Stretching

[CLM]

Does anyone have a dedicated stretching routine they follow everyday aside from just warming up before a work out? I'd really like to work on my overall flexibility, but a lot of specific routines I find seem more geared to preping specific muscles for a forthcoming activty, not just an everyday stretch.

[Hardball]

I've stretched every day for the last 13 years. I average 15 to 20 minutes a session. Sometimes twice a day. I use ballistic and static stretching. For best results, I stretch after a very good workout or warm up; however I do stretch a lot without a warm up. This makes my lower and mid gate kicks extremely powerful and I can kick in a self defense situation without warming up. I don't kick above the chest area and I was naturally unflexible in my legs. Stretching daily was a tremendous help to my kicking ability. Don't forget to stretch the hips and inner groin area also.

[Elfunko]

I have a routine that can last from 15-40 minutes depending on how thurough I want to be. I go through every stretch I know and try to develop new ones. I'd guesse all my stretches are static, could you give some examples of ballistic stretches?

[CLM]

Balistic stretches are ones in which you use momentum of your body to stretch, like bouncing in and out of a stretched position when you stand straight and try to touch the floor. Most information I've read seems to frown upon this type of stretching saying its dangerous and not useful because the muscle never settles into the stretch and can move past its safe range of motion.

It seems like the best stretching would be a combination of stratic and dynamic, I jsut need to find some good examples of both to try.

[Elfunko]

I know what you mean. I have read the same thing about the dangers of a ballistic stretch, so I shy away from those (getting injured would really hurt this free time I have in the summer). From when I started stretching regularly again maybe a month or two ago I have made significant progress by stretching before a workout my full routine and again after a workout (this also helps to not be sore, I have had a hard workout followed by the complete stretching routine and the next day not felt even the slightest discomfort/soreness). But anyway, back when I started stretching I could almost reach my feet. Now I can almost easily put my palms on the floor, and I would actually prefer to work with a partner because I'm finding it's getting harder and harder to push a stretch. Though I still can't do the splits, I hope it will come but it seems my progress there has just stopped, I'm just confused on this one.

[Hardball]

I have a routine that can last from 15-40 minutes depending on how thurough I want to be. I go through every stretch I know and try to develop new ones. I'd guesse all my stretches are static, could you give some examples of ballistic stretches?

Ballistic stretching is "Old School" It is simply a bouncing stretch. Most new school people dis recommend ballistic stretching. It's strictly old school.

[HtTKar]

http://www.trickstutorials.com/mother_main.php

Under tutorials, check out the stretching section. This is the information I think your looking for. Hope it helps. Good luck!

[Elfunko]

http://www.trickstutorials.com/mother_main.php

Under tutorials, check out the stretching section. This is the information I think your looking for. Hope it helps. Good luck!

From the website:

"Warm-up your muscles before doing these stretches. The warmer your muscles are the more elastic they are. You can probably do this by running around with your mouth wide open like a moron..."

lmao

[CLM]

Some good examples of static stretches on that site, thanks.

Hey, anyone heard of/read Pavel Tsatsouline "Relax Into Stretch" I haven't read much of it, but it seems to claim to allow you to improve flexibility by controling muscle tension. Not sure if it means in stretching applications or in athletic ones as well. Any comments?

[Elfunko]

From the title I can guesse at some of the points. This is what I learned from The Art of the Human Body:

When you move into a stretch or any strenious extension your body has a failsafe that will contract muscles before you reach a point of injury to prevent just that from occuring. However, if you slowly and with good breathing move into a stretch, you can bypass your bodys mechanism and stretch past that point. But you must be weary of pushing the stretch too far or you will get injured (just what your body was trying to protect against). What I do is take it to the limit and then go slightly past. If you feel something is awry slowly move out of the stretch and use your best judgement on where to proceed after this (try again, maybe if you went too far give it a break, massage, etc). Also, move out fo the stretches slowly just like you moved into them. Oh ya, hold a stretch for at least 20 seconds.

Whenever we have classes at my gym I show up 30 minutes early specifically to go through all my stretches for a full 20-30 seconds because within the class they hold a stretch for only 5-12 seconds (my rough estimate) and don't even hit every area. Personally I feel that is not benificial to the people i nthe class, but the gym does specify to show up 30 minutes early to warm yourself up before classes so it is their own fault when they get injured (calf cramps are what I've seen so far).

Anyway, does anyone know if the above theory written by Bruce Lee in his book is still relevent today? Has anything been disproved or even found dangerous? Insofar with this method I have had nothing but success with zero setbacks (as well as being completely warmed up for any activity).

edit: I dunno why there are so many typing errors, I swear english is my first language. lol

[CLM]

Well, I've read most of the Pavel book I was talking about, and the theory you described seems to go exactly hand in hand. The book basicaly deals with ways to control/bypass you're stretch reflex, through forms of breathing and fatigue. Also supports isometric stretching because it stretches and builds strength in the muscle, two key components to achieving flexibility. I didn't read in depth enough to try any of it, so I'm not sure its effectiveness. However, I do recall it saying that the stretching should be done at the end of the day or on days when you won't be doing any sort of, shall I say, skill workout because the deep stretching throws of the muscles coordination.

[Elfunko]

Does it effectively detail how to accomplish the stretch and give possible injury warnings (leadup, hold, etc)? Pictures? Isometric stretching sounds intrigueing.

[CLM]

Basic layout of the book discusses the common misconception about stretching It takes the approach that your tissue is already long enough to be as flexible as you want. The idea being not to try and stretch it literaly, but 'reprogram' your nervous system to allow you to reach new limits of flexibility. It then goes into the methods to do this, that is trick your stretch reflex into allowing you to stretch further. After that, theres close to 40 different stretches they show you and explain how to apply the methods to the stretch.

As for injury, it does discuss that. One thing you have to be aware of is Pavel's almost sterotypical Russian sense of sarcasm. IE: Pain is good, if you can deal with the pain, etc etc.

I by far don't have the expertise or experience to critique his claims. I'm trying to learn more about stretching to approve on the somewhat overly basic routine we do as warm up for class. If someone else knows a bit more, I'd be interested to ge their impressions of the book.