Tight hamstrings

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Hapuka, Aug 15, 2007.

  1. Ma Bu

    Ma Bu Valued Member

    I use these:
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWmb3pHT55E"]Basic WuShu Kicks as Dynamic Stretches - YouTube[/ame]

    These are effective for me. They are also part of traditional Chinese martial arts that I participate in. This is just one part, others are low stances and stance transitions which might seem deceptively simple but when I was a beginner the pain was GREAT :) .
     
  2. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    I know the guy in that vid, he trains at our club

    what club/style do you train at Ma Bu?

    I think that dynamic stretch is good, but Hapakua will need to build up to it over a long time doing gentle stretching whilst your hamstrings recover.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2007
  3. Bowegie

    Bowegie Valued Member

    I can attest to this. I sprained my hamstring bad and then kept doing my traditional training anyway. Suffice to say, it hurts like a biatch still six months later when I do certain kicks or stretches. Better to Rice now than Rice later. Too bad my track coach didn't know that. ^^
     
  4. nready

    nready Verifying DMI pool....

    The thing is as they say, "how you practice is how you will fight"! That means that you need both static and dynamic stretching. To loosen your hamstring it will take holding it in position so you can eventually feel it loosen up. The tight feeling is what you are emotionally holding onto. Learn to let go of what ever it is that is hold that tension. Also, find what physical thing you constantly do that causes it to be tense. That can help you to get past the tightness in the hamstring area. Meaning what you know causes it, will allow you to gear your training more effectively, don't stop what is causing the tension. Just develop a different training practice.

    So you can understand, I personally had to hold the butterfly stretch for a long time each day for a month to get to where I could even get close to putting my legs on the ground. Length of time often per day around thirty minutes.

    Lookup info on the body everywhere.

    I hope that got through, I mean helps you.
     
  5. TheCount

    TheCount Happiness is a mindset

    If you are kicking high and you feel it in your hamstrings it quite possibly means you are overstretching them.
    Stretch them progressively at least once every 12 hours (apparently the muscle doesn't fully slide back before then) and work your stretches down. It could also be that the muscles are weak and some tension in them is tiring them a fair bit which could cause DOMS... but I think it is more probably poor flexibility
     
  6. Rhea

    Rhea Laser tag = NOT MA... Supporter

    Can hamstrings and calf muscles be stretched at all if they are naturally(?) short?
    Sorry if it is a stupid question.
     
  7. nready

    nready Verifying DMI pool....

    There is not really a naturally short in muscles. The feeling of tense or hitting the point of mass resistance come for all people that have not practice stretching. That said this is if you don't have some form of muscle disease/problem.

    So, when you hit that point of tension in the muscle do not force past it. Do the stretch where you feel it the most.

    This time hold it for a little longer than before, than come up out of it relax and breath than do the same stretch again, last do the same thing come up out of the stretch relax then do the stretch again. By the third time you probably went a little lower.

    Each time trying to go a little more into the stretch and think more of correct body posture each time than how far can I go. If you have allot of tightness than it is often better to have someone to train with.

    There has been some knowledge brought forth in recent years certain heritages in genetics have been known to have a hard time with certain areas of stretching. Genetics plays a big part.

    That said let me explain. Some of the tribes of the earth have been more sedentary than other tribes longer. This has lead to certain muscle having less growth and natural relaxed quality to them. Like th American Indians did not become sedentary until recent years the last 200. The civilized world being the European and UK have been settled and sedentary for some time so the over all function of certain muscles is less needed and the people of that tribe often choose fields related to what will best provide for that need to progress there national interest. This plays into the genetic code and has some function in what you may have trouble dealing with when stretching.

    Yes, there are writing's out there about this very thing. Even then I would not let that limit you in your stretching practice because a well maintained muscle needs stretching everyday. Just take a look at a cat or dog everyday they stretch.
     
  8. Rhea

    Rhea Laser tag = NOT MA... Supporter

    Stretching is something I do all the time. I have to to keep my flexibility up.
    But I really don't have the movement in this part of the body, and my physio told me I'm not likely to get much more stretch there.
     
  9. Gary

    Gary Vs The Irresistible Farce Supporter

    Surely that means you just need dynamic stretching? I don't believe I've ever seen static fighting.
     
  10. Suhosthe

    Suhosthe A dwarf! A dwarf!

    You've clearly never been to a Tai Chi class. ;) :Angel:
     
  11. nready

    nready Verifying DMI pool....

    I have been trying to find a video that has what I mean in it. Than again your in a coma, would it really mater if I showed you.
     
  12. Gary

    Gary Vs The Irresistible Farce Supporter

    A description would do if you don't have a video.

    For the record I was in a coma, but am not presently in one to the best of my knowledge.
     
  13. nready

    nready Verifying DMI pool....

    Here we go, also I read some of your posts! Meaning before I wrote anything. Oh, yea I was teasing you. :p

    Dynamic is when you do like yoga with out holding the poses. Dynamic is to mimic the use and function in reality. Dynamic is for slow twitch control and for lessening the feeling of tension. This is more transitional, constant movement.

    Static is when you hold the pose. Static is to feel the tension intentionally.
    Static is like when you want to change a set of remembered body functions (muscle memory). Static develops strength and fast twitch control.

    So all martial art include this idea somewhere in there training!

    Like doing the splits is something you can do either way, you could hold it or you could transition through it.

    Does this bring some light to the idea yet?
     
  14. Gary

    Gary Vs The Irresistible Farce Supporter

    Not really, you just gave me your description of static and dynamic stretching. You haven't explained static fighting to me yet.
     
  15. nready

    nready Verifying DMI pool....

    Here look at this.Static
    [ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iEXIliCuNQw[/ame]

    What is really important is that not all people get the same from certain types of stretches. Some methods for athletes has to be more static and longer in practice to.

    The basic idea is just the way one warms up the muscle first. One less skilled in a field could and is probably better for them than what a athlete does is Dynamic stretching helps them more. That means more for the regular joe.

    Here look at this. already in the thread Dynamic
    [ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DkCZym9CT54[/ame]

    Other types of stretching is like this.
    Massage based idea is to get you completely relaxed than stretch.[ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UAbOgpnvd9Q[/ame]
    Integrated - means softly using some device to assist your body muscle to relax.[ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQvaNlhEHY4[/ame]

    Massage for athletes is different because there muscles are softer and easier to move, often can be over stretched in the massage so that has to be watched for.

    Just threw this in because well he is one that tries to explain the difference in the stretching.[ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LbpES5v9mj4[/ame]

    Ha! Just seen that you put up static fighting. Well there are time you are held in certain position that keep you from moving right? That is static fighting.
     

Share This Page