Post 921311 - (flexibility & stretching)

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[quote="gekitsu"]your instructor could have been right, ragtime. flexibility issues dont seem to be related to some muscles or tendons being too short but rather a contract reflex that is triggered when motion exceeds a certain comfort zone. i remember stretching sessions to be painful in an unhealthy-feeling way when they were forced upon me (like in p.e. or similar) - only when i began reading up on mechanics and methods, the pain started shifting in quality. you being hooked in workout right now, sure know what i mean with this difference. :)

what i found useful in general is this:
stretch a certain muscle until a solid pull in the belly of the muscle is felt (not at tendons or similar) - flex the stretched muscle (willfully contract nearby muscles helps boosting tension) until i notice the muscle tiring - release tension, go limp, fall deeper into the stretch and carefully pull myself deeper with the antagonist of the stretched muscle.

for stretching hamstring muscles, i like pavel tsatsoulines "good mornings" stretch (because it looks similar to the weightlifting exercise called "good mornings"). its a bit hard to convey through words alone, but i will try: feet shoulder width apart, pointing forwards. knees slightly bent (knees locked will put excessive stress on the tendons in the back of the knee, not the muscles). keeping weight on the heels, the hamstrings are stretched by folding forward at the hip only (keep back straight - never rounded - and look straight ahead). i found it useful to imagine that i move my butt backwards instead of bending forward. hands should reach out to the front for balance.
tension is applied by trying to paw the ground with the feet (sliding feet backwards, like you imagine a cartoon buffalo before hes charging) forcefully squeezing the butt helps.
after releasing tension, i pull myself lower with my hip flexors.
also, its helpful to do this stretch alone, as it will make you look really silly.

by exhausting the muscle, you can gradually stretch further - as you are somehow overriding the comfort zone reflex.[/quote]

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