kick, and turning roundhouse kick (or reverse roundhouse or however you call it) for some unknown reason.

I guess i have good dynamic flexibility. Or i adapt good to punishment derived from ballistic stretching

However, i guess i can gain good flexiblity for fighting just doing dynamic stretchings in shapes of kicks from taekwondo? I guess i can because i made it up like that by now.

But kicks derived like that can be strong but never perfect tehnique?

And i can't get far like that in tuls. I started to practice Eui - Am and it has few turning kicks which you have to stretch and hold. Which i can't offcourse, with left leg i can but not so high, above the belt, and with right it is funny.

For that i need static active flexibility? Which i can't have if i can't have static passive flexibility?

However just with dynamic stretching i can't get full potential in kicks, right?

Just correct me if i am wrong, please.

Thanks

 

Keep 'em coming

 

what are the muscles stretched during a butterfly stretch? (also diagram plz . trying to pinpoint one that hurts like a <BEEP> on my left leg when i do it)

 

Just like to echo what Hawk said about anterior pelvic tilt.

 

changing styles

Hi, I was a personal trainer for 10 years but played alot of football and studied wing chun. My legs are rock hard but flexibility is poor. Just started kickboxing for fitness and I need some serious help!!! I feel I need to start from the begining again. My hips hurt and crack when stretching and I feel my flexibility is poor in the glutes, abductors, adductors, hams. Need a good book or dvd to get me where i want, high kicks and splits etc

 

Also, good bodyweight exercises for stretching, with some info about frequency, rest periods, what to look out for (in a good and bad way).
Man, you're going to be busy, do you need to do some stretching for your typing fingers?
Cheers

 

Even my fingers can do the splits.

 

front or side splits?

 

With as flexible as he is, I am sure his fingers can do both!

 

I am new around here, i'm about 20 years old and i am really interested in flexibility specially the splits. I've read Pavel's book Relax into Stretch and watched the DVD by Tom Kurz , Secrets of Stretching ( that helped me in the understanding of how isometric works and how to do them)

Here are my questions :

My big goal is the side split in what i am about 25cm from the ground, what is bad because i've been stretching for like 2 years...but just recently discovered isometrics ( about 1 year ago) so after so much FAILING in SIDE SPLIT, i decided to stop searching by myself and share my difficults and good things also with others. I can do full Open Side Split for both sides, but SIDE SPLIT IS HELL.

1- After i re-watched the Dvd by Kurz i found that it was easier tho increase ROM in side splits by starting with the Horse Stance and slowly improving the range, but i found the contractions harder because the legs are not straight and it's harder to "pinch the ground" and "imagining that you are closing your legs" is this normal ????

2- I know how to "tilt the pelvis forward" but how do i know if i am doing it right and tilting it enough ???
Because when i am close to my maximum ROM it hurts in my IT band and near to my Hip Flexor but just in right leg. That pain just happens when i contract and hold the last contraction for 30 seconds in sets, i usually do 5 sets, the first 2 i feel alright and improving, but by the 3th the pain appears and i start to progress slower, the rest 2 sets are almost unbearable and i feel pain at beginning of that sets.

3-So the problem is my posture in Isometric Horse Stance, in my Hip Alignment or what ?????

Any help will be apreciated , thank you

P.S - If you need and want i can post my routine to help you, help me :X

 

I've started doing PNF stretching for my hammies to try and fix my knee pain, I've also noticed a small but substantial amount of hypertrophy in that area.
Is it coincidence or have you heard of this kind of thing before?