Increasing Flexability

[MJS]

Seeing that TKD is known for many things, one being their kicks, I'd like to hear from some of the TKD people on here, on ways to improve ones flexability. I realise that stretching daily will help, but I was looking for specific exercises, etc., that may be of some help. I do have some regular stretches that I do, but I'm curious if there are specific things that will target certain areas better.

Thanks in advance!:ultracool

Mike

 

[CF'er]

I too am interested in this. I have much more flexability in my left leg than my right. I keep hurting my (?) hamstring most recently last night. I just hope it gets better as I test May 3rd.

Thanks from a newbie to both the MA and MT.

 

[Dave Leverich]

Leg strength is huge as well in kick height.
As far as stretching goes, take a page from Superfoot , sit with your legs wide and one foot on a dot, simply relax. Keep that foot on the dot and push forward on the other side, then hold that for 30, push forward again etc. Your weight is actually NOT forward, but back like you're just relaxing... which is great for the muscle as it allows them to stretch without bearing any weight.

That gets the stretch the 'hard way'.

The runners stretch is good for your front kicks, I prefer the non-stretching foot against my other leg (as opposed to the 'hurdle' stretch), as it puts much less strain on the knee.

Main thing I can say is warm muscles are more pliable, and not as likely to tear. Warm up before stretching. Neoprene wraps can help increase the localized heat if you're targetting a specific group (quads, hamstring etc).

Basically, stretching and leg strength for those higher kicks. Those both also help in regular kicks greatly as well.

Usual disclaimer here, I'm not a doctor, kinesiologist or any such thing, simply a lifer in TKD.

 

[IcemanSK]

Leg strength is huge as well in kick height.
As far as stretching goes, take a page from Superfoot , sit with your legs wide and one foot on a dot, simply relax. Keep that foot on the dot and push forward on the other side, then hold that for 30, push forward again etc. Your weight is actually NOT forward, but back like you're just relaxing... which is great for the muscle as it allows them to stretch without bearing any weight.

That gets the stretch the 'hard way'.

The runners stretch is good for your front kicks, I prefer the non-stretching foot against my other leg (as opposed to the 'hurdle' stretch), as it puts much less strain on the knee.

Main thing I can say is warm muscles are more pliable, and not as likely to tear. Warm up before stretching. Neoprene wraps can help increase the localized heat if you're targetting a specific group (quads, hamstring etc).

Basically, stretching and leg strength for those higher kicks. Those both also help in regular kicks greatly as well.

Usual disclaimer here, I'm not a doctor, kinesiologist or any such thing, simply a lifer in TKD.

I'll co-sign with Dave on this.

 

[zDom]

This is really a subject that could take a LOT of text to get into.

And, IMO, it is something that is really best covered "in person."

FWIW, I am not "super flexible." I simply worked hard to get the flexibility (and muscle strength!) it takes to be able to do high kicks with relative ease and comfort. It was something I wanted badly and worked hard for.

Now I work hard to KEEP that ability, despite the challenges of aging. Like large muscles, it isn't something you "get" and then have forever. It is a struggle to get flexibility and then a struggle to keep it. The good news is, in my opinion it is easier to maintain flexibility than it is to get it in the first place. But it is still a struggle.

First off, don't think of it so much as "stretching" muscles as growing and cultivating longer muscles. By thinking of it this way, you will keep in mind that flexibility is something that takes dedication on a daily basis and time.

Just like weight lifting in which larger muscle bellies don't happen overnight or even in a week or two, flexibility is something that takes plenty of time before results are seen.

Secondly, to really get the best results out of stretching, you must learn to RELAX. This is where it can get somewhat tricky.

It's tricky because it is hard to relax while you are in pain. Now, you shouldn't have sharp or intense pains, but the tension you place on muscles to encourage the growth of longer muscles IS painful, somewhat.

And when we are in pain, we tend to tense up so the muscles are pulling in the opposite direction we want them to go.

Muscles work in "antagonistic pairs." Muscles, remember, only exert pulling force by contracting: they don't push; they only pull.

So what happens during a pushup, for example? It is probably more complex than this, but basically this: the pectoralis major muscles (your chest muscles, or "pecs") PULL your arm forward while your triceps (muscles on the backs of your arms) PULL your arms straight. Meanwhile your back muscles relax and your biceps relax to allow the motion.

When you do a curl, your biceps pull by contracting, while the triceps relax.

Back to stretching. In stretching the hamstrings (or rather encouraging the growth of longer hamstrings!) for higher kicking, we want to relax the hamstrings so the muscles fully extend.

But it is more than just that. To really get what we think of as "hamstring flexibility," we are encouraging the lengthening of muscles along our entire "dorsum," the back side of our body; from the base of the back of our skull all the way to our Achilles tendons.

As kind of an aside related to this, I often see people drop their chin toward their chest as they try to kick high. This is counterproductive! When you tuck your chin to your chest, you are lengthening your dorsum, reducing the range of motion in your legs!

Not good during kicking — but another place that you might want to think about stretching for high kicks.

To "stretch the hamstrings" for high kicking, we REALLY need to stretch the back muscles — upper, middle and especially lower; the gluteus maximus (or "glutes" i.e. butt cheeks); the hamstring themselves, and the calves.

By making small changes in body position you can focus your efforts on these various places.

For example, let's start with a basic seated hamstring stretch: legs together, straight out in front.

Point your toes and lean forward keeping your back straight, not curled, take your chest toward your quads and you should feel it right in the upper hamstring itself or maybe in the lower back — it depends on where YOU are tight (that is, where YOUR shortest muscles are).

Now, pull the balls of your feet back toward you. You should begin to feel it in your calves and behind the knees.

Now drop your chin toward your chest (this should curl your back somewhat), and you should begin to feel tension in your upper or middle back.


So where should you be focusing your stretch? Wherever YOU are feeling tension! But, eventually, ALL of these places. Vary your positions so you stretch ALL of these places.

Because the place where you are most likely to get an injury is the place where your your muscles are being stretched beyond their fully extended range of motion.

So work on the area where you are "tightest," but don't neglect the other areas.

And, by lengthening ALL of the dorsal areas, you are giving yourself additional range of motion overall, reducing the antagonistic tension which resists the motions of high kicking, giving yourself more comfort in high kicking motions, and reducing the chance of injury.

Also remember to stretch in other directions as each stretch will be specific to a specific range of motion.

So, we should not only stretch with legs together straight forward, but also sit in a "chinese split" position, taking our head to our knee on either side.

This usually focuses on the upper hamstring, but pull the ball of the foot back to also get the area down closer to your knee and to stretch that calf.

Lean forward with a straight back (hip should be perpendicular to the floor, or leaned FORWARD, not backwards which would curl your back) to take your chest to (or at least toward) the floor to target your groin.

Keep your eyes/head UP as you lean forward, not chin to your chest or you will put too much tension on the upper back area to ever get to stretching your groin.

Back to the part about relaxing: there are a couple "tricks" to help you achieve relaxation while experiencing the pain of encouraging the growth of longer muscles.

One is to breathe. When you have leaned forward into a stretch (ease into the position; don't bounce down into it!), stop when you get the pain of tension. Then breathe. As you inhale, you should feel a slight increase in tension.

After a couple of breaths, let yourself sink a little lower with the exhale, then "stretch" by inhaling deeply again.

Another trick to relaxing is to tense the entire leg — hamstrings, calves, quads — hold for 10 seconds, then release. Do that a couple of times and you should be more relaxed, allowing you to ease a little farther into the stretch.

Another trick is to do your stretching after a hard workout when your body is already fatigued and less likely to be be willing to use energy to resist stretching.

As mentioned above, stretching should always be done when the muscles are warm.

I suggest getting beads of sweat going before beginning your pre-workout stretching, which is important to prevent injury.

But stretching gains are often made during POST-workout stretching sessions.

Finally, a method of helping you relax is to have a partner help you. Make sure it is someone you trust. They should add force SLOWLY and with control, doing exactly what you ask them to do.

For example, going back to our seated, legs forward stretch, you may ask a partner to push on your back, just above your lower back, so you don't have to pull your way forward; you can simply focus on relaxing into the stretch.

Or, you can put your back against a wall and have them lift one leg up toward your chest while you relax. This stretch in particular works well with the "tense and hold" method. You have them bring it up to a certain level, pause while you tense for 10 seconds, then bring it up a bit higher, repeat the tensing, etc.

I've really only mentioned a few specific stretches, in part because while I can describe them, small body position variations can make big differences in effectively targeting specific areas.

Also, I don't know where you are tight, so I don't know specifically which stretches would best benefit you. For example, if it is your lower back, a great stretch is to lay on your back and pull your knee up to your chest with a bent leg.

But in general, RELAXING and breathing are two VERY important keys to stretching.

And being stretched out FEELS GOOD!! Focus not on the pain of stretching, but on that GOOD FEELING that you know you will have AFTER stretching.

That in itself makes flexibility worth it, not to mention that kicking high ROCKS

I hope this is helpful. I wish you the best of luck in your quest for additional flexibility!

 

[IcemanSK]

This is really a subject that could take a LOT of text to get into.

Apparently so.:ultracool

 

[tkd_Jaz]

Thanks for the info zDom! those are good tips, I love to stretch and I want to be able to do the splits before testing for my 1st Dan next december. I'm close but there is still room for improvement!

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

When stretching pay particular attention to lower back flexibility this is often overlooked and yet it is essential for good flexibility. Simple stretching like laying on your back and taking your legs to the front and over your head so that they are touching the ground can really improve your flexibility. Also I never due ballistic stretching (bouncing) but instead focus on relaxed stretching and holding positions. (static) This helps in preventing those unwanted injuries and for older martial artists (like me) that is really important.