Leg stretchers

[MamaBear2015]

I'm looking for the best leg stretcher for the buck and was searching on amazon.com and found one called the "Proforce Stretchmaster II", and another one that's just called "Pro Leg Stretcher", which appears to be the same one, just not branded with Proforce. Does anyone know if these are the same machine, and what the best leg stretcher actually is, in that price range? ( looking for most bang for my not-too-many bucks )

 

[Dirty Dog]

The best leg stretcher is your body, your weight, and your persistence.

 

[MamaBear2015]

The best leg stretcher is your body, your weight, and your persistence.

I have about 8 cumulative years in MA and that hasn't worked for me.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I have about 8 cumulative years in MA and that hasn't worked for me.

Then, bluntly, neither will the machines. The machines cannot do anything that you can't do for yourself. There are slight variations in human anatomy from one person to the next. Your specific, individual physiology will dictate the limits of your flexibility. If you've actually been stretching properly, regularly and diligently for 8 years, then you're as flexible as you're going to get. Machines won't change that.

Stretching machines do nothing but move the joints through the exact same movements you move them through when you properly stretch.

Feel free to buy one. It's your money. The ones I am familiar with won't hurt you (although you can certainly hurt yourself using them). But I predict you're going to be disappointed.

Bill "Superfoot" Wallace is a professional fighter of legendary flexibility and capability. He does ads for the Versaflex. And yet, he didn't use one to develop his own flexibility. And if you watch videos of Master Wallace teaching at seminars, you will notice that he teaches body weight stretches. The only time he seems to advocate the machine is when he's being paid for it.

 

[MamaBear2015]

That's interesting. Well most dojo stretching is for about 10 seconds each, and a physical therapist told me that a stretch that's less than 20 seconds is a worthless stretch. That being said, I need to go look for some videos of his techniques. My side flexibility is poor and my front vertical flexibility is pathetic.
...

I just found this video at

One problem I have is with my lower back, when I do what we call the "crane drinks water" stretch. If I bend at the waist without bending my legs, it hurts the lower back.

I do the splits stretch, by putting my weight on it, and have made a little progress with that, but the general "common wisdom" is that, if you don't exploit the flexibility from a very young age, it's very difficult to achieve later.

 

[Carol]

I've heard similar numbers, to hold for at least 15 seconds, and holding for 30 seconds is even better. Another overlooked component to flexibility is strength. Proper training with weight-bearing exercises can do wonders for flexibility.

 

[Dirty Dog]

That's interesting. Well most dojo stretching is for about 10 seconds each, and a physical therapist told me that a stretch that's less than 20 seconds is a worthless stretch.

The physical therapist is correct, and I'd go so far as to say 30 seconds minimum.
You don't build flexibility by stretching in the dojo. The dojo is for learning new material and correcting errors in old material. It's for learning, not training. Stretches at the dojo are to warm up muscles and to teach stretching techniques.

Training is done on your own. If you're only stretching at the dojo, then you are absolutely failing at the "stretching properly, regularly and diligently" part. You need to be stretching every day. On your own. Work out a series of stretches that focus on your "problem" areas. Run through the series, at least 30 seconds in each stretch. Now go through it again. And again. Maybe one more time for today. Now do it again tomorrow.

Gradually increase both the time spent in each stretch and the number of repetitions of the series. Don't bounce; bouncing tears things. Focus on breathing and relaxing the muscles being stretched. You may be surprised what muscles are involved. Here's an example.
Lay flat on your back, arms at your sides or angled slightly out. Now raise your right leg, knee straight, until it's pointed at the ceiling. Without bending the knee, bring the foot across and touch the floor to your left. This rotates and stretches the waist. If it's easy to do, bring the foot further up, so the hip is flexed more than 90 degrees, and try to touch the floor further up your body.

Now do the same thing, but this time hold your head off the floor. You'll find it much more difficult, because lifting the head tightens the muscles in the abdomen, which will reduce your ability to twist the waist.

So relax as many muscles as possible during your stretches.

As with pretty much everything involving the human body, it's easier to develop if you start at a relatively young age.

 

[MamaBear2015]

Thank you.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Good luck.

 

[MamaBear2015]

For anyone interested, I just found this link which looks interesting. ( still need to read it all )

The beginner s guide to flexibility - Martial Arts Planet

 

[Xue Sheng]

I have a Proforce Stretchmaster II and it is great, but Dirty Dog is correct, you get more from body weight stretdhes. For me the Proforce Stretchmaster is now what I use most because of my knees, but it is not as good as the old body weight stretches

 

[Dirty Dog]

I bought a Versaflex way back when. It's still sitting in the corner. I can do body weight stretches any where, any time.
My 4 year old granddaughter does like to play on it, though.

 

[Xue Sheng]

my Stretchmaster collected dust for a long time too (I've had it for close to 20 years), but now with my knee issues it is getting some use

 

[MamaBear2015]

Thanks Xue Sheng, good point. I have a meniscus injury in my left knee and need to watch how I get into the car ( sitting down, not with my left leg like I used to ) .

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I've never owned a stretching machine, but I've had the opportunity to try one out on a few occasions. It doesn't do anything for you that you can't do for yourself, but I did like the way it allowed me to relax into the stretch without putting pressure on my knees.

Given that it's only useful for one particular stretch and that I already have sufficient functional flexibility for my needs in that direction, I wouldn't spend money on it myself. If someone were to give me one I would probably use it to get a little extra stretching while playing video games or something.

 

[Transk53]

Would ropes and pulleys be any different? Apologies OP, thought this maybe relevant.

 

[Dirty Dog]

No, ropes and pulleys would not be any different.


Sent from an old fashioned 300 baud acoustic modem by whistling into the handset. Really.

 

[Transk53]

Okay thanks.