Stretching Properly?

[Corporal Hicks]

Hello,
I've just started stretching at night with my new stretching routine. I stretch my hamstrings by putting my legs together and slowly bringing my arms over my head and try to touch my toes. However I might be wrong but it seems like I'm losing my flexibility because sometimes it seems I cannot stretch as far?
Help?

regards

 

[TigerWoman]

CH, you will find out that after a workout, you will be able to stretch further especially if you have had flexibility exercises like crescents or other high kicks. To do your stretching at night, have you worked out during the day? If so, those muscles have tightened up again. You need to warm them up first, depending on the level you want to stretch them! Stretching a cold muscle hard will just tear. A hot bath does it too but not as well IMO so don't expect the max stretch after a bath. TW

 

[MJS]

TW made some very good points. I too, find that I get my best stretch after the muscles are warmed up. Do something to get the blood pumping: jumping jacks, jump rope, running in place, etc. and then stretch. Stretching after the workout will also help to keep your flexibility at a good level.

Mike

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Thankyou, to both of you and especially tiger woman who seems to have the most knowledge on these subjects. Looks like it going to have to be jumping jacks (star jumps I believe!)

Regards

CH

 

[Adept]

It would be best, I think, to simply do your stretching after your daily work out. Stretching cold muscles is counter-productive, so you will get more long term improvement if you abandon the before-bed stretching and instead make sure you stretch when you exercise.

 

[TigerWoman]

I would agree with Adept. I do a TKD workout usually at noon. Its advised to do a warmup, then flexibility-dynamic rising kicks, side to side rising kicks when you get up. That is supposed to "set" your flexibility for the day. But the older you get... they just go cold again and contract. Too much warmup-cool down is not great either...did that for my black belt tests waiting to be called.

Now, I go to Yoga in the evening and find it really great. We do sun salutations--about twenty of them. They are basically a hard pushup and back stretch, then hamstring stretches in the down dog position. But they do warm you up when you do so many and then we do alot of flexiblity-hamstring/quad workout "poses" which are long held stretches. I feel like a noodle afterwards and its a nice feeling at the end of the day. A few guys are in my class and actually there is a guys' class afterwards. Heard it was a great compliment to TKD and I agree it is! These exercises are simple, just get a Ashtanga yoga book or video. TW

 

[lvwhitebir]

Two more points about stretching:

1) you need to stretch the ancillary muscles before the main muscle (antagonist). For example, before stretching the hamstring, you need to stretch the calf, the back, and the groin. These muscles may be being stretched more than the main muscle unless they are taken out first.

2) Observe proper form. When bending forward, keep the back flat. One way to help do this is to look out over your toes. The more you bend the back, the more you're stretching the back and not the hamstrings. Another approach which helps to hit the hamstrings harder is to grab a towel, hook the towel around your foot, lie on your back, and pull your foot to your head. Lieing back helps keep you from bending your back.

WhiteBirch

 

[tongsau]

I would have to mention my flexibilty trainer a few years ago.
Charlie Trezevant
"The Joy of Flexability"
"Functional Flexability"

If you want to know about a great stretching exercises you gotta check out his method. Length before twist. Produce the stretch, don't go to far.
"It's not how far you go, it's how you go far." More flexibility equals more power.

WhiteBirch - dittos

 

[wynnema]

Stretching cold muscles is counter-productive

Why would you think that.

 

[Ceicei]

Originally Posted by Adept
Stretching cold muscles is counter-productive

Why would you think that.

The answer is in TW's comment:

Stretching a cold muscle hard will just tear.

If your muscle tears, it is going to take quite some time to recover and then regain your flexibility. It is better to learn how to stretch properly in the first place and minimize injury.

- Ceicei

 

[wynnema]

Well yes obviously if you are stupid and dont take it slowly.

Agreed it is usually better to stretch when warm but it is not counter-productive to stretch cold. Indeed you can see improvement in your cold kicks if you stretch without a warmup.

Whats the use in having the ability to throw kicks if you need to warm up everytime.

 

[Corporal Hicks]

The point is you should warm up everytime and only in a situation where you really cant warm up should you throw techniques. It reduces the risk of injury!
Some of us have learnt first hand lol , I've torn muscles in my legs and I'm certaintly not doing that again!

Cheers for the replies everybody!

 

[wynnema]

Why risk it. You can train to throw high kicks without any warmup by doing the right kind of stretching, dynamic stretching, twice a day for a few months.

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Mmmm, ask somebody else about that, the thing I always do is go around the house randomly throwing out techniques. Thats without any warm up, granted but I never throw the technique out its always controlled.
Damn, I sound like a hypocrit now lol! :whip:

 

[wynnema]

thats cool as long as you dont feel like you are likely to pull something

 

[TigerWoman]

Why risk it. You can train to throw high kicks without any warmup by doing the right kind of stretching, dynamic stretching, twice a day for a few months.

That sounds like it is from Kurz's book "Stretching Scientifically" or you got the same information from another source. You are right, though. If you do dynamic stretching first thing in the morning, which btw, warms up the muscles for the specific work they do, then you should be able to safely kick in that range all day. Well, for older people this may not be as true, as when I cool down, my flexibility goes down a little.

It says in the book for a beginner to do 30-40 leg raises slowly going up, front, side, and back. When you have been doing this a while, the number should go down to 15-20 to get to your flexibility height. You should also do range of motion stretches for all your joints. Of course, once your normal flexibility (what you start out with) increases, then you would be able to kick to that height no problem during the day. Also a hard workout during the day and subsequent sore muscles will have a deterrent on kicking high later . TW

 

[wynnema]

It is from Kurz, and I highly recommend doing the dynamic stretches. My static flexibility is not great, maybe a foot from the floor in side splits. There are others in my class who are a much lower rank than me who can do full front splits, but I can kick over their head with power where as they struggle to kick to shoulder height with any degree of power or control. They also do static stretches before class where as I do dynamic on my own in the corner.

I cannot emphasise enough the need for kickers to focus on dynamic stretching and some static stretching. If you train 2-3 times a week and do dynamic leg raises as part of your warm up and then static stretches for the hamstrings, hip flexors and adductors after class (when warm) you will have the flexibility you need to kick to head height and above. Strength training or incorporating isometric tensions whilst performing static stretches also helps.

 

[searcher]

I also have Thomas Kurz' book and it has helped my kicking and overall flexibility out a bunch. I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about stretching and kicking.