Stretching Scientifically - A Guide To Flexibility Training
Stretching Scientifically - A Guide To Flexibility Training
Fourth edition
by Thomas Kurz
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Published by:
Stadion Publishing Company, Inc.
Post Office Box 447
Island Pond, VT 05846, U.S.A.
http://www.stadion.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or
by any means without written permission from the publisher, except for brief
quotations included in a review.
ISBN 978-0-940149-15-1
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I dedicate this book to the late Antoni Zagorski and the late Tadeusz
Sadowski. Without their help it would have never been written.
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Warning—Disclaimer
The author and Stadion Publishing Company are not liable or responsible to
any person or entity for any damage caused or alleged to be caused directly
or indirectly by the information contained in this book.
Due to the rapid increase of range of motion some martial artists experience
while using this method of flexibility training, they may kick higher than they
are used to and miss their targets. With a little practice, however, they will
regain their accuracy.
Whenever there are particular cautions for you to observe, they are signaled
for you like this:
Caution: Pick only one isometric stretch per muscle group and
repeat it two to five times, using as many tensions per repetition as
it takes to reach the limit of mobility that you now have.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Getting the Most Out of This Book
1. Flexibility in Sports
Injury prevention and flexibility
2. How to Stretch
Methods of stretching
Early morning stretching
Stretching in your workout
The use of partners in stretching
Children and flexibility training
The elderly and flexibility training
3. Dynamic Stretching
Arms
Legs
Trunk
5. Isometric Stretching
When you are not ready for isometrics
When you are ready
How to select your stretches
Neck
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Forearm
Arms, shoulders, chest
Legs
Stretches leading to the side split
Stretches leading to the front split
Splits and high kicks
Trunk
Recap
6. Relaxed Stretching
Neck
Forearm
Arms, shoulders, chest
Legs
Stretches leading to the side split
Stretches leading to the front split
Trunk
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Dynamic Stretches and Morning Stretch
What and When
Stretching in Workouts for Various Sports
Flexibility and Other Athletic Abilities
Age and Stretching
Gender and Stretching
Sounds in and around Joints
Pain or Soreness and Stretching
Injuries and Stretching
No Success
Impatience
Stretching Machines and Other Strange Practices
Other
Resources for Further Study
12. Bibliography
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Introduction:
Getting the Most Out of This Book
The essence of flexibility training presented in this book is the simultaneous
development of strength and flexibility, working with your body (especially
the nervous system), for full flexibility with no warm-up.
You will find many exercises here, but you need only a few of them to gain
all the flexibility you need for your sport. Which exercises you need
depends mainly on your sport and on your personal characteristics.
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If you are a gymnast you need all types of flexibility, so you will select
needed exercises from chapters 3 (“Dynamic Stretching”), 4 (“Static Active
Stretching”), 5 (“Isometric Stretching”), and 6 (“Relaxed Stretching”).
No matter what sport you participate in, you should read chapter 2, “How to
Stretch.” It tells when to do which exercises and how to arrange them in any
single workout. Chapter 7, “Sample Workout Plans,” shows how to apply
the principles of arranging the exercises in practice. These examples are not
for slavish imitation but to illustrate a rational selection and flow of
exercises.
Chapter 8, “All the Whys of Stretching,” will give you a full understanding
of this method of flexibility training. Knowing the theory, why the exercises
are to be done in some particular way and what their effect is on the body,
helps with designing training programs.
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1. Flexibility in Sports
There are six kinds of flexibility, with classification depending on the
character of the muscles' action and on the presence or absence of an
external force that aids moving through the range of motion or assuming and
maintaining a stretched position (Tumanyan and Kharatsidis 1998). These
six kinds are:
dynamic active flexibility (only using the muscles of the moving body
part);
dynamic passive flexibility below the pain threshold (using as much
external assistance as needed to reach the painless limit of motion);
dynamic passive flexibility over the pain threshold and up to pain
tolerance (using as much external assistance as needed to reach the
maximal limit of motion permitted by pain tolerance);
static active flexibility (only using the muscles of the stretched body
part to hold a stretched position);
static passive flexibility below the pain threshold (using as much
external assistance as needed to reach the painless maximum stretch);
and
static passive flexibility up to pain tolerance (using as much external
assistance as needed to reach the maximal stretch permitted by pain
tolerance).
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Examples of dynamic active flexibility
Static active flexibility. This is the ability to assume and maintain extended
positions using only the tension of the agonists and synergists while the
antagonists are being stretched. One example is lifting the leg and keeping it
high without any support. An athlete's static active flexibility depends on the
athlete's static passive flexibility and on the static strength of the muscles
that stabilize the position.
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from the stretched limbs, such as lifting and holding a leg with your arm or
by other external means.
The principles of flexibility training are the same in all sports. Only the
required level of a given kind of flexibility varies from sport to sport.
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the requirements of your activity. For example, if you are a hurdler, you
need mostly a dynamic flexibility of hips, trunk, and shoulders. To increase
your range of motion, you need to do dynamic leg raises in all directions,
bends and twists of the trunk, and arm swings. You can perfect your
technique by doing various dynamic exercises consisting of walking or
running over the hurdles. The hurdler's stretch, a static exercise, does not fit
into your workout because it strains your knee by twisting it. Simple front
and side splits are better for stretching your legs. The explanation that in the
hurdler's stretch your position resembles the one assumed while passing the
hurdle is pointless. You cannot learn dynamic skills by using static
exercises, and vice versa. The technique of running over the hurdles is
better developed in motion.
In karate or kickboxing, punches, blows, and kicks should hit their targets
with maximum speed. Some targets require nearly fully stretched muscles of
the hitting limb (in the case of kicks, also of the supporting leg). Your
nervous system has a way of making sure that a stretch, particularly a
sudden one, does not end abruptly, causing a muscle tear. But a gradual
slowing down before the moment of contact will spoil the impact.
Therefore, you have to train your nervous system so you can have maximal
speed at the moment of contact even if it is close to the maximal reach of
motion in this movement. In the case of kicks, you can learn this skill by
using your hand as a target for them. Centers in your brain that regulate
coordination and rapid movements know about the hand. They know where
it is and that it can stop the kick, so the leg does not have to be slowed down
gradually to prevent overstretching.
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at the ranges of motion required in fighting
You must first develop the ability to move your limbs with moderate speed
within a full range of motion in joints in order to do these specific kicking
drills. You should start at a lower height to avoid injury from any sudden
contraction of rapidly stretched muscles. You can use this exercise only in a
warm-up because of the limited variety of kicks that you can practice this
way.
Fighters relying on high kicks as their combat techniques should spend a few
minutes in the morning on the dynamic stretching of their legs. Starting
slowly, they should gradually raise the legs higher. Later they should
increase the speed of their movements, perhaps even using the previously
described “hand-kicking” drill. Practical experience (North Korean, Soviet
bloc's commando units) shows that doing the actual combat kicks in this
morning stretch is not necessary to be able to do them later in a day without
a warm-up.
Rowers should have hamstrings long enough to allow them to lean far
forward at the catch phase of the rowing stroke without flexing the lumbar
spine much. If the hamstrings are short, the rowers compensate by flexing
the spine more than 50% of its maximum range of flexion. Such flexing,
combined with the high compressive and shearing forces acting on the spine
during rowing, contributes to hyperflexion of the spine—which correlates
strongly with low back pain (Reid and McNair 2000; Howell 1984).
Swimmers should have long hamstrings and chest muscles. When doing the
breaststroke, if you go up and down in the water instead of moving just
under the surface, it means that your chest muscles are too short. In the
backstroke this shortness also causes your face to submerge when the arm
enters the water, which is when you want to take a breath. In the crawl, short
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hamstrings pull your feet out of the water and make your legwork inefficient.
Poor flexibility of ankles and toes makes a swimmer ride low in the water.
(Ankle flexibility can be improved by wearing fins while doing kick sets,
and toe extensions and curls improve flexibility and strength of the toes.)
Some Olympic weightlifters may need to tighten the muscles surrounding the
hip and knee joints for the proper execution of lifts. Muscles that are too
relaxed at long length let the weightlifter “sink” too deep on the legs while
getting under the barbell. This makes it difficult to stand up and complete the
lift.
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(Craib et al. 1996). Excessive mobility in the joints diminishes stability of
the body, causing scattering of the forces acting on it. This in turn
necessitates additional muscular tension in movements where parts of the
body have to be stabilized to support heavy loads (Raczek 1991). Such
scattering of forces—for example, caused by an excessively loose trunk at
the moment of takeoff—reduces performance in jumping (Wazny 1981b).
To take advantage of a rebound, the stiffer the muscles and tendons the
better, provided you have the required range of motion (Kubo et al. 1999). If
your range of motion is less than required for full utilization of the rebound,
then high stiffness does not help and it may be economical to increase range
of motion, even at the cost of lowering somewhat the stiffness of your
involved muscles and tendons (Wilson et al. 1992).
Having muscles so short and stiff they limit the range of motion required in
your sport may cause an overuse injury (Krivickas 1997; Howell 1984).
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while in others, a less than average flexibility improves performance. Here
is what Gleim and McHugh (1997) say.
“It is possible that flexibility patterns which represent risk factor for one
sport may not do so for another. . . . No clear relationship can be described
between flexibility and injury that is applicable to all sports and levels of
play. While increased flexibility is important for performance in some
sports that rely on extremes of motion for movement, decreased flexibility
may actually increase economy of movement in sports which use only the
midportion of range of movement” (Gleim and McHugh 1997).
Low back pain may result from laxity of joints other than those of the
back—lax ligaments of ankle and knee joints increase the risk of
low back pain (Nadler et al. 1998). You can compensate for lax
ligaments by strengthening the muscles crossing a given joint
(Krivickas 1997; Zelisko et al. 1982).
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There are four main causes of injuries: great differences in strength between
two opposing muscle groups; strength and flexibility imbalances between
the same muscle groups on both sides of the body; a difference of
fatigability (muscle endurance) between the limbs; and imbalances in
activity of muscles (Burkett 1970; Knapik et al. 1991; Murphy 1991;
Orchard et al. 1997; McMaster et al. 1991; Rudy 1987; Tyler et al. 2001).
According to Murphy (1991) imbalances in activity are more likely to cause
an injury than imbalances in strength.
Balancing the flexibility of all the muscles in a joint and improving the
strength and endurance of the weaker muscles are the easiest measures for
prevention of injuries. A careful analysis of your form of movement may
also hold the key to injury prevention. A good technique feels effortless.
Eliminate those moments in your technique in which you use the maximal
tension of already stretched muscles to counter the fast movement of a
relatively big mass. Such movements may lead to tears in the muscles of a
supporting leg in kicking, for example. Likewise, if you abruptly strain
against great external resistance, or against the inertia of your body, it may
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lead to a muscle strain—for example, a hamstring tear in starting a sprint
from the starting blocks.
If one muscle group, or muscles of one limb or one side of the body are
more tensed than other muscles, you may have a nerve problem or
misaligned bones. For example, a twisted pelvis will cause one hamstring
to be more tensed than the other. Stretching overly tensed muscles cannot fix
the cause of their abnormal tension. In this example, it neither realigns the
pelvis nor addresses the cause of this misalignment, which can be
neurological or mechanical. While stretching may temporarily make you feel
better, it will not remove the threat of potential injury. This is why static
stretching before working out does not prevent injuries. Research bears this
out—the majority of studies show static stretches before working out to be
detrimental or of no benefit for injury prevention (Shrier 2000). Pre-
exercise static stretching does not prevent soreness, tenderness, or the force
loss that follows eccentric exercise (Johansson et al. 1999).
The fact that static stretching, or any strenuous stretching, right before
exercising is useless or even harmful does not mean that you may not stretch
strenuously at all. Just do it after the other exercises. In the case of exercises
that do considerable damage to the muscles, such as very hard resistance
exercises, do stretches several hours later. Stretching during the acute phase
of muscle damage would compound the damage. Even static stretching can
put enough stress on the muscle fibers to damage them. For persons just
beginning a workout program, stretching alone—either ballistic or static—
may cause delayed onset muscle soreness, which is a symptom of muscle
damage (Smith et al. 1993).
This is a how-to-do-it book about stretching, but you needed to know a little
why-to-do-it before you got started. Now you are ready to begin.
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2. How to Stretch
The right stretching method will let you have great flexibility even without a
warm-up. Such flexibility is essential for coaches so they can demonstrate a
technique immediately when it is needed. A lack of this ability indicates
either that the stretching method you use is incorrect, you are chronically
fatigued, or both.
Caution: In spite of having this ability you should not abuse it. It is
fine to do a few full range-of-motion moves without warm-up, but
not many. Take kickboxing or karate kicks, for example—kicks
involve sudden twisting or bending of the trunk, so not warming up
can result in back pain. The back is wrapped in deep layers of
muscles, and the larger and deeper the mass of muscles, the more
time it takes to warm it up. Warming up before effort facilitates
recovery after it.
The wrong warm-up. Doing static stretches does not sufficiently raise
muscle temperature, it does not increase blood flow through muscles, it
does not warm up joints, or prepare you for further effort.
The wrong training load. Training loads that are too great without enough
rest cause chronic fatigue. If you begin your workout still sore after the
previous one, you are asking for an injury or at least you hamper your
further progress.
The wrong sequence of efforts. If you use the wrong sequence of efforts in a
workout or in a microcycle, it may double or triple your recovery time. (A
microcycle is a set of workouts. It usually lasts one week. Information on
how to arrange workouts in microcycles is in Science of Sports Training:
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How to Plan and Control Training for Peak Performance.)
The wrong methods. Incorrect methods of teaching skills may result in too
many repetitions of a given exercise and chronic local fatigue. Choosing
methods that develop athletic abilities and skills in ways that interfere with
the development of flexibility as well as total athletic development is really
an umbrella difficulty that covers all the problems.
Applying the methodology you find advocated here in your training will
prevent you from making any of the preceding mistakes. These principles
are included in the descriptions of stretching methods. If you follow the
instructions to the letter, you will not go wrong.
Methods of stretching
There are several methods for improving flexibility. In this book you will
find only the safest and most efficient of these. Your choice of method (or
combination of methods) depends on your sport and the shape you are in.
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One relatively recent study (Bandy et al. 1998) confuses the issue somewhat
by misnaming certain static active stretches as “dynamic range of motion
exercises.” A reader misled by that term, which Bandy applies to raise-and-
hold stretches, might wrongly conclude that dynamic stretching doesn't
measure up to what it is supposed to do.
Practically, the same dynamic stretch (for example, a leg swing) can be
performed with control through the whole range of movement or with no
control over a substantial part of the movement when the stretch takes place,
or as anything in between.
Static active stretches increase both your static active range of motion and
your static passive range of motion (Bandy et al. 1998; Roberts and Wilson
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1999). Longer (15 seconds) static active stretches are more effective for
increasing an active range of motion than shorter (5 seconds) ones. Both
durations (5 seconds and 15 seconds) cause similar increases in the passive
range of motion—which exceed the static active range (Roberts and Wilson
1999).
For increasing static range of motion the most effective duration of relaxed
stretches is 30 seconds, and the most effective frequency is once per day
(Bandy and Irion 1994; Bandy et al. 1997).
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tension for several seconds. This increases the strength of the muscles in
this position. Even without these last tensions, contract-relax stretching
improves your range of motion both in passive and active movements as
well as your strength in concentric, isometric, and especially in eccentric
actions (Handel et al. 1997).
Isometric stretching is the fastest and the most efficient method of increasing
static passive range of motion (Etnyre and Abraham 1986a; Holt et al. 1970;
Lucas and Koslow 1984; Sady et al. 1982; Tanigawa 1972). Because of the
strong and long tensions in this type of stretching, apply it according to the
same principles as other strength exercises. You should allow sufficient
time for recovery after exercising, depending on your shape and on the total
volume of exercises, their intensity, and the sequence of efforts. Do not
exercise so hard as to make your muscles sore and do not exercise sore
muscles strenuously. Muscle soreness is accompanied by loss of strength
and of range of motion (Miles and Clarkson 1994), so if you make your
muscles sore often you will reduce your flexibility. Muscle shortening is
most pronounced 2 days after performing the exercises that caused muscle
soreness (Clarkson et al. 1992). It is a good idea to do isometric stretches in
strength workouts and, on days when recovering from these workouts, do
either static relaxed stretches or replace the last, long tension in your
isometric stretches by just holding the relaxed muscles in the final stretch.
Doing both isometric and static active stretching, you will most quickly
develop static forms of flexibility.
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forms of static flexibility showed that:
—strength exercises done throughout the full range of motion increase active
range of motion and so reduce the difference between passive and active
range of motion; and
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for example, arm swings and leg raises to the front, rear, and sides. Before
doing these dynamic stretches, warm up all your joints with easy
movements. Do the stretching before breakfast because after the meal blood
flow in the muscles is diminished, which decreases flexibility, and because
doing dynamic stretches, such as high leg raises, with a full stomach is not
good for digestion.
The whole early morning routine can take about 30 minutes for beginners
and only a few minutes for advanced—after reaching the desired level of
flexibility, you will need less work to maintain it. You should not get tired
during the morning stretching. The purpose of this stretching is to reset the
nervous regulation of the length of your muscles for the rest of the day.
Remember: Do not work too hard because fatigue reduces your range of
motion in dynamic movements, and if you overdo it, you will defeat the
purpose of this exercise.
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1. The general warm-up, including cardiovascular warm-up and general,
dynamic stretching (no static stretches unless you are a gymnast and the
routine you practice includes static flexibility displays, such as splits and
bridges)
3. The main part of the workout, in which you realize your task for this
workout
4. The cool-down
The whole warm-up should take no more than 30 minutes. Dedicate about
10 minutes of this time to dynamic stretching. Warming up should involve a
gradual increase in the intensity of your exercises. Toward the end of a
warm-up, use movements that resemble more closely the techniques of your
sport or the task assigned for this workout.
In New York City I have seen people sitting on heaters in order to warm up
before a kickboxing workout. Apparently they did not realize that warming
up has to prepare all systems of the body in order for you to perform at top
efficiency. It has to affect the heart, blood vessels, nervous system, muscles
and tendons, and the joints and ligaments—certainly not just one area of the
body! One of the best books on physical therapy (Hertling and Kessler
1996) has it right: “Warm-up is an increase in body heat by active muscle
use for the purposes of lowering soft-tissue viscosity and enhancing body
chemical and metabolic functions, to protect and prepare the body for more
aggressive physical activity. . . . Active muscle [warm-up] is likely to be
more productive than passive means of heating, because passive heating
does not [adequately] enhance the metabolic and cardiac factors, which are
also important.”
Begin your warm-up with limbering up, such as joint rotations, starting
either from your toes or your fingers. Make slow circular movements until
the joint moves smoothly, then move to the next one. If you start from your
fingers, move on to your wrists, followed by your elbows, shoulders and
neck. Continue with twisting and bending of your trunk followed by
movements in the hips, the knees, the ankles, and finally, the toes. If you start
from your toes, the order is reversed. The principles are: from distant joints
to proximal (to the center of the body); from one end of the body to the other
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(top to bottom or vice versa), ending with the part of the body that will be
stressed most in the next exercise. This last principle applies to all parts of
a workout.
Follow this with dynamic stretches—leg raises to the front, sides and back,
and arm swings, for example. Do leg raises in sets of ten to twelve
repetitions per leg. Do arm swings in sets of five to eight repetitions. Do as
many sets as it takes to reach your maximum range of motion in any given
direction. The total number of repetitions needed for reaching the maximal
range of motion increases with age. It may take 15-25 repetitions for 8-year-
olds to reach the maximum range in shoulder and hip joints but 30-45
repetitions for 17-year-olds (Raczek 1991). For properly conditioned
athletes, even those who are much older, usually one set in each direction is
enough warm-up, however.
Doing static stretches in the warm-up for a workout that consists of dynamic
actions is counterproductive, and it certainly does not prevent injuries
(Shrier 1999; Pope et al. 2000). The goals of the warm-up are: an increased
awareness, improved coordination, improved elasticity and contractibility
of muscles, and a greater efficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular
systems. Static stretches, isometric or relaxed, just do not fit in here.
Isometric tensions will only make you tired and decrease your coordination.
Passive, relaxed stretches, on the other hand, have a calming effect and can
even make you sleepy. A proper warm-up improves the mechanical,
chemical, and neural aspects of your muscles' function and thus prevents
injuries, but an improper warm-up, including wrong stretching, may
predispose you to injuries (Safran et al. 1989).
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—Even mild static stretching can damage muscle cells.
In the words of Dr. Shrier (2000), “It does not seem prudent to
increase one's tolerance to pain, possibly create some damage at the
cytoskeletal level, and then exercise this damaged anesthetized
muscle.”
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maximal strength need not involve overcoming maximal resistance nor
moving at a high velocity, and b) an athlete who wants to alternate
resistance exercises with stretches needs to be well attuned to the effects of
either of these exercises on his or her muscles. In such alternating work each
set of stretches causes an increase of the range of motion over the initial
value and each following set of resistance exercises causes a reduction in
the range of motion, but the increases are larger than reductions so the final
range of motion is considerably greater than the initial range (Platonov
1997).
A specific warm-up should blend with the main part of your workout. When
the main part is over, it is then time for the cool-down and final stretching.
Usually you would only use static stretches here. You can start with the
more difficult static active stretches that require a relative “freshness.”
After you have achieved your current maximum reach in these stretches,
move on to either isometric or relaxed static stretches, or both, following
the isometric stretches with relaxed stretches.
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Caution: Pick only one isometric stretch per muscle group and
repeat it two to five times, using as many tensions per repetition as
it takes to reach the limit of mobility that you have at this stage of
your training.
After all the isometric stretches, you can do relaxed stretches for the same
muscle groups—if you feel like it. The relaxed or static passive stretches
permit staying in maximally extended positions longer than the isometric
stretches. Doing relaxed static stretches after isometric stretches may
increase your passive range of motion and reduce tension in static stretches
further than using either type of stretches alone. After the final stretches,
march or walk around the gym or track for a few minutes to help the neural
regulation of your muscles return to normal.
This is the end of your workout. If you do not participate in any sports
training, but still want to stretch, just skip the specific warm-up and the main
part of workout. Do only the stretches, starting with the dynamic and ending
with the static.
warm-up: 5 minutes
dynamic stretches
squat (3 x 12)
isometric stretch
adductor flies (100 reps)
good morning lift (3 x 12)
relaxed static stretch
I pick only one exercise per muscle group both in isometric and
static and I do it 3-5 times tensing in each time 3-5 times for three to
five seconds. Is this sequence and method correct?
If you follow my advice to the letter, and the rest of your athletic training is
run rationally, you should be able to display your current level of flexibility
within a month without any warm-up. By current level of flexibility, I mean
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the level you normally display during a workout when you are sufficiently
warmed up. Of course, it is still better to warm up before any exercises.
Being able to do splits and high kicks without a warm-up does not mean that
you are ready to exercise. Warming up lets you perform efficiently during
your workout or sports event and speeds up the recovery afterward.
Muscles prepared for work do not get as much mechanical and chemical
damage as the unprepared ones.
After you attain the required reach of motion, you may reduce the amount of
work dedicated to maintaining this flexibility. Much less work is needed to
maintain flexibility than to develop it. You will have to increase the amount
of “maintenance” stretching as you age, however, to counter the regress of
flexibility related to aging.
From the age of 6 to 10, the mobility of shoulder and hip joints is reduced.
To prevent this reduction of mobility, children in this age range must do
dynamic stretches for shoulders (arm raises and arm rotations in all
directions) and hips (leg raises in all directions). Flexibility of the spine
reaches its natural maximum at ages 8-9 (Drabik 1996). Striving to increase
the spine's range of motion beyond the natural maximum, as well as
repetitive bending and twisting of the spine, may cause all sorts of problems
—stress fractures to the growth plates of the vertebrae, spondylolysis,
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spondylolisthesis, and slipped discs—resulting in lifelong back problems
(Micheli 1990). Some gymnasts pay for their spine's great flexibility by
wearing body braces and spending the rest of their life in pain.
Static active stretches, especially lifting the leg and holding it high without
any support, compress the spine and may increase lordosis because they
bend and twist the spine while the hip flexor (iliopsoas) of that lifted thigh
is pulling at the lumbar vertebrae. If you have to do such leg lifts, as might
be the case in gymnastics, for example, you should immediately follow them
with exercises and stretches that correct lordosis (pelvic tilts, forward
bends).
During the growth spurt (13 to 15), height may increase nearly one inch in a
month. Micheli (1990) states that muscles and tendons do not elongate as
quickly as growing bones and the resulting loss of flexibility leads to
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overuse injuries. Specifically, Micheli says, an excessive lumbar lordosis,
leading to back injuries, results from bones of the spine growing faster than
its muscles, and that pain in the kneecap, and eventually destruction of its
cartilage, is caused by doing too much knee-bending when the quadriceps is
tightened by the rapid growth of thigh bones (Micheli 1990). A large study
on more than 900 high school students, however, suggests that loss of
flexibility is not caused by growth but only associated with it (Feldman et
al. 1999). In any case, stretches should target these muscles that are overly
tight, otherwise the child will develop bad posture or get injured (Micheli
1990). During this first stage of adolescence all bones, ligaments, and
muscles are weakened and you should therefore avoid stressing the trunk by
many repetitions of bends and twists.
In the second stage of adolescence, after the growth spurt (15 to 19), you
can intensify flexibility training once again and do sport-specific stretches
in quality and quantity similar to those for adults (Drabik 1996).
Past maturity both flexibility and strength decline, partly due to aging and
partly due to inactivity (Bassey et al. 1989; Gersten 1991; James and Parker
1989). Strength and flexibility training can decrease the age-related loss of
strength and maintain or restore flexibility (American College of Sports
Medicine Position Stand 1998; Buckwalter 1997). Strength training alone,
without any stretching—with resistance permitting maximally 6-10
repetitions without straining, at a full range of motion—can increase
flexibility of the elderly (Barbosa et al. 2002).
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Even elderly men and women over seventy years old can increase their
flexibility (Brown et al. 2000; Lazowski et al. 1999). With strength training
the elderly, even in their 90s, can increase their strength and muscle mass—
not as fast and as much as young people, but they can (Fiatarone et al. 1990;
Lexell et al. 1995), and the responsiveness to strength training determines
the effectiveness of isometric stretches—the most intense stretches—as long
as the structure of the person's joints is not an obstacle.
***
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Most photographs in the following chapters show only the final positions of
stretches. To start doing any of these stretches you do not have to lean your
trunk, spread your legs, or twist your arms as far as these photographs show.
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3. Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic flexibility, the ability to perform dynamic movements within a full
range of motion in the joints, is best developed by dynamic stretching. This
kind of flexibility depends on the ability to combine relaxing the extended
muscles with contracting the moving muscles. Besides perfecting
intermuscular coordination, dynamic stretching reduces passive resistance
to movement throughout the range of motion (McNair and Stanley 1996;
McNair et al. 2001).
38
as at any other time—provided you warm-up well [Matveyev {Matveev}
1981; Wazny 1981b].) On days you do not work out you still should do
dynamic stretches twice every day—once in the early morning stretch and
once more later in the afternoon. The afternoon stretching session can
include the same dynamic stretches as the morning stretch. If you work at
night and sleep during the day, do two sessions of dynamic stretching too,
one after you wake up and one more a few hours later.
Start your movements slowly, gradually increasing the range and the speed
of movements. Do not “throw” your limbs, rather, “lead” or “lift” them,
controlling the movement along the entire range. Then, after you have nearly
reached your full range of motion, you can increase the velocity of the limb
so the last few inches of its trajectory can be less controlled—but still, the
stretch should not be sudden. Logan and McKinney (1970) apply the
principle of specific adaptation to imposed demands in the case of
flexibility. This principle means that eventually, either at the end of the first
set of dynamic stretches or in other sets, you should stretch at a velocity not
less than 75% of the maximal velocity used in your actual skill, a kick, for
example.
As a rule, synchronize your breath with stretches so you breathe out with
flexing your spine or compressing your rib cage and breathe in when
extending your spine and expanding your rib cage. This is how it is done in
dynamic exercises of yoga—Suryanamaskar (Grochmal 1986). For
example, breathe out when bending your trunk forward so you end your
exhalation at the greatest stretch, but when bending your trunk to the back,
breathe in.
Dynamic stretches
Neck
Usually you use no special dynamic stretches for the neck. What you have
done at the beginning of your warm-up (doing joint rotations) should be
enough.
Arms
39
Swing your arms backward at varying angles.
Crossing your arms in front, touch your shoulder blades with your hands,
then straighten the arms and touch your hands behind your back. To increase
the range of motion to the back, you can rotate your arms inward so the
palms of your hands face out.
40
Legs
Beginners may have to start with a great number of repetitions—four to five
sets of ten to twelve repetitions per leg in any given direction, very slowly
increasing the height at which the leg is raised. You can switch the leg after
each repetition or after a set. After a month or two, you will notice that it
takes less repetitions to reach a maximum range of motion. Eventually one
set of twelve repetitions in each direction, per leg, will be enough.
Leg raise to the front. With your hand as a target it is easy to evaluate your
progress. Maintain good posture (straight trunk) and your hand can serve as
a stop for very dynamic (explosive) leg raises. Start as low as feels
comfortable. Keep your supporting leg straight, its heel on the ground if
possible.
41
Leg raise to the side. The leg raise to the side is the same as a front raise,
except your arm is stretched to the side and you raise your leg sideways.
Another form of the side raise. This form is useful for martial artists. The
foot of the leg about to be raised points forwards and contact with your
palm is made by the side of the foot. Your hips will have a tendency to move
to the back and your trunk will lean forward, which is all right, but do not
lean forward any more than necessary. Gradually increase the height at
which you place your hand, starting at hip level.
If the outside of your hips hurts when you do high leg raises to the side or
42
side kicks, you need to tilt your pelvis forward while you kick. If you don't,
you will jam the neck of your thigh bone into the cartilage collar at the upper
edge of the hip socket. If you have coxa vara (a bending of the neck of the
femur), you could also jam the greater trochanter against your hip bone.
Leg swing from the outside to the inside. You can again use your hand as a
target. Try to bring the leg as far as possible across your front.
43
Leg raise to the back. Using any form of support at about your hip height,
raise the leg as high as possible. Feel the stretching in front of your thigh.
If using a support lets you raise your legs higher to the front and sides—use
it.
Trunk
If your sports discipline requires a rapid twisting and bending (with great
amplitude) of the trunk, add the following set of exercises to your stretching
routines. You can expect to reach full mobility of the trunk (the joints of your
vertebral column) in a given direction after 25-30 repetitions of a given
exercise.
You can do dynamic stretches for the trunk standing or sitting. A sitting
position is better because it isolates the joints of the trunk (vertebral
column) from the leg joints. Also, rapid front and side bends in a standing
position can become ballistic stretches and injure you.
44
Rotations. Sit down and twist your trunk from side to side. Try to keep your
hips and legs immobile.
Forward bends. Lean forward from a sitting position. Do not keep your
back straight. Let it get round. If you keep it straight, you will stretch your
hamstrings instead of your back.
45
Bends to the back. Lie on your stomach and raise your trunk using your arms
and the muscles of the back.
***
Arms: Maximal range of motion (ROM) is reached after 5-10 arm swings in
any given direction, therefore these are minimum numbers per set; for
developing dynamic flexibility the total numbers of repetitions
recommended per workout are 30-40 for flexion-extension of the arm and
15-30 for arm circles; for maintaining flexibility 15-25 repetitions of full-
range movements per workout are enough.
Legs and hips: Maximal ROM in any given direction of hip movements is
reached after 10-15 leg raises in a given direction; for developing
flexibility the total numbers of repetitions recommended per workout are
30-40 for flexion-extension of the thigh and the same for abduction of the
thigh; for maintaining flexibility 15-25 repetitions of leg raises per workout
are enough.
Trunk: Maximal ROM of the trunk (the joints of your vertebral column) in
flexion and extension is reached after 25-30 repetitions of dynamic trunk
stretches; for developing flexibility the total numbers of repetitions
recommended are 40-70 per workout; for maintaining flexibility 30-40
repetitions per workout are enough.
46
4. Static Active Stretching
It is difficult to develop static active flexibility to the level of your dynamic
or static passive flexibility. You have to learn how to relax stretched
muscles and you have to build up the strength of the muscles opposing them,
so that parts of your body can be held in extended positions. Although this
kind of flexibility requires isometric tensions to display it, you should also
use dynamic strength exercises for its development. In training to hold your
leg extended to the side, for example, keep raising and lowering it slowly in
one continuous motion. When you can do more than six repetitions, add
resistance (ankle weights, pulleys, or rubber bands). After dynamic strength
exercises, do a couple of static active stretches, holding the leg up for six
seconds or longer, then do static passive flexibility exercises like isometric
or relaxed stretches. Your static active flexibility depends on your static
passive flexibility and static strength.
Static active stretches that involve muscles of the back, such as leg
extensions and trunk exercises, compress the spine, squeeze intervertebral
discs, and may increase lordosis. This compression is especially harmful
because it occurs when the spine is already bent, or bent and twisted. To
minimize damage, do stretches such as forward bends and pelvic tilts
immediately after these exercises. These stretches will relieve spasms of
the back muscles and increase the amount of space between vertebrae.
47
Static active stretches and strength exercises
In the line drawings that follow, you will see examples of strength exercises
and static active stretches, each example followed by a photo of its result.
48
Leg flexion
Leg abduction
Leg extension
49
Hamstring and back stretch
Side bend
50
Trunk rotation
Back extension
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5. Isometric Stretching
In this chapter and in chapter 6, “Relaxed Stretching,” you will learn how to
develop static passive flexibility. Passive flexibility usually exceeds active
(static and dynamic) flexibility in the same joint. The greater this difference,
the greater the reserve tensility, or flexibility reserve, and the possibility of
increasing the amplitude of active movements. This difference diminishes in
training as your active flexibility improves. Doing static stretching alone
does not guarantee an increase of dynamic flexibility equal to the increase
of static flexibility.
Static flexibility may increase when your muscles are somewhat fatigued.
This is why you should do static stretching at the end of a workout.
52
high number of repetitions. Do these exercises slowly. Make full stops at the
beginning and at the end of each movement. You should do at least three
sets, with a minimum of 30 repetitions per set, exercising the muscles that
are most likely to be overstretched in your sport, or the ones that you intend
to stretch isometrically in the near future. Good results are also brought
about by doing long single sets of 100 to 200 repetitions.
You should do these high repetition exercises at the end of your strength
workouts, after the regular heavy weights/low repetition exercises. After
these high repetition exercises, you should do relaxed stretches for the same
muscles.
Be self-observant. Trial and error will teach you by what increments you
can increase resistance and how frequently you can work out without getting
sore. Muscle soreness is accompanied by loss of strength and by shortening
of the muscles—most pronounced on the second day after the overly
strenuous exercise (Clarkson et al. 1992). Those who exercise on a rigid
schedule—for example, every other day—despite being sore after the
previous workout may see their flexibility getting progressively worse
rather than better.
It is difficult to state how long you need to perform the high repetition
exercises after you have found out that your muscles are too weak for
isometrics. To find out, you have to periodically test the reaction of your
muscles to isometric stretches. If your muscles get sore, it means that they
are still too weak.
53
Russian researcher Matveev (Matveyev [Matveev] 1981) recommends
doing isometric exercises four times a week, ten to fifteen minutes per day,
using tensions lasting five to six seconds. The amount of tension should
increase gradually and reach a maximum by the third and fourth second. In
the particular case of isometric stretching you can hold the last tension,
applied at your maximal stretch, much longer, for up to thirty seconds or
sometimes even a few minutes. If you are just beginning isometric training,
you should start with mild tensions, lasting two to three seconds. Increase
the time and the intensity of tension as you progress. Any attempt to develop
strength by isometric exercises only may lead to a stagnation of strength in
only six to eight weeks. To develop exceptional strength as well as
flexibility, combine isometric stretches with dynamic strength exercises
such as lifting weights, using the same muscles. After a few weeks you may
hit a plateau—regulating the tension and length of muscles will stop
bringing any improvements in your stretches. Do not worry. Do your
exercises concentrating on the strength gains you will achieve. These gains
are shown by the increased time you can maintain a position, the amount of
weight you can support, or the ability to stand up (slide up, walk up) from
your attempts at splits. After some time, when your strength improves, you
will notice a great increase in your flexibility.
54
Several studies have been conducted to determine the number and frequency
of the isometric tensions needed for the greatest strength gain (keep in mind
that an increase of strength in isometric stretches means an increased length
of muscles). In one study (Hettinger and Müller 1953), subjects with once-
per-day sessions, using 66% of maximum contraction, had results equal to
subjects using 80% of maximum contraction performed five times per day.
Another study (Müller and Röhmert 1963) shows the greatest strength
development when using five to ten maximal contractions per day, five days
per week. Still other researchers (Fox 1979) report that using maximal
contractions every other day is best. Russian researcher Matveev
(Matveyev [Matveev] 1981) recommends doing isometrics four times a
week, using maximal tension held for five to six seconds, and repeating each
exercise three to five times. This is the method I followed because my body
responded to it well. You may need a different number, strength, and weekly
schedule of isometric tensions.
55
no isometric stretching, although I might do relaxed stretches after the
workout.
Thursday—day off
Sunday—day off
If you “listen” to your body, you will be able to find the combination of
exercises that works for you. For example, you may get best results doing
isometric stretches every other day, or every third day. Any muscle soreness
or pain is a signal to stop exercises. Do not resume your training if you feel
any discomfort or even a trace of pain.
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Isometric stretches
There are three methods of doing isometric stretches.
First method: Stretch the muscles (not maximally, though) and wait several
seconds until the mechanism regulating their length and tension readjusts,
then increase the stretch, wait again, and stretch again. When you cannot
stretch any more this way, apply short strong tensions, followed by quick
relaxations and immediate stretches (within the first second of relaxation) to
bring about further increases in muscle length. The force of these tensions is
from 50 to 100% of maximal voluntary contraction (Enoka et al. 1980).
Hold the last tension for up to 30 seconds.
Second method: Stretch as much as you can, tense the stretched muscles and
hold this stretched and tensed position until you get muscle spasms, then
decrease the stretch, then increase it, tense it, and so on. The last tension
should be held for up to five minutes. It makes some people scream.
Third method: This is the one I used to get the results shown in this book.
Stretch the muscles, but not to the maximum, then tense for three to five
seconds, then relax, and preferably within the first second and no later than
the fifth second, stretch again. Alternatively, prior to stretching, maximally
tense the muscles about to be stretched for a few seconds and then relax and
within the first second stretch them. At the near maximal stretch, tense again
for a few seconds to once again trigger the postcontractive stretch reflex
depression and lower resistance to a stretch. Stretch further and further until
you cannot increase the stretch.
Experiment to find out what strength and duration of the tension gives you
the most stretch upon relaxation. For the greatest effect during a stretch tense
the muscles opposing the stretched ones (Etnyre and Abraham 1986a). Some
stretches—for example, standing stretches for the legs—cannot be done in
this manner.
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Gradually, in the course of several workouts, increase the time of the last
tension to about 30 seconds. After a minute of rest, repeat the same stretch.
Do three to five repetitions of a whole stretch per workout.
No matter which method of isometric stretching you choose, when doing the
stretches, breathe naturally with deep and calm abdominal breaths. Inhale
prior to tensing, exhale or hold the breath during maximal tension, inhale at
the beginning of relaxation and, if convenient, exhale with further relaxation
and stretch. (Of course, if you tense much longer than your normal
exhalation, then you have to inhale and exhale several times during a
tension.) In some positions it may not be convenient to exhale while relaxing
and increasing the stretch between the tensions. In such cases inhale during
relaxation and stretching. During the last stretch, if you end it with the phase
of relaxation, try to exhale as you increase your range of motion.
***
Following are examples of isometric stretches for various parts of the body.
Don't make the mistake of thinking you are supposed to do all these stretches
(see the penultimate paragraph of chapter 2).
58
Neck
Turn your head to the side, block it with your hand, and try turning it back
against the resistance of your arm. Relax and turn further in the same
direction. Tense again. Hold the last tension for up to 30 seconds. Change
sides.
A stretch for muscles of the neck and the upper back: trapezius,
sternocleidomastoideus, splenius capitis et cervicis, rectus capitis posterior
major, semispinalis capitis et cervicis, obliquus capitis inferior, multifidus
cervicis
Lean your head toward the shoulder and block it with your arm. Tense the
stretched muscles of the neck as if you are trying to straighten your head.
Relax and bring it closer to the shoulder. Tense again. Hold the last tension
for up to 30 seconds. Change sides.
Forearm
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Bend your wrist. Hold your hand, tense, relax, flex more. Hold the last
tension for up to 30 seconds. Change hands.
A stretch for the flexors of the hand: flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus,
flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor digitorum sublimis, flexor digitorum profundus
Bend your wrist in the opposite direction. Tense, relax, flex again. Hold the
last tension for up to 30 seconds. Change hands.
A stretch for the extensors of the hand: extensor carpi radialis longus,
extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor digitorum communis, extensor carpi
ulnaris
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1. Hold the stick vertically in front of you. Tense the arm that holds the top
end, as if to pull the stick down. Relax and, to stretch the raised arm, push
the stick up with the arm that holds its bottom end. A stretch for the muscles
of shoulder, chest, and upper back: teres major, teres minor, deltoideus,
pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, rhomboideus, trapezius, latissimus dorsi
2. Starting from this position, bring the stick to the position behind your
back and tense all the stretched muscles. Relax, bringing the stick to the
front. Making your grip narrower, bring the stick to the back and tense again.
When the grip is so narrow that you cannot lower your arms any more, stop
and tense the stretched muscles for up to 30 seconds. This exercise stretches
the front of the arms, shoulders and the chest: brachioradialis, biceps
brachii, coracobrachialis, deltoideus, pectoralis major, pectoralis minor,
teres major, serratus anterior, subscapularis.
Caution: Do not force the stretch back beyond the point at which you can
61
still tense the stretched muscles. Forced stretching can damage the
shoulder joint capsule, which leads to shoulder instability and pain.
Outside rotation of your arms makes it easier to move them back or up. This
is similar to rotating the thighs outside when spreading your legs. Rotating
your arm externally makes the greater tuberosity of the humerus pass behind
the acromion (a bone on top of the shoulder) instead of hitting it, so you can
move the arm further back or up. Stretch both arms together so movements
of your spine do not compensate for the range of movement in the shoulder
girdle as they would in a single-arm stretch.
3. Change the grip. Twist the stick. Tense your upper back, shoulders and
triceps. Relax. Move your hands further apart on the stick. Twist it again and
tense the stretched muscles. Hold the last tension for up to 30 seconds. A
stretch for the muscles of the upper back: trapezius, rhomboideus, latissimus
dorsi
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latissimus dorsi, teres major, supraspinatus
If you let the bungee cord pull your arm to the limit of its outward rotation
and tense from there, your tension can be used to override the stretch reflex
(postcontractive stretch reflex depression) and so let you stretch the muscles
that resist outward rotation of the shoulder. To stretch, first tense very hard
in the position near the limit of the motion, then relax and within the first
second of that relaxation let your arm be pulled or rotated further. Then you
can repeat the cycle of tension and relaxation until you can't stretch any
more. You can apply this type of stretching, which simultaneously
strengthens muscles in the extreme range of motion, in other movements in
the shoulder and in other joints.
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Inward (internal) rotation of the arm with a bungee cord starting from a
position of nearly maximal outward (external) rotation (top drawing).
This exercise should be balanced with outward (external) rotation of the
arm (bottom drawing).
Legs
To do a side split from a standing position, flex your hips and knees in the
same way and at least as much as when you are sitting on a low chair. This
is similar to the so-called horse-riding stance. Your thighs should be
parallel to the floor at any width, toes point forward, and chest up. At the
beginning of a side split attempt, while you are standing in the horse-riding
stance, your buttocks should be at the same level as your knees.
64
Inner thigh stretches. From this horse-riding stance, tense the inside of your
thighs as if trying to “pinch” or squeeze the floor between your feet. Relax
and spread your legs further. Keep repeating this cycle of tension and
relaxation until you cannot lower yourself any more without pain. Hold the
last tension for up to 30 seconds. When doing this exercise do not support
yourself with your arms. Get out of the stretch without using your arms. This
is a stretch for muscles of the inner thigh: adductor magnus, adductor brevis,
adductor longus, gracilis, pectineus.
If you are a properly trained athlete you should not have any difficulty
standing in a low horse-riding stance. After all, stances similar to it are
encountered in many sports, for example, wrestling, weightlifting,
volleyball, skiing, karate, basketball—just to name a few.
If you find this stance difficult, then gradually develop the flexibility and
strength of your thighs, hips, and lower back in the horse-riding stance. Start
high and with feet only shoulder-width apart and gradually progress lower
and then wider. Keep your toes pointing straight ahead—if you let your toes
point to the sides as you widen the stance you will be grinding your knee
cartilage (specifically the medial menisci). At all stages (heights, widths)
you must be able to do deep and calm abdominal breathing. If you rush and
progress to wider and deeper stances before becoming comfortable at the
current stage, you may hurt your knees, subluxate or lock your sacrum, and
get lower back and neck pains. Bones of the pelvis—the innominate bones,
sacrum, and coccyx—move in relation to each other in concert with phases
of breathing (Walther 2000). (Yes, they move, even though medical students
are often taught that there is no movement in the sacroiliac joint.) The
muscles that stabilize the pelvis or cross the sacroiliac joint should not be
kept tensed hard in positions or at a time when that would interfere with
65
those movements.
You are ready to do an isometric side-split stretch when you can stand
comfortably at least a couple of minutes in a horse-riding stance twice as
wide as your shoulders with your thighs parallel to the floor.
To get from this position to the full side split should take you about one
month. At this stage people with weak knees may experience problems. In
such cases, strength exercises for the muscles stabilizing the knees will
help.
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Another version of the inner thigh stretch. Gradually increase the height of
the support or the distance from the supporting leg to the support. In the
latter case, use something stable and not too high—for example, a pile of
gymnastic pads—as your support.
A full side split. Spend 30 seconds or more in this position tensing the
inside of your thighs. Try lifting yourself off the floor by the sheer strength
of your legs. Eventually you should be able to slide up from the split to a
standing position without using your arms. Then you can try a full side split
in suspension.
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An exercise for a different kind of a side split—a side split with toes
pointing upward. This is a stretch for the muscles of the inner thigh:
adductor magnus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, gracilis, pectineus; and
muscles of the buttocks: gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
Two more versions of the previous stretch. Tense the muscles that feel
stretched and relax them to increase the angle between your legs. Keep
repeating this cycle of tension and relaxation until you cannot stretch any
more without pain.
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A side split with toes pointing upward
Caution: A loss of balance may put your muscles out of commission for a
year or more. Your first attempts should be done on objects low enough
so that you can rest on the floor without tearing the muscles should you
happen to lose your balance.
Side splits are not difficult. Anybody with normal range of motion in the
joints of the hips and lower back can do them once learning the correct hip-
pelvis alignment and with a little strength training of the adductors.
Weakness of the adductors is the main obstacle to doing side splits. Weak
adductors tense very strongly when you try to spread your legs in the
straddle stance. The stronger they are the less tension, pain, and resistance
there is while spreading your legs all the way to the floor. Generally the
stronger the muscle the less activation it needs to support any given load
69
(deVries 1980).
To balance stretches for the side split, which stressed the thigh adductors
and internal rotators, do the following stretches for the muscles moving the
thigh away from the body (thigh abductors) and muscles turning the thigh
outward (external rotators of the thigh).
70
Outer thigh and hip stretches. Bring one leg across your center line. Tense
the muscles of your outer thigh and hip as if you wanted to move your thigh
up and out, then relax and bring the leg further across and down to feel more
stretch. To feel the stretch mainly in the outer part of buttocks, bring the thigh
up toward your chest. To stretch the front-outer hip (more stretch on the
tensor fasciae latae), point the thigh down. These are stretches for muscles
abducting the thigh: gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus,
tensor fasciae latae, piriformis.
A stretch for muscles rotating the thigh outward. Bend your knee and turn
your thigh and foot inward. Grab your thigh just above the knee and hold as
you try to turn your thigh outward. Relax and turn your thigh (and your foot)
more inward. This is a stretch for external rotators of the thigh (the muscles
that limit its internal rotation): piriformis, obturatorius internus, obturatorius
externus (only up to 40º of internal rotation of the thigh), quadratus femoris,
pectineus (only up to 40º of internal rotation of the thigh), gluteus maximus,
gluteus medius (posterior fibers), gluteus minimus (posterior fibers).
71
athletes, wrestlers (especially judoka and sambo wrestlers), and martial
artists.
Tense the muscles that bring your thigh forward and straighten your knee.
Relax, stretch, tense again. Hold the last tension for up to 30 seconds.
Change sides. These are stretches both for the muscles that bring the thigh up
and forward (hip flexors), for example, in running, and for the muscles that
straighten the knee: iliacus, psoas major, pectineus, obturatorius internus,
adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, gracilis, quadriceps
(rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius),
sartorius, gluteus minimus, tensor fasciae latae.
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Calf stretches. Grab and pull your toes toward yourself. Point your foot
forward against the resistance of your arms. Relax, pull the toes closer to
yourself and start pointing the foot forward again. Hold the last tension for
up to 30 seconds. Change legs. These are stretches for muscles of the calf:
gastrocnemius, soleus, plantaris, flexor hallucis longus, tibialis posterior,
flexor digitorum longus, peroneus longus, peroneus brevis. If you do these
stretches with your knee bent, you stretch the soleus and with the knee
straight you stretch both the soleus and gastrocnemius.
To strengthen and stretch muscles of the calf that limit the dorsiflexion of the
ankle, as well as all muscles of your thighs and buttocks, do deep squats
with feet kept flat on the ground. Do not bounce, just go down as low as
possible and then raise up, tensing the stretched muscles. Do front and side
lunges in the same fashion. If you cannot squat with your feet fully on the
floor, it means that your soleus is too short. The remedy is to do increasingly
deep squats or to do the calf stretches shown above.
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Hamstring stretches. Using one of the positions shown above, stretch your
hamstring by decreasing the angle between your thigh and your trunk (in the
sitting stretch) or increasing the angle between your thighs (in the standing
and in lying stretches). Keep your spine straight to stretch your hamstrings
and not your lower back and tilt your pelvis forward (push buttocks to the
rear) to feel more stretch. Tense the hamstring as if to bring it back down,
and then relax it. Pull your leg toward yourself, or if using a support, move
the supporting leg further back. Tense again, relax and stretch more. Hold
the last tension for up to 30 seconds. Change the leg. These are stretches for
hamstrings, buttocks, and some of the pelvic muscles: biceps femoris,
semimembranosus, semitendinosus, adductor magnus, gluteus maximus,
gluteus medius (posterior fibers), gluteus minimus (posterior fibers),
piriformis.
To increase the range of forward flexion in your hips and at the same time
to strengthen muscles of the lower back, buttocks, and hamstrings do
“good mornings” and stiff-leg deadlifts. Use weights light enough to let
you move through the full range of motion.
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Pinch the floor, tensing the hamstring of your front leg, your quadriceps and
the so-called runner's muscles of the rear leg. Relax and lower your hips.
Tense again. Hold the last tension for up to 30 seconds. Change sides. These
are stretches for muscles of the thighs, buttocks, and pelvis: iliacus, psoas
major, quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus
intermedius), sartorius, adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis,
gracilis, pectineus, tensor fasciae latae, obturatorius internus, gluteus
maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus.
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Full front split in suspension
76
exercises such as adductor flyes and adductor pulldowns (shown on the
video Secrets of Stretching available from Stadion Publishing).
Trunk
Following are stretches for track and field athletes (throwers), wrestlers,
judoka, gymnasts, dancers, and tennis players.
Side bends. Do not twist or lean forward. Move only to the side. Tense the
stretched side as if to straighten up, relax and try leaning further to the side.
Hold the last tension for up to 30 seconds. Change sides. These are stretches
for muscles of the side of the abdomen and of the back: quadratus
lumborum, longissimus dorsi, iliocostalis, obliquus abdominis externus,
obliquus abdominis internus, psoas major.
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Lower back and hamstring stretches. Grab your legs and tense your back as
if trying to straighten up. Relax, lean forward, and tense again. Hold the last
tension for up to 30 seconds. To feel the stretch in the muscles of your back,
round it slightly. Keeping your back straight stretches mostly your
hamstrings.
These are stretches for the muscles of the back, buttocks, and hamstrings:
longissimus dorsi, iliocostalis, multifidus, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius,
adductor magnus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus,
piriformis, and muscles of the calves.
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Trunk rotations. Twist (rotate) your trunk and grab your foot or put your
hands on the ground. Tense the stretched muscles of your trunk, relax, and
twist further. Tense again, relax, stretch and hold the last tension for up to 30
seconds. Change sides. These are stretches for muscles of the back and the
abdomen: semispinalis, multifidus, transversospinalis, obliquus abdominis
externus, obliquus abdominis internus.
Abdomen stretch. Tense your abdomen as if trying to pull your hips forward
and down. Relax, lower your hips, and tense again. Hold the last tension for
up to 30 seconds. This is a stretch for the front of the abdomen, muscles on
the front of the spine and the inside of the pelvis: rectus abdominis, obliquus
abdominis externus, obliquus abdominis internus, quadratus lumborum,
iliacus, psoas major, psoas minor.
A more intense version of the previous stretch also affecting the front of the
thighs. Usually your lower back will get very tense while you do these
abdomen stretches. You can even get cramps. To relax the back, do the
following “counterstretch,” which you can do without tensing.
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Recap
Isometric stretches are strenuous exercises requiring adequate rest between
applications. For best results, supplement them with dynamic strength
exercises as described in subchapter “When you are not ready for
isometrics.” In the workout, all dynamic exercises must precede the
isometrics with few exceptions. (One example of an exception: You can
include isometric tension involving multiple joints before speed-strength
actions because such tensions can act as a stimulating factor [Gullich and
Schmidtbleicher 1996; Siff and Verkhoshansky 1999]. If you elect to do this,
the isometric tension has to be done in a position similar to that in which the
maximal force is to be generated in the following speed-strength action.)
You should do the isometric stretches after all the dynamic exercises rather
than before because of the adverse effect on coordination that isometrics
have.
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6. Relaxed Stretching
Relaxed stretches are yet another means of developing static passive
flexibility. Although much slower than isometric stretches, relaxed stretches
have some advantages over isometrics. They do not cause fatigue and you
can do them when you are tired. Problems are unlikely. There are two major
drawbacks: your muscular strength in extended positions for all practical
purposes does not increase as a result of relaxed stretching; and relaxed
stretches are very slow. The same person who, in using isometrics, gets into
a full side split in 30 seconds without a warm-up may take up to ten minutes
of relaxed stretching (with no warm-up) to get to this same level. Within a
couple of months of doing relaxed stretches this time gets shorter. After
some more months it may take you from one to two minutes to do a full split.
(With a good warm-up, of course, you can do it at once.)
In doing these stretches, assume positions that let you relax all your muscles.
This is the opposite of what you do in isometric stretches. Some isometric
stretches are done in positions designed to maximally tense the stretched
muscles—for example, by placing your weight on them as in side and front
split stretches. In relaxed stretching you want as little weight on your
muscles as possible. In splits, lean the body forward and support it with
your arms. Relax completely. Think about slowly relaxing all your muscles.
Do not think about anything energetic or unpleasant. Look in the direction of
the stretch and breathe calmly, with deep abdominal breaths.
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you will stretch and see further at inhalation. If during the same twist you
look down (tip your head down), you will stretch and see further at
exhalation.
Relaxing into a stretch, at some point you will feel resistance. Wait in that
position patiently and after a while you will notice that you can slide into a
new range of stretch. After reaching the greatest possible stretch (greatest at
this stage of training), hold it; feel the mild tension in stretched muscles. Get
out of the stretch after spending about 30 seconds in the final position. You
can stay in the stretch longer—a minute or two—but for increasing the range
of motion the most effective duration of relaxed stretches is 30 seconds
(Bandy and Irion 1994), and the most effective frequency is once per day
(Bandy et al. 1997). Do not stay in a stretch until you get muscle spasms.
You can repeat the stretch after a minute.
***
Following are examples of relaxed stretches for various parts of the body.
Don't make the mistake of thinking you are supposed to do all these stretches
(see the penultimate paragraph of chapter 2).
Relaxed stretches
Most of the following relaxed stretches look similar to the isometric
stretches for the same muscles. The difference is that in the relaxed stretches
the stretched muscles are not tensed to override the stretch reflex. In relaxed
stretches, you pull gently and continuously on the stretched (and relaxed)
body part, unlike in isometric stretches in which you pull strongly against
the alternately tensed and relaxed muscles.
Neck
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Put your hand on your cheek or your chin. Turn your head to the side. Gently
pull with your hand to increase the range of motion.
Put your hand on the side of your head. Lean your head toward the shoulder.
Gently pull with your hand to increase the stretch.
Forearm
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Bend your wrist, gently pulling with your other hand to increase the stretch.
A stretch for the flexors of the hand: flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus,
flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor digitorum sublimis, flexor digitorum profundus
Bend your wrist in the opposite direction, gently pulling with your other
hand to increase the stretch.
A stretch for the extensors of the hand: extensor carpi radialis longus,
extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor digitorum communis, extensor carpi
ulnaris
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Hold the stick vertically in front of you. Relax the raised arm, and to stretch
it, push the stick up with the arm that holds its bottom end.
A stretch for the muscles of shoulder, chest, and upper back: teres major,
teres minor, deltoideus, pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, rhomboideus,
trapezius, latissimus dorsi
Bring the stick to the position behind your back, using the narrowest grip
possible. Do not force the stretch beyond the sensation of a pleasant stretch.
A stretch for muscles of the front of the arms, shoulders, and the chest:
biceps brachii, brachioradialis, coracobrachialis, deltoideus, pectoralis
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major, serratus anterior, subscapularis
You can stretch the same muscles doing this stretch. Note the outside
rotation of the arm, which makes it easier to move the arm back or up.
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This is another form of the upper back stretch. Crawl your hands on your
back as far as you can.
Grab your hands behind your back. If you cannot, use a piece of rope or a
stick to crawl your hands toward each other. In turns, pull down the upper
hand, then pull up the lower hand to feel a good stretch.
Remember that stretching both your arms together eliminates the influence of
movement in the spine on the range of motion in your shoulder girdle.
Legs
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Place your leg on any support. Either lean toward this leg or move the other
leg away from the support if this support is stable enough.
Stretches for muscles of the inner thigh: adductor magnus, adductor brevis,
adductor longus, gracilis, pectineus
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Stretch the muscles of both your inner thighs in this position. Shift your
weight between your legs and arms to get the best stretch. When your legs
tense, help them relax by putting most of your weight on your arms. When
the legs relax, slide into a greater stretch by shifting your weight back.
Here is one more, even milder inner thigh stretch. Sit down, bend your
knees and pull your feet together. Now, lower the thighs using only the
strength of the muscles that abduct and rotate them externally. Do not push
with your hands.
Stretches for muscles of the inner thigh: adductor magnus, adductor brevis,
adductor longus, gracilis, pectineus
To balance stretches for the side split (stretches for the thigh adductors and
internal rotators), do the following stretches for the thigh abductors and the
external rotators of the thigh.
Outer thigh and hip stretches. Bring one leg across your center line to feel
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a stretch in your outer thigh and hip. To stretch the front-outer hip (more
stretch on the tensor fasciae latae), point the thigh down. To feel the stretch
mainly in the outer part of buttocks, bring the thigh up toward your chest. A
stretch for muscles abducting the thigh: gluteus minimus, gluteus medius,
gluteus maximus, tensor fasciae latae, piriformis
Stretches for muscles rotating the thigh outward. Standing upright bend
your knee and turn your thigh and foot inward. Alternatively, you can stretch
the same muscles while sitting with legs bent at the knees and feet about
shoulder width apart. Lean back a little and support your trunk with your
arms by placing your hands on the floor behind your hips. Attempt to touch
the floor between your legs with the knee. These are stretches for external
rotators of the thigh (the muscles that limit its internal rotation): piriformis,
obturatorius internus, obturatorius externus (only up to 40° of internal
rotation of the thigh), quadratus femoris, pectineus (only up to 40° of
internal rotation of the thigh), gluteus maximus, gluteus medius (posterior
fibers), gluteus minimus (posterior fibers).
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Calf stretches. Pull your toes toward yourself. Feel the stretching in the
muscles of the calf: gastrocnemius, soleus, plantaris, flexor hallucis longus,
tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, peroneus longus, peroneus
brevis.
Hamstring stretches. Using any of the above shown positions, stretch your
hamstrings. Keep your back straight to make sure you stretch mainly the
hamstrings. Tilt your pelvis forward (push buttocks to the rear) to feel more
stretch.
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Muscles stretched: biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus,
adductor magnus, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, piriformis
Front of the thigh stretches. These are stretches for the muscles of the front
of the thigh and the so-called runner's muscles (hip flexors) originating
inside the pelvis and in front of the spine: iliacus, psoas major, rectus
femoris, quadriceps (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius),
sartorius, adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, gracilis,
pectineus, tensor fasciae latae, obturatorius internus, gluteus minimus.
Sit in the front split. Lean your trunk forward and backward to stretch all the
muscles of the thigh, buttocks, and pelvis.
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Muscles stretched: iliacus, psoas major, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis,
vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, sartorius, adductor magnus, adductor
longus, adductor brevis, gracilis, pectineus, tensor fasciae latae,
obturatorius internus, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus,
biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, piriformis
Trunk
Side bends. Bend your trunk to the side. Do not twist or lean your trunk
forward.
These are stretches for the muscles of the back and the side of the abdomen:
quadratus lumborum, longissimus dorsi, iliocostalis, obliquus abdominis
internus, obliquus abdominis externus, psoas major.
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Trunk rotations. Rotate your trunk as far as it takes to feel a mild stretch.
You can increase the stretch and help yourself keep it by putting your hand
on your leg or on the floor.
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Abdomen stretches. These stretches are for the front of your abdomen and
the muscles on the front of the spine and the inside of the pelvis: rectus
abdominis, obliquus abdominis externus, obliquus abdominis internus,
quadratus lumborum, iliacus, psoas major, psoas minor.
Lower back stretches. Stretch as much as it takes to relax the muscles of the
back and not stretch its ligaments. Stretching the ligaments of the back
weakens it. This is why you will not see here a relaxed stretch for the back
in a standing position. The weight of the upper body hanging on your
rounded and relaxed spine can stretch its ligaments. In the sitting stretch, to
feel stretching in the muscles of your back, round it slightly. In the sitting
stretch, keeping your back straight stretches mostly your hamstring.
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7. Sample Workout Plans
Here you get examples of how to choose exercises depending on the task of
your workout and when to do them in the course of the workout. You will
find several sport disciplines listed. Each is represented by one workout
with the task common for that discipline.
In the following examples you will see only the flexibility exercises related
to the task of the workout. The exercises of the main part of the workout are
not shown.
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Discipline: Gymnastics. Task of the workout: The development of
flexibility and the perfection of the handstand (a task usually realized with
children nine to ten years old)
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Discipline: Kickboxing. Task of the workout: The high roundhouse kick
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Discipline: Judo. Task of the workout: Teaching O-Soto-Gari (big outside
sweep)
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Discipline: Bodybuilding. Task of the workout: Developing strength in the
upper back, chest, forearms and lower legs
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Discipline: Swimming. Task of the workout: Speed in the butterfly stroke
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8. All the Whys of Stretching
In this chapter, you will learn the whys of flexibility and stretching. This
method of developing flexibility works for you regardless of whether or not
you understand its physiological basis, as long as you do the exercises
exactly as prescribed in chapters 1-6. Nevertheless, the more you know, the
better your choice of exercises and the greater the likelihood of getting the
results you want. Information—good information!—also gives you the basis
for countering bad advice you may receive. Note this well: Mental rigidity
—the inability to abandon fixed ideas while solving problems, a sign of low
intelligence—is usually accompanied by a low level of physical flexibility
—perhaps due to the connection between flexibility and coordination
(Matveyev [Matveev] 1981). Coordination is considered a motor
expression of intellect (Wazny 1981a).
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Poor flexibility of some muscles may contribute to injuries in some
activities or sports. For example, in a study by Witvrouw et al. (2001)
athletes with patellar tendinitis (jumper's knee) tended to have lower
flexibility of their quadriceps (range of motion 86.0° [standard deviation
12.4°]) than athletes without patellar tendinitis (132.6° [standard deviation
14.9°]). In the case of rowing, hamstrings too short to permit as much
anterior rotation of the pelvis as it takes to keep the lumbar spine from
flexing more than 50% of its maximum range of flexion at the catch phase of
the rowing stroke contribute to hypermobility of the lumbar spine (Reid and
McNair 2000). Hypermobility of the lumbar spine correlates strongly with
low back pain in rowers (Howell 1984). Increasing hamstring flexibility
lowered the number of overuse injuries of lower limbs in military basic
training (Hartig and Henderson 1999).
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Flexibility increases during excitement (Wazny 1981b).
Some motor qualities are inborn, such as speed; others, such as balance,
have to be developed at a certain age to reach an exceptional level.
Flexibility is like strength and endurance, however, in that it can be brought
to high levels by anybody and at any time in a person's life as long as the
joint surfaces permit normal mobility (Wazny 1981b). Ozolin, a renowned
Russian authority on sports training, says, “Flexibility improves from day to
day, strength from week to week, speed from month to month, endurance
from year to year” (Ozolin 1971). Outside of pathological cases,
exceptional flexibility is not inborn and requires work. If a more than
natural range of motion is needed—for example, more than 50 degrees of
turn-out (external rotation) in a hip joint, which is desired in ballet—then it
may be necessary to elongate ligaments of the joint (Reid 1988). The earlier
one starts flexibility exercises the easier it is to stretch the ligaments of the
hip. In the case of the hip joint, it is best to start before the age of 11, before
the angulation of the neck of the thigh bone becomes stable and before the
ligaments become stronger and tighter (Ryan and Stephens 1988). By the
way, researchers, some using X-rays, have found that dancers' unusually
large range of external rotation in the hip joint is due to stretched-out
ligaments and not to an abnormal shape of their thigh bone, i.e., femoral
retroversion (Reid 1988).
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For resistance exercises to increase flexibility, they have to be performed
along the same path as the movement in which the increase of range of
motion is sought, with the muscles that limit the range of motion overcoming
resistance when stretched in every repetition. Resistance exercises for
increasing flexibility have to look like stretches, in other words, but with the
active movement done in the opposite direction and against resistance. The
amount of resistance must be such as to permit the full range of motion in
most repetitions of the exercise, of course. For example, to increase
shoulder flexibility, do strength exercises from a stretched position, with
resistance light enough to stretch the exercised muscles without danger of
overstretching or of wrenching the shoulder (Platonov and Fesenko 1990).
Resistance exercises may cause loss of flexibility if the
Even static passive stretches done for 30 seconds before and after the
resistance exercises may not offset this effect, as shown in the elderly by
Girouard and Hurley (1995).
Not all athletes can always lift weights or run with long strides to move
their legs through a full range of motion, though. At some stages of training,
these exercises can interfere with the development of their sport-specific
form. Properly chosen stretching exercises are less time- and energy-
consuming than such indirect methods as lifting weights or running.
Apart from increasing the range of movement in your joints, stretching has
other functions in your workout. At the beginning of the workout, some
dynamic stretches can be good warm-up exercises. At the end of it, as a part
of the cool-down, stretching facilitates recovery. It regulates muscular
tension and relieves muscle spasms (deVries 1961). After stretching, blood
flow in muscles is improved.
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Anatomy, physiology, and flexibility
Skeletal muscle consists of many muscle fibers (cells) arranged in parallel
bundles. Muscle cells can grow in diameter by increasing the thickness and
number of myofibrils, and in length by forming additional sarcomeres—the
contractile elements of a muscle cell, lined end to end within each
myofibril. Muscle cells have the ability to contract, and if relaxed, are very
extensible. When a muscle contracts, two kinds of protein (actin and
myosin) in the sarcomeres of its cells slide along one another. In the body, a
muscle can be contracted to 70% or stretched to 130% of its normal resting
length (Vander, Sherman, and Luciano 2001). “Normal resting length” is the
length that the muscle takes up in the body in a typical resting attitude.
Outside the body, the muscle can be contracted to 60% of its length and
stretched more than 130%. As a muscle is stretched beyond its resting
length, its force of contraction gradually drops, nearing zero at 200% of
resting length (Wilmore and Costill 1999). Muscle contracts with greatest
force at its normal resting length.
Exercises in which muscles tense as they are being stretched, for example,
eccentric tensions and contract-relax stretches, cause changes in the muscle
fibers that indicate an addition of new sarcomeres and thus lengthening the
muscle fibers (Fridén 1984; Handel et al. 1997; Lieber and Fridén 2000).
So far, the actual increase in the serial sarcomere number has been shown in
rats that did eccentric exercise (Lieber and Fridén 2000).
Research suggests that the bigger the muscles around a joint, the greater is
the passive resistance to movement throughout the range of motion
(Magnusson et al. 1997; Chleboun et al. 1997). This passive resistance can
be decreased very effectively by continuous movements, such as dynamic
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stretches or resistance exercises done throughout the full range of motion
(McNair et al. 2001; McNair and Stanley 1996; Wilson et al. 1992).
Resistance training of calf muscles (resistance 70% of 1RM, 5 sets of 10
reps for 8 weeks) without stretching, for example, increases passive
resistance to movement throughout the range of motion, but adding static
stretching avoids this increase (Kubo et al. 2002a). Isometric strength
exercises, if they are the sole mode of strength training, increase the
hamstring's passive resistance throughout the range of motion, even when
done together with passive static stretches (Klinge et al. 1997). A rational
strength training is never limited to a single type of exercise, however, so
this effect of isometric exercises (detrimental for some athletes) is offset by
the influence of all the other types of exercises. For example, stretching and
doing resistance exercises throughout the full range of motion lowers the
stiffness of muscle-tendon unit (Wilson et al. 1992).
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Collagen fibers surrounding muscle fibers at their junction with the
tendon
The stiffer the tendons, the better use of elastic energy in stretch-shorten
cycle movements, provided you have the required range of motion (Kubo et
al. 1999). If your range of motion is less than that required for taking full
advantage of the stretch-shorten cycle, then it may be beneficial for you to
increase the range of motion at the cost of lowering the stiffness of involved
muscles and tendons (Wilson et al. 1992). Doing dynamic resistance
training together with static stretching gives the benefits of increased tendon
stiffness and increased reuse of elastic energy in a stretch-shorten cycle,
without changing or increasing the passive resistance to the stretch (Kubo et
al. 2002a).
Isometric strength training increases the stiffness of tendons and the longer
the isometric contractions the greater the increase in stiffness (Kubo et al.
2001b; Kubo et al. 2001a).
You can permanently elongate tendons and connective tissue sheaths, with
minimal structural weakening by low-force but long-duration stretching with
temperatures of the tendons at more than 103°F. To increase the amount of
permanent elongation, you maintain this stretch while tendons and sheaths
cool down. This fits the description of a relaxed stretch done after the main
part of your workout during the cool-down, with this qualifier: the stretch
must be at the range of motion at which muscle fibers pose less resistance
than the fibrous connective tissue.
The ligaments holding your joints together are made primarily of collagen
fibers. They have more elastic fibers, made of the protein elastin, than do
tendons. Stretching ligaments leads to loose-jointedness and can be
effectively applied only with children. In adults, an age-related increase in
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the rigidity of collagen fibers makes any stretches aimed at elongating
ligaments hazardous. When children stretch ballistically or statically, their
muscles do not contract as strongly as an adult's, and their softer ligaments
can be stretched (Raczek 1991). If a ligament is stretched more than six
percent of its normal length, it tears. There is no need to stretch ligaments to
perform even the most spectacular gymnastic or karate techniques. The
normal range of motion is sufficient. Stretching ligaments destabilizes joints
and thus may cause osteoarthritis (Beighton et al. 1983).
One can have tight ligaments and good muscle flexibility or loose
ligaments and poor muscle flexibility (Krivickas and Feinberg
1996).
Front split. If the angle between the front and rear leg is less than 180
degrees with the front leg straight, flex the knee of your front leg and see
what happens.
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Deep lunge. The knee of the front leg is flexed and the angle between
thighs is 180 degrees.
If you started to stretch past the age when elongating ligaments was feasible,
you probably have difficulty touching the ground with the front thigh of the
rear leg in this split. What keeps you from doing this is usually not a muscle,
but a ligament (lig. iliofemorale) running in front of your hip joint. It is
tightened by an extension of the hip (posterior tilting of the pelvis or moving
the thigh to the back while keeping the pelvis straight). Flexing the hip
(tilting the pelvis forward or moving the thigh to the front) relaxes this
ligament. To achieve a nice, flat front split you need to stretch the hamstring
of the front leg and the muscles of the lower back so you can tilt the pelvis
forward while keeping the trunk upright.
To make sure that the muscles (hip flexors) pulling your thigh forward are
not exceptionally short, do this test: Lie on a table, on your back, with your
lower legs hanging over the edge. Pull one leg, with its knee flexed, toward
your chest. Keep your back flat on the table. If the other leg, left lying on the
table, is lifted by this movement before the angle between your thighs
reaches 120 degrees, your iliopsoas (hip flexor) needs some stretching.
Side split. A person unable to do a complete split can bring one of the thighs
into the position it would have in relation to the hip in the split, or at least
get it much closer to this position than when spreading both legs at the same
time. No muscles run from one leg to another. If you can do one half of the
split, only the reflexive contraction of the muscles (and not the ligaments, or
the muscles' connective tissue sheaths) prevents you from doing a complete
split with equal ease. People with thick thigh bones and large and broad
pelvises may not have enough range of motion in the hip joint to position
their leg as shown in the following test and so cannot do a complete side
split (Kapandji 1987).
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If you think that the structure of your hips will not let you do side splits,
try this test. The leg resting on the chair is in the position it would have in
a split.
The amount of outside rotation of the femur in the hip decides the quality of
your side split (Kushner et al. 1990). This rotation is limited by the length of
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the ligaments of your hip joints, by the muscles that rotate the thigh inside,
and in a few cases by the configuration of thigh bones.
Normally adductors pull the thigh inward and rotate it outward, but if the
thigh is rotated outward as much as it takes to do a side split or a first ballet
position, adductors also help to rotate it inward (Geselevich 1976), which
means that, in addition to being stretched by abduction, adductors are also
stretched by extreme outside rotation and can thus limit this rotation.
Note that in doing a side split you not only spread your legs sideways, but
also you tilt your pelvis forward (the same way as when you lean forward
so your trunk is parallel to the floor, pushing your buttocks to the rear) and
rotate your thighs outward.
In a side split with the feet pointing up, you tilt your pelvis a little but rotate
the thighs maximally outward. In a side split with the feet pointing forward,
you tilt your pelvis strongly forward, and your thighs rotate outward as they
are spread apart. The alignment of the hips and thighs in both types of the
side split is the same. You cannot do this split without some combination of
rotating your thighs outward and tilting your pelvis forward. Spreading the
legs without these additional movements twists and tightens the ligaments of
the hip and jams the tops of the necks of your thigh bones against the
cartilage collar (labrum acetabulare) at the upper edge of your hip socket.
It may also—if the angle between the neck and the shaft of the thigh bone is
less than 125° (coxa vara)—jam the greater trochanters against the hip bone
above the joint socket. Stretching the ligaments at the front and bottom of the
hip joint (iliofemoral and pubofemoral ligaments) lets the head of the thigh
bone slip partially downward out of the joint socket during abduction. This
permits a greater angle of abduction before the neck of the thighbone
contacts the upper edge of the joint socket (Ciszek and Smigielski 1997).
The downside is a less stable hip joint.
This jamming of either the neck of the thigh into the cartilage or, in
the case of people with coxa vara, of the greater trochanters against
the hip bones is the cause of pain and limits sideways movement in
both the side split and the raising side kick.
The forward tilt of the pelvis (hip flexion) unwinds all capsular ligaments
of the hip, among them the pubofemoral ligament, which resists abduction
and outward rotation, and the iliofemoral ligament, which resists outward
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rotation (Kapandji 1987). Both the tilt and the outward rotation of the thigh
reposition the socket of the hip joint in relation to the neck of the thigh bone
so the brim of the joint cavity is faced with the flat frontal surface of the
thigh-neck (the neck of the thigh bone is flattened front-to-back) and the
greater trochanter faces the space behind the joint socket (Ciszek and
Smigielski 1997). See figures 4-6 in Appendix A. (A similar ease-of-
movement technique happens in the shoulder joint—you can move your arm
a little further up sideways without moving your shoulder blade if you rotate
your arm outward so the greater tuberosity of the arm bone does not hit the
acromion or the ligament that stretches between the acromion and coracoid
process.)
To sum it all up, you cannot do the side split without combining the
outward rotation of your thighs with a forward tilt of your pelvis.
And yes, there are people whose hip joints may not have enough
range in these motions to permit doing a side split. Those are the
people with thick thigh bones and large and broad pelvises
(Kapandji 1987).
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In the examples of joint mobility tests (in chapter 8, “All the Whys of
Stretching”), relieving the tension of the muscles around the joint increases
its range of motion. If you can perform these tests of joint structure and
ligament length, this means that only muscular tension prevents you from
doing splits. Muscular tension has two components: the tension actively
generated by the contractile elements of stimulated muscle fibers; and the
passive tension present even in an inactive, denervated muscle, due mainly
to the connective tissues associated with the muscle and, to a much lesser
degree, the microstructure of myofibrils (resting tension). Some authors (M.
J. Alter, H. A. deVries, S. A. Sölveborn) declare the connective tissue
tension to be the main factor restricting flexibility. They advocate slow
static stretching, even in a warm-up, as if muscles were pieces of fabric to
be elongated to a desired size. In the muscle stretched to well over 100% of
its resting length, however, the resting tension is a small fraction of the
tension due to active contraction. Eventually, at approximately 120% of a
muscle's resting length, the two components of muscle tension contribute
about equally to total tension (Schottelius and Senay 1956). (Remember that
130% of resting length is usually the maximum stretch of a muscle in the
body.) At greater lengths the resting (passive) tension increases while the
active tension, generated by contracting muscle fibers, decreases.
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Long-term studies are similarly ambiguous. Magnusson et al. (1996b)
conclude that three weeks of slow static stretching of hamstring muscles
increased range of motion as “a consequence of increased stretch tolerance
[a neural factor] . . . rather than a change in mechanical or viscoelastic
properties of the muscle” because the passive resistance to stretch did not
change. Also similar was the conclusion of Halbertsma and Goeken (1994)
after four weeks of passive static stretching of hamstrings. In contrast, Kubo
et al. (2002b) concluded that three weeks of static passive stretching of the
calf muscles lowered passive resistance to stretch by affecting the
connective tissue in the muscle. Three weeks of stretching the calves using
the contract-relax method also resulted in lowering the passive resistance to
stretch in an experiment by Toft et al. (1989). Wilson et al. (1992) showed
that eight weeks of stretching chest muscles increased flexibility and
reduced stiffness of musculo-tendinous unit—probably by reducing stiffness
of the tendons.
There are certainly arguments for the considerable role of the nervous
system in determining flexibility. For instance, three different types of
stretches increase the static range of motion in varying degrees, both in a
single stretch as well as in several sessions of stretching (Holt et al. 1970;
Tanigawa 1972). So, a contract-relax stretch increases range of motion more
than a static passive stretch, and a contract-relax-antagonist-contract stretch
increases range of motion more than a contract-relax stretch (Etnyre and
Abraham 1986a). These stretches differ in the utilization and sequence of
muscle tensions—actions that affect the nervous regulation of stretched
muscles. Further, Tanigawa (1972) showed that while the subjects who used
contract-relax stretching for three weeks twice per week gained more range
of motion than those doing passive stretches, they also lost more range
during one week of not stretching. If connective tissue were the chief
determinant of flexibility these different gains and losses with the two types
of static stretches wouldn't make sense.
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The nervous system regulates tension and thus the length of your muscles by
influencing the contractile element. (The illustration below sums up what
follows.)
Several nerve cells receive signals from and send signals to each muscle.
Nerve cells receiving the signals are called sensory neurons. Directly, or
through other neurons, they contact nerve cells that send signals to the
muscles. The cells whose nerve fibers conduct signals to the muscles are
called motoneurons. Their cell bodies are located in the spinal cord or in
the brainstem. Other neurons contact and influence motoneurons. Some can
stimulate the motoneurons, which causes a contraction of the muscle fibers
innervated by them. Some can inhibit (block) motoneurons, causing a
relaxation of muscle fibers. In movements, when the motoneurons of one set
of muscles are stimulated, motoneurons of the muscles opposing them are
inhibited. This is called reciprocal inhibition. It allows you to move.
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stretches those motoneurons are not stimulated in such a way.
The Golgi organs are located in the tendon at its junction with the muscle
and detect changes in tension generated either by contracting a muscle or by
stretching it. The most effective stimulus for Golgi organs is an active
muscle contraction (Houk et al. 1971). Each Golgi organ is connected with
from five to twenty-five muscle fibers. As the contracting muscle pulls on
the tendon it causes the Golgi organs to fire impulses in relation to the force
of contraction (Bishop 1982). These impulses activate association neurons,
which then send their impulses to inhibit the motoneurons Alpha of the
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contracting muscle. This stops the flow of impulses from the motoneurons
Alpha to the muscle. (This is the usual explanation for the mechanism of
PNF [Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation] and isometric stretching.)
The Golgi organs may also influence motoneurons Gamma (Bishop 1982).
Renshaw cells are small nerve cells located close to the motoneurons
Alpha. They are connected through synapses with motoneurons and are
activated by the impulses that these motoneurons send to muscle fibers.
Renshaw cells through their axons synapse back both on the motoneurons
that activate them and on others. Impulses from the Renshaw cells inhibit
motoneurons. This circuit regulates the frequency of impulses received by
muscles and keeps them from making contractions that are too strong.
Renshaw cells are connected with both the small (tonic) motoneurons Alpha
innervating slow-twitch muscle fibers and with the large (phasic)
motoneurons Alpha innervating fast-twitch muscle fibers. Renshaw cells are
more strongly excited by impulses from phasic motoneurons activated in
voluntary contractions than by impulses from tonic motoneurons, but when
excited they inhibit tonic motoneurons, which are most responsive to the
stretch reflex, much more so than are phasic ones (Bishop 1982). This is
another possible explanation of PNF and isometric stretching.
There are neural circuits and pathways that may cause lessened resistance to
stretch, more formally called postcontractive reflex depression.
Postcontractive reflex depression follows a strong voluntary contraction of
the muscle. It permits a greater range of motion increase than stretching
without a preceding contraction. No matter what the exact cause of lessening
the resistance to stretch, the resistance is smallest immediately upon
relaxation following a contraction of the muscles about to be stretched.
(Moore and Kukulka [1991] have shown that reflexes are weakest within
the first second of relaxation after a contraction of the muscle and then
recover to nearly 70% of their normal values by the fifth second. This may
be why your stretch is easiest within the first second after the end of a
contraction.) Resistance to stretching can be reduced even more by
immediately following the relaxation of the stretched muscles with
contraction of their antagonists (Etnyre and Abraham 1986a; Etnyre and
Abraham 1986b; Etnyre and Abraham 1988).
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still be able to detect changes in muscle length. There are two types of
motoneurons Gamma: static and dynamic. Static Gamma determine length
sensitivity of receptors in the muscle spindle with little effect on velocity
sensitivity. Dynamic Gamma determine velocity sensitivity with little effect
on length sensitivity (Bishop 1982).
Mental stress, pain, anxiety, and fear, thanks to these same descending
pathways, activate motoneurons Gamma, which increase the stretch reflex,
thus making you less flexible (Sölveborn 1989). This is one more reason not
to do static passive stretches during a warm-up when you may be excited or
even anxious about the challenging activities ahead. (The ways of warming
up to deal with prestart anxiety and prestart apathy are described in the
book Science of Sports Training.)
Your kinesthetic, or muscle and joint, sense is served by more than the
already-described kinds of receptors (muscle spindles and Golgi organs).
There are receptors of pain, pressure, joint position, and movement located
in the joint capsules, ligaments, tendons, muscles and their fasciae, and in
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skin.
The combined input from all the receptors influences your reflexive
reactions to changes in your body position and muscular tension. Your actual
reflexes are never as simple as the oversimplified description of a knee-
jerk. Usually the whole body responds to any stimulus. Recall the test (see
the tests of flexibility potential earlier in this chapter) where you could see
whether the bones and ligaments of your hips would let you do a side split.
There is no muscle or ligament running from one thigh to another, yet, even
if you have passed the test, you cannot do a complete side split without
some training. When you spread both legs at the same time, the reflexive
contraction of the muscles, on both sides of the body, gets in your way.
Reflexes serve useful purposes in normal circumstances and, when your
legs slide sideways, the tension of the adductors and their synergists on both
sides of the body is needed to maintain upright posture.
So much for the reflexive regulation of muscular tension. Now consider the
brain's role in control of muscular tension through either stimulating or
inhibiting the motoneurons.
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with postural mechanisms. The connection between the cerebellum and the
areas of the brain governing emotions (hippocampus, amygdala, septal
areas), makes muscular tonus and coordination dependent on emotions, and
vice versa (Grochmal 1986). Mental stress increases amplitude and
decreases the frequency of muscle tremor possibly by increasing the gain of
the stretch reflex (Growdon et al. 2000).
Yoga uses this connection. Yoga exercises (asanas) do not use tension in a
stretched position. By holding relaxed muscles in a position just short of
pain and reflexive contraction, Yogis (in a long-term process) gradually
lower the sensitivity of the mechanisms regulating the tension and length of
the muscles. Yoga stretches seem to be a litmus test, or a sort of biofeedback
monitor, telling the practitioner how proper (from a Yoga point of view) his
or her state of mind is.
But there is more to it than that. Different stretching methods bring about
differing results: dynamic stretching improves dynamic flexibility (dynamic
range of motion and resistance to stretching throughout the range of motion);
static stretching improves static flexibility (static range of motion) and, to a
limited extent, dynamic flexibility (Moscov and Lacourse 1992). Continuous
movements decrease resistance to stretching throughout the range of motion
more effectively than static stretching, while static stretching more
effectively increases the range of motion and decreases the amount of force
needed to hold a stretch or tension in a static position (McNair and Stanley
1996; McNair et al. 2001). Furthermore the stretching method you choose—
ballistic (bobbing up and down in a stretch, not advisable), static relaxed,
or isometric—affects the amount of time to reach the current maximum in
each stretching session and time to achieve desired results (Etnyre and
Abraham 1986a; Holt et al. 1970; Lucas and Koslow 1984; Sady et al.
1982; Tanigawa 1972). After exercises increasing range of motion through
active movements (for example, dynamic stretches or static active
stretches), the increase of flexibility lasts longer than after passive
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stretching (Starzynski and Sozanski 1999). The possible changes in
connective tissues resulting from stretching by any of these methods do not
explain all the differences. These differences are most likely the result of
the way a given kind of exercise acts upon the nervous system.
Muscles are usually long enough to allow for a full range of motion
permitted by the structures of joints. It is the nervous control of their tension,
however, that has to be reset for the muscles to show their full length. This
is the most likely explanation why ten minutes of dynamic stretching in the
morning lets you display your full range of motion in dynamic movements
later in a day without a warm-up. Regularly repeating movements that do not
use a full range of motion in the joints (e.g., bicycling, certain exercises of
Olympic weightlifting, standard push-ups on the floor), however, sets the
nervous control of length and tension in the muscles at the values repeated
most often or most strongly and so diminishes the range of motion
(Orlikowska 1991). Immediately after a fatiguing jog or a slow run in which
the athlete's legs moved at a reduced range of motion, both dynamic and
static flexibility of the hips and knees are temporarily diminished. It seems
to be the result of increased sensitivity of stretch receptors—neural
compensation for the effects of fatigue on the muscles' contractions. While
this compensatory mechanism is supposed to work in all fatigue-inducing
and high-tension exercises (Hayes 1976) it does not cause such a drastic
reduction of flexibility if in these exercises limbs move through their full
range of motion. So, displaying your full range of motion while fatigued (but
not extremely fatigued!) after doing heavy deep squats is easier than after a
long run.
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specific endurance. Such running is a strenuous, intensive strength effort for
leg muscles, but in fast running, lower limb muscles work through a full
range of motion in the hip and knee joints, and because of that there is no
adverse effect on flexibility. If connective tissue were a factor, then
stretching after a workout would be enough and these gymnasts could ride
bicycles with the same result. The situation with standard push-ups is very
similar. If you do a couple of hundred a day, on the floor, so the muscles of
your chest, shoulders, and arms contract from a shortened position, no
amount of static stretching will make you a baseball pitcher or a javelin
thrower.
There are two types of stretch receptors, one detecting the magnitude and
speed of stretching, the other detecting magnitude only. Sensitivity of each
type of receptor is determined by the respective type of motoneurons
Gamma (through regulating tension of either type of intrafusal fibers in
muscle spindles [Bishop 1982; McArdle, Katch, and Katch 1996]). This
may explain why flexibility training is speed-specific.
Static stretches do not facilitate these pathways, do not prepare the nervous
system and blood vessels in muscles for the dynamic task. You even sweat
differently when warming up with dynamic actions than when doing static
stretches. During dynamic exercises you sweat all over and your sweat is
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hot. During static stretching you sweat little, mainly on the face. This tells
you that static stretching is a poor warm-up.
a) subjects who trained in an erect position tested better in this position than
subjects who trained in a supine but tested in an erect position.
b) greater gains were recorded for both groups in a supine test position than
in an erect test position. The subjects tested in the erect position had to
overcome an extra amount of tension in the muscles they stretched because
of the reflexes evoked by standing and bending over.
After reaching a maximal stretch (maximal for you at a given stage of your
training), tensing the muscle to hold this position longer than the few
seconds typically used to cause the postcontractive relaxation further
increases your static strength in this maximal range of motion or stretch. A
strength increase in extreme ranges of motion (caused by systematic
isometric stretching or resistance exercises in a full range of motion) seems
to be a result, at least to a degree, of the longitudinal growth of muscle
fibers. Long-term exercise, in which human muscles tense as they are
stretched, causes changes in the muscle fibers that indicate their lengthening
through adding new sarcomeres (Fridén 1984). Handel et al. (1997)
conducted a study in which athletes did contract-relax stretches (stretches
with isometric contractions) for eight weeks and showed changes in strength
displayed throughout the range of motion that indicated longitudinal growth
of muscle fibers by the addition of sarcomeres. The opposite happens when
exercises are done exclusively at a reduced range of motion—there is loss
of sarcomeres and muscles shorten (Williams et al. 1988).
Strong muscles tense less than weak ones to support the same load
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(Moritani and deVries 1979; Ploutz et al. 1994). The strong muscles can be
more elongated while still comfortably overcoming resistance. In the
muscles of strong people, who regularly overcome high resistance, motor
units (several muscle fibers and a nerve cell activating them) synchronize
their action even when overcoming low resistance (Hayes 1976). This may
be why athletes whose thigh muscles are strong enough to slide up from a
split to standing upright can slide down into a split with less muscle tension
and resistance to the stretch than weaker persons. Perhaps when all motor
units tense together even moderately, the stretch reflex is more depressed
than if only some motor units were tensing very hard, either because of
stimulating a greater number of Golgi organs, or because of the mechanical
effect on all the muscle fibers and the connective tissue in series with them.
As people age, changes occur in their muscles that are associated with a
decrease in strength and flexibility—loss of muscle mass and increased
stiffness of fibrous connective tissue. Does that mean that the elderly cannot
effectively use isometric stretches? No, it does not—because these changes
can be offset by strength training—even in very old age (Fiatarone et al.
1990; Evans 1999). As long as your joints are not deformed and permit
normal range of motion, and there is no contraindication for strength
training, you can benefit from isometric stretches. What range of motion you
can achieve and how fast depends on the initial level of your flexibility and
strength. If your muscles are long enough for splits (you can check it with
tests shown earlier in this chapter), you might be able to make them strong
enough to support you in a split—even though gains in absolute terms may
come more slowly than in the case of young people.
Recap
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The following factors are listed in order of their importance in improving
flexibility.
The greatest and fastest gains are made by resetting the nervous control
of muscle tension and length.
Special strength exercises can stimulate the muscle fibers to grow
longer and elongate the fibrous connective tissue associated with the
muscle.
Stretching the ligaments and joint capsules and ultimately reshaping
joint surfaces takes years and brings about the smallest amount of
improvement (Matveyev [Matveev] 1981).
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9. Questions and Answers on
Stretching
These are typical questions from readers of this book. Among them may be
just the type that you want to ask. Study the answers, and perhaps you will
be able to apply them to your situation.
Question: How long it takes to do full front and side splits using your
book?
Question: Why does the body have a natural tendency to prevent one from
doing a split? I know that I have the ability to do a split because when I do
side lunges (one leg extended and one leg pulled in, supporting my body) I
can do a “half-split.” That is, I can fully abduct (extend to the side) one leg
till my pelvis hits the floor—but with my other leg pulled in underneath me.
I can do this with both legs but not at the same time. Why does the nervous
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system have to be trained to allow for fully abducting both legs at the same
time?
Answer: To find out more about the nervous system read about the reflexes
in neurology textbooks or read chapter 8 of this book.
Apart from your nervous system not being used to spreading both legs at the
same time, your adductors may be weak. Weak adductors tense harder and
stop your legs' sidewise movement earlier than strong adductors when
sliding your legs apart in a straddle stance. The wider the angle between
your legs, the less efficient is your adductors' leverage, and the harder they
tense to keep the legs from sliding apart.
Question: I wonder about the results of your method in people past thirty
years of age. I started taekwondo in my late 30s and currently I am 42 years
old. I would like to know if it is possible for me to do the splits without
injuring myself.
Question: Most of the stretches you show are practiced daily at my martial
arts school. In fact most of them were taught to us in high school. Also,
isometrics or dynamic tension is nothing new to this country. So why should
your results be better?
Question: I practice karate and my teacher can lift a leg and hold it steady
above his shoulder. Will your static active stretches let me achieve this type
of strength so I can kick higher and with more power?
Answer: Yes and no. Static active flexibility exercises will help to develop
your ability to lift and hold the leg but not to make your kicks more
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powerful. Specific strength for a kicker is the strength that lets you pack a
wallop in a kick, not to hold a leg up! Specific strength for kicking is
developed by kicking a heavy bag, kicking into layers of sponge, kicking
with bungee cords attached to legs, and other dynamic exercises similar to
kicking. Strength, just like flexibility, is specific to the speed of movement,
its angle, and range of motion (McArdle, Katch, and Katch 1996).
Answer: While the book does not give specific (specific for whom and
when?) routines, it explains the principles of selecting and sequencing
exercises so readers who studied chapters 2 and 7 know when to do what
type of stretches depending on their needs and limitations.
Answer: One way is to stand on them when they are close to each other and
then spread your legs with the chairs. Another way is to place the chairs so
they are as far apart as your feet in a split and then do a handstand between
them, lower your legs onto the chairs and push off the floor with your hands
to assume the final position. When trying to learn this skill, you should start
by using two books or small blocks of wood.
Question: How often should suspended splits be tried, and how do you
maintain your strength and flexibility once you have achieved a suspended
split?
Answer: Every time you can lift yourself off the floor while sitting in a split
you are proving that you have enough strength to do a suspended split. I do
not see any reason for most athletes ever to try an actual suspended split. I
did it to catch your attention, but as far as strengthening legs goes there are
many better and safer exercises.
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remedy this?
Answer: One of the ways of training for the ability to drop into splits is
developing such strength as to be able to slide up from a split to a standing
position. You already know the exercises you need for this purpose and the
method of using them because they are shown on the video Secrets of
Stretching.
Question: Are the side split and the front split independent or dependent? I
mean that if I can't do a side split, I can't do a front split and vice versa. Can
I do an isometric stretch for a side split only without developing my front
split ability?
Answer: The split with toes pointing forward stresses mainly the thigh
adductors and requires less outside rotation of the hip joint than the split
with toes pointing upward. The suspended split with toes pointing upward
stresses your hamstrings in addition to thigh adductors and, for maintaining
balance, requires greater outward rotation of the hip joint than the split with
toes pointing forward.
Answer: The safe isometric stretch for the side split with the toes pointing
upward is shown in subchapter “Stretches leading to the side split” of
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chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching.”
Turning your toes up while sliding down into a side split without holding on
to some firm support is asking for a muscle tear or worse (a joint capsule
tear or a ligament sprain) because of having no control over the sliding legs
and the precarious balance. (See the section on “Injuries and Stretching”
later in this chapter for descriptions of outcomes with such a stretch.) The
most vulnerable muscle seems to be the adductor magnus because in the
toes-up position, abduction is combined with the external rotation of the
thigh so the adductor magnus is stretched more than in the normal side split
with soles of the feet on the ground.
Answer: The position of your feet in the straddle stance (or the horse-riding
stance) is important for reasons explained in subchapter “Stretches leading
to the side split” of chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching.” Plant your feet as
shown on the first two photos in that subchapter, as long as you are in the
horse-riding stance—however wide. When you spread your legs so wide
that you are no longer in even the widest horse-riding stance, then your feet
will turn and your weight will be supported by the insides of your lower
legs and feet. When you are so low in the split that your weight is supported
by the insides of your lower legs your knees should not hurt.
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Answer: Knee pain in the horse-riding stance may be caused by a wrong
position of the feet (not pointing forward) and by doing too much too soon
(stance too deep, standing too long). In the correct horse-riding stance you
cannot have your legs straight.
Question: When I stand in kiba dachi (the horse-riding stance) and try to go
lower I get a pain in my lower back and the only way to relieve this is to
lean forward. Could you recommend any stretches to relieve the pain? Also
I lose the strength to pinch the floor after a couple of cycles of tensing and
spreading my legs.
When I do the side split, I can't do the split with toes pointing forward, I
have to lean my whole upper body forward. If I try to do the split with toes
pointing forward while keeping my body upright, I feel pain in the upper
outside region of the thighs.
Answer: These problems are slightly different, but the answer is the same
for both. A tendency for leaning forward when standing in a straddle stance
is normal. You lean forward because your pelvis positions itself for greater
range of hip abduction, but the weakness or inflexibility of your lower back
(or both) keeps you from keeping your upper body upright as your pelvis
tilts forward. How straight you can keep your trunk depends on the strength
of your back erectors and alignment of your legs. Even at the lowest
position in the split they should be aligned like the horse-riding stance. To
develop flexibility and strength of your thighs, hips, and lower back in the
horse-riding stance, start high and with feet only shoulder-width apart and
gradually progress lower and then wider. If you want to make faster
progress, do deep squats with weights. When doing these squats, stand with
your feet a shoulder-width apart and try to keep your toes pointing forward.
Feeling pain in the outside of the hip joint results from not tilting the pelvis
during abduction (sideways movement) of the thighs. Not having enough
strength of the inner thighs for tensing them while standing firmly in the
straddle stance (“pinching the floor”) can be remedied by squats and
exercises that specifically target inner thighs, such as the adductor flys and
adductor pulldowns shown on the video Secrets of Stretching.
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Answer: It is OK but it is better to develop the ability to stand in the proper
horse-riding stance as the strength and flexibility of the thighs, hips, and
spine comes in handy in other exercises. Also, when you lean on a chair in
your isometric stretches you take the load off the thighs so you do not
strengthen them as much as when they carry your whole weight.
Answer: They should learn the proper alignment of the hips for static and
dynamic side stretches. See the second form of leg raise to the side in
chapter 3, “Dynamic Stretching” and static stretches in subchapter
“Stretches leading to the side split” of chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching.”
Question: Although I come within one foot of a full side split, my range of
motion in dynamic stretches (when I swing my leg out to the side) is much
worse. Why is this?
Answer: Make sure that you let your pelvis tilt forward (or move buttocks
to the rear) when you raise your leg to the side. This action permits raising
your leg higher—just as tilting your pelvis forward helps in the side split.
Their problem? They try to keep their leg straight, and to raise it straight
sideways while attempting to keep their whole body straight too. This is
typically the cause of difficulties and hip pain among beginners attempting
this leg raise.
To dramatically increase the height of the leg raise to the side, you need to
tilt your pelvis forward as you raise your leg sideways. The alignment of
hip, thigh, lower leg, and foot in a raising side kick should be the same as
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shown in a side view of the horse-riding stance (see subchapter “Stretches
leading to the side split” of chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching”). To learn its
proper form do this: Stand with your feet together, extend your right arm to
the side, hand at your hip level, palm down. Slightly bend your right leg in
the hip and knee joints. Form your foot correctly (knife foot, sokuto in
karate, balnal in taekwondo) for the side kick (big toe up, rest of toes down,
edge of foot horizontal and tensed). Raise the right leg such that you kick
your palm with the side of your foot. Start from hip level, and gradually
increase the height of leg raises. Make sure that you lean forward and your
knee is slightly bent, and that it raises ahead of your foot. Kicking your palm
forces you to align your trunk, pelvis, and thigh just right for the greatest
range of motion in your hip joints. Note especially the amount and direction
of the forward lean in the drawings below.
Another purpose of kicking your palm is to keep this dynamic stretch from
turning into a ballistic, uncontrolled stretch and to prevent overstretching.
Question: I am into my second week of doing the early morning stretch, i.e.,
the leg swings. The only problem is that when I swing my leg to the side
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(and sometimes the front) my back clicks in about the center of my spine. I
do not click when I bend my knee when I bring my leg back down. Will I get
the same stretch if I bend my knee when bringing my leg down from the
swing?
Answer: Yes. I would suggest checking the strength of your back muscles to
see if their weakness relative to the psoas causes the clicking.
[Two weeks later the same reader wrote: By the way my back is better. For
the side swings I don't think I was leaning forward or twisting my upper
body in the direction of the swing enough. Doing that seems to have done the
trick.]
Question: I find that any extended use of lateral movement in the hips, such
as for the side kick or the roundhouse kick, causes a dull ache in my hips.
This is even true when I try to do morning dynamic stretches. It seems my
hips interfere more than my muscles. They seem to pop a lot too, when
doing the morning dynamic stretch. Do I have any hope to work through this
to achieve flexibility for taekwondo kicking? Is there some way to help my
hip strength and mobility?
Answer: Make sure that you align your thighs, hips, and trunk as shown in
the picture above (Leg raise to the side) and on the video Power High Kicks
with No Warm-Up! for side and roundhouse kicks. If your hips ache even
though you do these movements as shown in this book and on the video, then
see an orthopedic surgeon.
Question: When I try to raise my leg to the side my foot turns outward. Is
this due to the tightness of the muscles in the leg and hip? How do I get over
this?
Answer: Turning of the foot outward during leg raises to the side may be
caused by tightness of the muscles that rotate your thigh outward (external
rotators of the hip). Try to increase your hips' internal rotation by stretching
your external hip rotators. See the stretches at ends of subchapters
“Stretches leading to the side split” in chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching” and
in chapter 6, “Relaxed Stretching.”
Question: What is the difference between leg raises or front splits with the
front leg straight and bent at the knee?
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Answer: The angle between the thighs in a front split and in front raise
(kick) is greater, or it is easier to increase it, when the front leg is bent at the
knee because your hamstring is relaxed then. Exercise with your front leg
straight to better stretch the hamstring.
Hamstrings originate above the hip joint and attach below the knee joint.
Bending your knee relieves the tension of the hamstring and thus permits a
greater range of flexion in the hip joint. In a full front split, your pelvis is
always tilted to the front in relation to the front thigh no matter what you do
with your knees. Tilting of the pelvis is necessary for relaxing the
iliofemoral ligament of the hip joint of the rear thigh. You can achieve a
greater amount of forward tilt when the knee of the front leg is bent because
then the hamstring of your front leg is more relaxed.
Question: I can do a front split but when I attempt a side split I get a certain
amount of inches off the ground and when I try to slide further into a deeper
position I can't because my hips won't let me and the next workout session
the outside of my hips are sore and tight. How can I increase the flexibility
of my hips so that I may complete the side split?
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3-steps horse-riding stance
Answer: Controlled, yes, but not very slow. See the beginning of chapter 3,
“Dynamic Stretching.”
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reference point. I don't seem to have any problems, but it seems that my
stretches could be moving into ballistic territory without a fixed target.
Advice?
Answer: Having a stop, for example, the hand, for your leg raises or kicks,
is important only at high velocities of movement. When you do your leg
raises slow you do not need any stop.
When you do the raises fast you can try bending the knee of the raising leg
more and you can make contact with the lower part of the shin, or use a
kicking paddle instead of your hand if your legs are “too long.” The higher
you raise your leg sideways over your head, the closer you are to kicking
your hand.
Question: When I do the leg raises to the back (dynamic stretches), I feel
the stretch in the hamstring of my supporting leg, as opposed to the quad of
the leg that is being worked. Is this normal?
Answer: Yes. The “weakest link” is the first to respond in any exercise.
Answer: Perhaps, but I do not know. The athletes who use the method of
stretching explained in the book Stretching Scientifically for a few months
can display their maximal static flexibility at any time anyway.
To find out the effect of doing a static stretch in the morning would take an
experiment that is not likely to be ever conducted. Why? Because from the
viewpoint of practice-oriented coaches not every question is worthy of
research.
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stretches (or fast movements throughout the full range of motion) too. So
finding out what helps them show large ROM in static stretches—whether it
is due to dynamic stretches done in the morning, or to static stretches done
in the morning, or just an effect of static stretches done during their regular
workouts—requires conducting an experiment that could interfere with their
training.
Those who achieve full ROM through isometric stretches after a few months
of continuing training can display their full range of motion (for example, do
a split) anytime—even though initially this did require warming up. This is
much like lifting weights—for a beginner establishing a new personal
record may require carefully warming up, but with continuous training, after
a few months, the same weight may be lifted cold.
Answer: Do dynamic stretches at least twice per day, once in the morning
and once during a warm-up for your workout.
Do strength training 2-3 times per week, ending with isometric stretches.
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Answer: Yes, if you can perform a sufficient number of leg raises with
adequate intensity and height without throwing up your breakfast.
Answer: Yes, you can do relaxed static stretches after the morning workout.
It will not do any harm if you will not do any full power or maximal force
movements for a couple of hours afterward.
Question: I jog or run every morning. Will running or jogging after the early
morning stretch adversely affect my whole day's flexibility?
Answer: For the running or jogging done after the early morning stretch to
adversely affect your flexibility, you would have to considerably fatigue the
muscles of your legs.
Question: How long should you rest between sets of dynamic stretches?
Answer: What for? If you need to rest between sets of dynamic stretches
you should see a doctor!
If you are not interested in increasing your static flexibility, then do not do
static stretches.
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adductors and one for hamstrings—and one or two relaxed stretches for the
same muscles. Do as many sets of isometric stretches as you need to reach
your current maximum range of motion, but do not force yourself if your
muscles are tired and stale. Three to five sets per stretch should be enough.
Then, after isometric stretches, you can do relaxed stretches for one or two
minutes each.
Answer: It should be safe as long as you do not feel pain while exercising. I
would not be surprised, though, if you were so sore after this workout that
you would have to rest the stretched muscles for a few days. In isometric
stretches, as with most strength exercises, it is neither safe nor necessary to
exhaust the muscles.
Answer: Isometric stretches for both splits can be done in one workout
either in the way shown in chapter 7, “Sample Workout Plans,” or as is
shown on the video Secrets of Stretching where after a set of stretches
leading to the side split I stand in a deep lunge and tense the legs. You may
also work on one of the splits until you reach your desired ROM. It all
depends on the individual.
To make the right decision you need to pay attention to your body and not
disregard its warnings. You also need to be in good shape. Isometric
stretches require normal strength, which in the case of legs means being able
to comfortably do at least 10 squats with a barbell of a weight equal to your
body weight. Even with normal strength you need to be well rested to
attempt isometric stretches. By the way, proper strength preparation
(resulting in greater than the above described minimum strength) before
learning the techniques of kicking prevents knee problems and other joint
problems too.
Question: The mornings are the best time of the day for my karate
workouts. Can I do isometric stretches at the end of those morning karate
workouts or do I have to do isometric stretches in the evening?
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without a warm-up during the day is not your objective, then you can do
isometrics in the morning. If you want to be flexible during the remainder of
the day after your morning karate workout, you can postpone isometrics as
well as other strenuous strength exercises until late afternoon or evening.
Just make sure that you warm up well. You always have to monitor your
progress; if your strength and flexibility keep improving while you do
isometrics in the morning workouts, then it is fine to do them then.
Question: I know that you have recommended many times not to do static
stretches before dynamic martial art practices. Unfortunately, most martial
arts schools that I have seen do static stretches as part of their warm-up,
mine included. For numerous reasons, I do not want to leave the school, so I
have adapted a “system” to get around this problem and would appreciate
your comments. First, I arrive at class early, and I spend about 5-10 minutes
warming up, and then I do my dynamic leg stretches. I then go out to class,
which usually starts with some running in place or around the dojang, push-
ups, sit-ups, and then some static stretching. When this part comes, I simply
get into the positions, but I don't really push the stretch at all. Sometimes I
will feel a very minor stretch in some of the positions, but that is all. Is this
an effective way to get around the stretching issue, or are there problems
even with this “light” stretching?
Be very cautious when you actually stretch statically at the end of the
workout, or any time you assume a “stretching” position, because some
morons have been known to approach a stretching athlete and push him or
her into a greater stretch.
Answer: It is better to do them at the end of the workout when your muscles
are well warmed up. This applies particularly to isometric stretches. You
can do relaxed stretches by themselves, when you have already cooled
down from a workout, but do them slowly so you do not hurt unprepared
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muscles. Such stretching will be more difficult and less effective than
stretching when you are warmed up.
Question: Since reading your book and viewing the video Secrets of
Stretching, I have decided to redo my workout routines. Even though I want
to develop a workout that will improve my karate skills and flexibility, I
also want to maintain and even improve my muscle mass in my upper body.
Day 2 & 5: Strength. I have listed the exercises in the order I do them.
[The list of resistance exercises shows isolation exercises before complex
movements (leg extensions and leg curls before squats and deadlifts),
exercises for stabilizing muscles before the prime movers (deadlifts before
hip adductors and hip flexor exercises, abdomen exercises before back
extensions).]
Day 4: Off
Answer: Both the video Secrets of Stretching and the book Stretching
Scientifically (chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching”) explain how to schedule
workouts, but you managed to miss it. Your Technical or Speed workout
must precede your Strength or Endurance workout, a Strength workout must
precede any Endurance workout, which is followed by a day of complete
rest or active rest (easy, fun activity). Do not do a Technical or Speed
workout on the day immediately following either an exhausting Strength or
an exhausting Endurance workout, and do not do a Strength workout before
fully recovering after an exhausting Endurance workout because such
sequences of efforts lead to overtraining.
In single workouts do not work on endurance before any other ability with
the exception of static passive flexibility, which is developed by relaxed
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stretches. Study Science of Sports Training for an in-depth explanation of
why the same exercises give different results depending on their sequence in
a workout and in the weekly sequence of workouts.
Regarding your strength exercises, I suggest that, instead of leg curls and
extensions, you do more squats and deadlifts since they are better for your
knees. By doing the deadlifts before adductor exercises, and abdomen
crunches before back extensions, you break the rule of never fatiguing the
stabilizers—in this instance, your back, which stabilizes your legs, or
abdomen muscles, which stabilize your back—before the prime movers.
Answer: Late night is not the best time for working out but if the exercise
does not interfere with your sleeping well, then perhaps it is fine for you.
The importance of getting enough of high quality sleep for making progress
is explained in the new edition of Science of Sports Training. In that book
you will also find information on the best times during the day for
developing different abilities and skills.
Generally it is better to have a few hours between the end of the workout
and going to bed to “walk off” the fatigue, tension, and excitement of the
workout. You may want to try doing your strengthening and stretching
exercises in several short sessions, each dedicated to one body part, during
the day rather than in one long session late at night. For example, squats and
isometric stretches in the first session, deadlifts and relaxed stretches in the
second session, or deadlifts alone in the second session, and relaxed
stretches in the third, final session.
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shows stretches for most muscle groups and so anyone can find in it
stretches to suit any sport or individual need. Nevertheless, readers keep
asking, so here are some specifics.
Question: I lift weights and have boxing practice in a day. Which one—
lifting or boxing—should I use dynamic and isometric stretches before and
after?
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Question: I have been using your stretching techniques for years (off and on
since 1989) and have had good results with them. What I am now interested
in is stretching methods specifically to enhance the golf swing, i.e., to
improve the shoulder turn and increase speed and strength throughout the
swing.
Answer: During your golf swing practice you feel which muscle groups
limit your mobility and in which positions. Find in this book the stretches
that give you a similar feeling, or using the principles of stretching you
know from the book, design stretches to suit your need.
Question: Would doing all stretches for all the body parts be too much
flexibility training for karate?
Answer: I think it would be too much for any sport and for anybody's
muscles.
Question: I do martial arts and, two to three times a week, after each gym
workout with weights, I run for cardiovascular conditioning. This being the
case, when should I incorporate isometric, and relaxed stretches, after
lifting and before running, or at the end after both? (This first session I did, I
stretched after the run, as my final exercise, and did not seem to experience
anything untoward.) I've always thought stretching is to be done at the very
end, to return muscles to their original relaxed length after training.
Answer: First, an endurance run (even only 20 minutes long) after a strength
training workout, reduces gains in strength. This is because of the
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conflicting demands that strength work and aerobic endurance work put on
the body in general and on the muscle fibers in particular. This issue is
explained in several standard texts on exercise physiology. This conflict is
most pronounced if you use very heavy resistance, such as when attempting
to increase maximal strength, and less pronounced when you are using
moderate resistance in a high number of reps, such as when working on
muscular endurance.
All this notwithstanding, if your schedule works for you, then stick to it—as
long as you are satisfied with your progress.
Second, isometric stretches are strength exercises so they may lose some
effectiveness (as far as increasing strength in the stretched positions) if done
after an endurance run. I think it is best to do them at the end of a strength
workout, after other strength exercises. If you want to do isometric stretches
together with your running, then it may be better to do them before the run,
and relaxed stretches after the run.
Answer: Before long-distance running you can forgo stretching and then do
all your stretches after running. For middle distances and sprints I suggest
the following warm-up and stretches: light jogging plus arm circles and arm
swings, light jogging plus kick heels to buttocks, march with heel to toe
raises, leg raises to the front, leg raises to the back, leg swings front to back
while standing on one leg. After the run do either isometric or relaxed
stretches—one for the calves, then one for the hamstrings, and one for hip
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flexors. If you are not very fatigued after your run, you can also do dynamic
stretches for legs before the relaxed stretches.
If some of your muscles are so tight before any run that you think you need to
stretch them just to run well—then I think you should see a doctor and not be
running.
Question: I skate. What stretches would you suggest for in-line skating?
Answer: Before putting the skates on do leg raises to the front, back, and
sides. With the skates on get a hold on some support (a bench or rail), and
do squats and deep lunges to stretch the muscles that limit your range of
motion. Gradually increase range of motion by either extending legs further
back or lowering hips more. After skating do either isometric or relaxed
stretches—one for the hip flexors that also stretches the shins (see Front of
the thigh stretches in chapter 5 and in chapter 6), then one for your
hamstrings, and finally one for your inner thigh muscles.
Stretches for downhill skiers: First warm-up with walking and then running
with some agility movements (side to side hops or jumps). Then do dynamic
stretches such as leg raises before putting the boots on, then with boots and
skis on do turns and twists in one spot. After skiing, while still on the skis,
go down on a very gentle slope spreading legs wide and then bringing them
together several times, which is similar to isometric stretches.
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Question: What would be proper warm-up and stretches for swimmers?
Answer: Warm-up and stretches for swimmers: arm circles and swings first
out of water then in the water (so a part of the movement is done against
resistance). After swimming: take a towel or a rope or a stick and do
isometric or relaxed stretches for the arms. Then do isometric or relaxed
stretches—one for hip flexors and quads, then one for hamstrings or one for
both lower back and hamstrings, and one abdomen and hip flexors stretch.
Question: How many times per week should one do isometric stretches? Is
it the same as with lifting weights, in which case each body part is
exercised 2 or 3 times per week?
Answer: Both isometrics and lifting weights are strength exercises. They
both should be done during the same workout (strength workout). More
information on this and on related subjects is in the book Science of Sports
Training.
Answer: Strength training is necessary for martial arts and it helps with
developing flexibility but it does not have to be done with iron weights.
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Bodyweight exercises and exercises with a partner—for example, during
and at the end of a typical martial arts workout—can be done instead of
standard exercises with weights.
Answer: I do not think that improved flexibility of the legs will be of any
help in jumping up if you have normal range of motion in the hips, knees,
and ankles.
Question: Do you believe that larger muscles make you less flexible than
smaller ones?
Answer: No.
Answer: If you want to further increase the strength of your hamstrings and
adductors, you can try to increase their tension by holding weights in your
hands, or put a weighted belt on, or press or pull against some immovable
object.
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resistance?
Answer: Your idea of using a long stick that touches the ceiling to add
resistance has an advantage over my method of holding weights—it allows
you to apply resistance at precise angles and in moments that you choose. It
also seems safer than holding weights because you can apply tension
gradually and release it faster than you can throw down the dumbbells. The
drawback, comparing the use of the stick to dumbbells, is that you do not
know precisely how much resistance you apply.
Question: I would like to know how you feel about free weights for
someone who plays tennis and is studying aikido [or trains for any two or
more sports]. Do you recommend using free weights as a supplementary
form of exercise for these athletic endeavors, or do you feel that doing all
three forms of stretching is sufficient? If you do believe in using free
weights, what routine would you recommend for the above sports?
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not comfortably above the demand put on these muscles. Kick less and lift
more. Make sure that you move through the full range of motion and
gradually add more weight in such exercises as squats, good mornings, and
stiff-legged deadlifts. Increase the number of kicks in your workouts
gradually.
Question: Why do you advise doing long sets of exercises with low
resistance as a preparation for low-repetition and high-resistance strength
exercises and isometric stretches?
Endurance training, that is, doing many repetitions per set against low
resistance, increases the structural strength of slow-twitch muscle fibers
(Gleim and McHugh 1997). Such training also increases the structural
strength of the connective tissue within the muscle, probably through the
anabolic action of hormones that are delivered to the muscle with the
increased blood flow (Tipton et al. 1975). The connective tissue damage is
considered another one of the causes of delayed-onset muscle soreness
(McArdle, Katch, and Katch 1996).
Question: Don't you reduce the flexibility of your legs when you do kicking
endurance training for your legs?
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of the morning stretch.
Question: I know you recommend deep and heavy squats for leg strength. I
train at home and don't have a spotter; nor do I have time to go to a gym. I'm
a kickboxer and would like to improve my leg strength for use in my sport,
and I was wondering what alternative to very heavy squats I might use,
seeing as how it's not feasible to squat heavy without a spotter. Are there
other exercises I could do that would produce a similar level of leg
strength?
Answer: Squats and deadlifts are the easiest lifts to self-spot. If you need a
spotter for a squat, then you are lifting too much—especially in that you are
a kickboxer and not a powerlifter. A person who trains progressing
gradually can self-spot squats with the help of a rack or, in emergency, can
easily dump the bar weighing more than one's body weight.
Answer: Weight-free squats may strengthen your whole body, but mainly
your thighs. The weight-free squats will have little effect on the muscles of
your lower back which are best strengthened with deadlift-like movements
against considerable resistance.
Question: When one does dynamic strength exercises for the groin and
hamstrings in preparation for isometric stretches, is it better (or necessary)
to do the exercises using the full range of motion? For example, regular
hamstring curls use a very limited range of motion, whereas stiff-legged
deadlifts work the muscle in a stretched position.
Question: I dare not do normal squats with a barbell because my whole hip
and inner thigh areas tighten up for around ten days, despite stretching in the
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morning, before and after training. If I just do hack squats I can wake up in
the morning and do a full front and side split. Doing hack squats alone
avoids targeting the inner thigh muscles (this is why I am very flexible,
without touching the inner thighs). If I don't touch any weights I drop into
splits most times of the day.
Answer: The most likely cause of this excessive soreness and tightness
after strength exercises is that you are not starting with sufficiently low
weights to match the weakness of your muscles and then you are not
progressing gradually enough so as not to overwork them. Every time you
feel tightness, you become alarmed and abandon the exercise that exposed
your weakness, and then wonder why you stay weak in that area. For the
short-time satisfaction of being able to do splits without warm-up now, you
forsake any further development of both strength and flexibility.
Yes, typically a little girl who can slide down into a split and then can raise
herself up from that split can have thigh adductors stronger (in relation to
her body weight) at the angles and extensions occurring in the split than a
decathlete who can't, even though his absolute muscular strength may be
greater. For explanation of the difference between relative muscular strength
and absolute muscular strength see Science of Sports Training.
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with these problems?
Answer: Your problems can be remedied by doing lots of deep and wide
squats without a barbell and with a barbell in both front squat and back
squat positions. For dynamic flexibility do these squats fast with light
weights and for static flexibility do them slow but with heavier weights.
You might benefit from reading up on an analysis of the lifts. Some of the
better books on this subject are available from IronMind (ironmind.com).
Question: I had never done much in the way of weight training before, and
late last year I suffered a shoulder injury. I was told that I was probably not
stretching my shoulders properly before and after weight training. (I was
having most problems with the incline bench press.)
Your problem may have more to do with doing too much too soon, improper
form of movements, or improper balance of exercises.
Answer: When done correctly, the deadlift does not stretch lower back
ligaments nor even the lower back muscles. Information on how to do a
deadlift is in article “Advanced Strength Exercises for Lower Back—Your
Best Insurance against Back Pain” posted at www.stadion.com/strength-
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training-for-sports-and-martial-arts/.
Question: I have been doing taekwondo for seven years now and the
stretching done in class (far too quick and not in the correct sequence that
you recommend) has never really improved my flexibility. I find that if I
skip training in any form for about a week or two I am more flexible but then
get sore later after resuming my taekwondo workout. Even when following
your guide, after a taekwondo session I am too sore and stiff (in my
hamstrings) to work out daily by your method. What is the cause of my
soreness and lack of progress in flexibility?
1. The taekwondo workouts are run by a possibly good fighter but a lousy
coach. (You said that exercises are not done in the correct sequence.)
2. Your muscles are too weak for these workouts. Soreness after a workout
indicates it.
Answer: The most accurate answer is: As many times as it takes to get
strong enough for the isometric stretches.
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book
Question: When I stretch out for a taekwondo class, I find that for the next
two days I am sore and stiff in groin muscles. From your book, I read that
this is a sign that those muscles are too weak. This is the case where long
sets of high reps to the point of burn are used, correct?
Answer: Perhaps they are too weak, or perhaps you do too much. Long sets
of movements at full range of motion will help if the muscles are too weak,
but not if you already do too much.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Weight training, kicking drills, 1-2 mile run.
Tuesday, Thursday: Taekwondo class. Saturday: Light endurance workout.
Sunday: Off
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weights may have no adverse effect on your strength. But if you are serious
about your fighting form, why do you run so little? Proper arrangements of
workouts are explained in the book Science of Sports Training.
Question: I'm 45 and getting back into taekwondo after a 20-year layoff
(red belt then). I'm in good shape, but even 20 years ago my flexibility
wasn't that great. My goal of course is to do the side split. What do you think
of my workouts?
My workout week: morning warm-up, then 1-2 sets leg raises all three
directions, some kicking practice, 2 wall squats (lean back against wall,
lower down and hold for 60 seconds). Then relaxed static stretches in this
order: front of the thigh stretch, inner thigh or butterfly stretch (PNF and
relax on this one), lower back stretch, calf and hamstring stretch (PNF and
relax style on this also). Then I try doing a side split. Some light jogging and
I'm on my way to work as a mailman.
Answer: I think you do too much. You work out every day of the week as if
you did not know that rest is an integral and necessary part of training. A
morning stretch should consist of dynamic stretches, perhaps one or two
relaxed stretches for some particularly inflexible muscle group, but no
isometric or PNF stretches—especially before long physical efforts.
You do too many isometric stretches for too many muscle groups—five
muscle groups just in the morning. One isometric stretch per one muscle
group, up to three muscle groups stretched per workout is plenty. Change the
stretch for a more effective one once it no longer increases range of motion.
To reach your goal of a side split, you have to do exercises that are
specifically designed for reaching it. You also have to observe your reaction
to these exercises and adjust your training accordingly.
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Question: You say that bicycling is bad for flexibility of lower limbs.
Having been an avid cyclist, I believe you! And you suggest that running is a
better alternative for cardiovascular conditioning. True, compared to biking,
the range of motion is much greater, but wouldn't using your full range of
motion while running introduce a “braking” effect as your front knee would
be significantly in front of your center of gravity, in turn causing harmful
stress to the knee?
Also, what other cardiovascular activities do you think are not detrimental
to flexibility? I can't think of any that use the full range of motion of all the
body parts involved.
Answer: My answer to your first question (on the braking effect): No. To
see why, view the slow-motion run on the video Secrets of Stretching. To
have this problem a person would have to be pathologically discoordinated.
Answer to your second question: The activities do not have to use the full
range of motion of involved joints—it is enough that the muscles that cross
these joints are at or close to their resting length. So, for example, jumping
rope does not reduce the range of motion in hip joints, unlike cycling, where
most muscles that cross the hip joint work continuously while considerably
shortened. Examples of exercises, other than running and rope jumping, that
are not detrimental to flexibility are shadow boxing, running up stairs, and
cross-country skiing.
Running on skis, whether on the snow or using a Nordic Track or other ski
machine, permits full extensions in hip and knee joints, so it does not have
the same effect on flexibility as biking.
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progress lifting more and more weights or overcoming more resistance in
any strength exercises, you can stretch more too. To see if your bone
structure or ligaments are not going to limit your ability to do splits try our
simple Tests of Flexibility Potential shown in chapter 8, “All the Whys of
Stretching.”
Answer: Maybe you can do isometrics and maybe you cannot. It depends on
your skeleton's maturity (whether you have finished growing or not) and
your physician should be able to tell you one way or the other. My general
recommendation is that young people whose bones are still growing do not
do isometric stretches, and it's based on the advice from world-renowned
authorities (see Children and Sports Training and Science of Sports
Training).
Because your sport requires kicking and not doing gymnastic splits, I
recommend that you concentrate on dynamic stretches as the main means of
developing flexibility and do some relaxed static stretches at the end of a
cool-down after your workouts.
Answer: That depends on how young the students are. With little children
do mainly dynamic stretches. With older children you can add static relaxed
stretches, with young people past puberty you can do all kinds of stretching
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as long as they are strong enough. Information on strength training for
children and youth is in the book Children and Sports Training: How Your
Future Champions Should Exercise to Be Healthy, Fit, and Happy.
Answer: Because no woman took the trouble of sending a photo of her side
split between chairs. You can be the first.
But seriously—it appears that in martial arts there are even fewer women
who undertake serious training than the small number of men who do. In
other sports, such as gymnastics, the situation is different and many women
gymnasts display such splits easily. This may have to do with the lesser
quality of the majority of instructors in martial arts as compared to
instructors of gymnastics as well as with the athletes' selection process.
Women gymnasts who are rationally trained by well-educated coaches have
no need to study my book or video and so do not send testimonials.
Question: Is it true that females are generally more flexible than males?
Females all over the world tend to have a greater range of motion in the hip
joint and in the elbow (Alter 1996). But results of studies of differences in
flexibility done in different countries may vary for other joints. For
example, a study done in the U.S.A. by R. E. Koslow (1987) shows that 17-
and 21-year-old women have greater range of motion than 17- and 21-year-
old men in the shoulder, while a study done in Italy by F. Repice et al.
(1982) shows the opposite.
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more compliant ligaments and usually less muscle mass around all joints
than men gymnasts.
1. I have been doing one of the stretching routines from the book for the past
week and have noticed a 10% increase in my flexibility. However, I have
noticed that my hips click more than they used to. It doesn't hurt but it does
click. Is this a sign that the hip joint is loosening up or do you think I am
doing something incorrect in the stretching method?
3. Just recently my hip has been popping a lot. At times I have to make it
pop in order to feel better. It also sometimes pops just by me walking. Also
my knee does the same thing. What's wrong and should I see a doctor?
4. I am very flexible and fit. However, for the past month or so I have
noticed that when I do straight leg front raises or what we call `axe kicks,'
while my foot is coming back down I will feel and hear a popping in my hip
joints. What is this from and what should I do about it?
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if followed by the feeling of release of tension and by increased mobility. It
usually happens when a joint is pulled or bent into a greater range of motion
than usual.
The cracking sound is caused by this gas dissolving out of the synovial fluid
and forming a bubble between joint surfaces when the bones are pulled
apart far enough. After several minutes the gas redissolves into the fluid
(Alter 1996). Popping or cracking of joints is not harmful per se but may be
a sign of joint tightness caused by overly or unevenly tensed muscles—from
an improper strength training or a neurological dysfunction.
Loose bodies in a joint, making creaking noises particularly in the knee and
hip joints, can be a result of chondromalacia (softening of the articular
surfaces). This type of degeneration is accompanied by inflammation, pain,
and swelling.
Kneecaps may “pop” when they snap in and out of alignment with the thigh
bone as knees are bent and straightened. This may be caused by weak
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quadriceps. Check with a doctor if the knees hurt, swell, or get sore after
working out or after walking up or down the stairs.
Clicking in the hip when extending the hip joint (as when dropping the leg
after an axe kick) and adducting the thigh (bringing it back inward) after
abducting it (raising it to the side while standing) may be caused by the
tendon of the iliopsoas coming back over the hip joint capsule. It is not
painful unless one has inflammation of the bursa (bursa iliopectinea) that
lies in front of the hip joint and beneath the iliopsoas tendon. Also the
tendon of the tensor fascia lata may snap forward over the greater trochanter
of the femur as one makes sweeping semicircular movements with the lower
limb or does squats with feet pointing out. This may indicate weakness of
the thigh abductors. Such snapping is seldom painful but degeneration of the
greater trochanter may result when it is experienced over a long period. To
remedy this problem, strengthen the abductor muscles of the hip and stretch
the tensor fascia lata—one of the abductors (Arnheim 1986).
Falls or blows to the outside of the hip can damage the superficial
trochanteric bursa (a sack with fluid that lies between the greater trochanter
and tensor fascia lata and prevents them from rubbing against each other).
Major bleeding in the bursa may result in a clot that with time will change
into adhesions or loose bodies. These adhesions and loose bodies can cause
inflammation of the bursa and make creaking noises during hip movement.
Inflammation of the bursa is very painful, even when one is not moving. See
an orthopedic surgeon or a physician knowledgeable in applied kinesiology
to make sure that all is okay.
Snapping sounds from the hip may be caused by the iliofemoral ligament
moving over the head of the femur during either hip flexion or abduction.
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stretched enough for a particular set? If pain is one of them, does that mean I
should stretch till it hurts every time?
Answer: You have stretched enough when you reach the maximal painless
range of motion possible at the given stage of your training. In both dynamic
and in static (isometric and relaxed) stretching you are overstretching if you
feel pain.
Question: Should I feel a slight soreness the next day or two after isometric
stretching (3 reps of 30 sec split holds, both front and side)? And since I do
feel soreness after this activity what should I do to stretch isometrically
without feeling pain in my muscles?
Answer: I think that you can do dynamic stretches such as relaxed leg raises
and arm swings. I would do only as many repetitions and sets as I'd feel
relaxing and not tiring.
Question: One year ago I had a ligament injury in my knee which took 6
months to heal. Also I met with an accident due to which I had to stop my
training for 6 months. Now that I'm trying to come back, stretching is
becoming very painful. Even with a minor stretch I experience ripping pain
at the back of the knee. I was never good at stretching. I experience normal
pain while stretching the left leg but I feel something tearing at the back of
the right knee.
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training.
Question: Within the two months that I have been following your program
my flexibility has improved a great deal. In the side split I am lower than I
have ever been in all my [five] years of [karate] training. Upon receiving
your videotape I stopped going to karate because I wanted to concentrate
only on my splits. I did not want to go through the pain of stretching in class.
In other words I did not want to mix the two different styles of stretching.
Now that my flexibility has improved I started to attend karate workouts
again and my joints are sore. When I kick I feel some pain, even when the
kick is below the belt. Is this normal? I know for a fact that my joints are
more tight than most people's. Is it possible to change this?
a) poor kicking technique such as bad body alignment, not leaning back in
roundhouse and side kicks (see the video Power High Kicks with No Warm-
Up! for the proper technique and drills);
c) not enough (or wrong) dynamic stretching in the morning and later in the
day (it has to be done twice a day, on workout days during your warm-up);
Question: Although the book and the video go into depth about stretching, I
found that they did not fully explain the stretches to be performed by those
who suffer from “weak knees.” What strength exercises will strengthen the
muscles that stabilize the knee?
Answer: If your knees hurt when you do a stretch, change it so your knee
bears less or no weight. For example, in hamstring stretches or adductor
stretches leading to a front or side split, place the lower end of your thigh on
a chair or on any support. If bending your knees is not a problem you may do
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the exercise shown below.
The strength exercises that stabilize the knee are all those that affect muscles
that originate above and attach below the knee joint. These exercises are
squats, step-ups, deadlifts, and good mornings. If you cannot do these
exercises because your knees were injured, then you can do isometric
tensions with your knees held at angles at which you do not feel pain.
Question: My groin gets very sore when I do the side split exercises. Is
there anything I can do about that?
Question: When I try to go down into the side splits I hurt very bad in my
hips for up to 2 weeks. Is this normal?
Answer: It is to be expected if you are not ready for side splits and do not
know how to position your pelvis. See subchapter “Stretches leading to the
side split” chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching,” and the drawing Correct
alignment of thighs and pelvis in side split in chapter 8, “All the Whys of
Stretching” for information on the proper alignment of pelvis and thighs. If
applying this information does not help, then see a doctor.
Answer: I do not believe that stretching your shoulders will help you.
Soreness of your shoulder that becomes chronic can be caused by working
out too often, by weakness of some muscles of the upper body that causes
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misalignment of the shoulder joint and thus forces some of its muscles to
work inefficiently, and by overworking of the biceps brachii (which may
cause swelling of its long head's tendon and grind against its groove in the
arm bone).
Partial tears of muscles and bone spurs may require surgery to prevent more
serious injuries to the joint and muscles. A surgical repair of a rotator cuff
or biceps tear (often both are present) may put you out of your sport for at
least six months if not forever. I suggest you read Management of Common
Musculoskeletal Disorders: Physical Therapy Principles and Methods by
Darlene Hertling and Randolph M. Kessler. This excellent book should help
you evaluate qualifications of physical therapists or even design your own
program of therapy.
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your area, visit www.icak.com.
When my instructor saw that my knees were not touching the floor, he came
up behind me and forced them hard and quickly to the floor. The muscle was
pulled in the left groin. Since then I have been very hesitant to stretch
because of dull pain in that area. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?
Answer: Yes—you were doing something wrong. You were putting up with
too much nonsense from a stupid “instructor.” Now you should contact an
Applied Kinesiologist, or a Muscle Activation Techniques practitioner or a
very good orthopaedic surgeon and hope for the best. My experience with
physicians specializing in applied kinesiology and with MAT practitioners
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has been very good, and those that I have met are less conservative as far as
exercise recommendations go and more knowledgeable, patient-oriented,
and effective than all the “sports medicine specialist” that ever treated me.
Question: About 4 months ago I was stretching and injured the back of left
leg. I was doing the splits with my left leg forward and tried to sink down
farther than my body would allow. I felt a sudden “pop!” precisely where
my leg meets my butt. I felt a dull pain but thought I would be okay. I
couldn't run or walk fast for a long time. Now 4 months later I can run but
the injury still persists. Sometimes I have a dull pain in the area or feel
some discomfort. What might this injury be and do you have any advice?
Answer: Feeling a pop indicates that you had a third or fourth degree strain
(muscle tear). This is serious damage—many muscle fibers are completely
torn, fascia is damaged (in the fourth degree strain the fascia, and so the
whole muscle, is torn apart). The gap in the muscle is filled with blood. The
blood clots and is then replaced with a stiff scar. The bigger the clot the
greater the scar, the loss of muscle's function, and the likelihood of repeat
injury. Internal clots can also calcify—turn into sharp bonelike bodies—and
keep cutting the surrounding muscle tissue. To minimize the damage, muscle
strains must be taken care of immediately. If not, the loss of muscle strength
and elasticity may be such that full function will never be regained and
further injuries will occur because of it.
You say that after four months the injury still persists, so I assume that it was
not treated by a medical professional. (If it had been, you would be fully
recovered by now.) After four months of neglect there is little chance of
regaining most of the pre-injury function. If your muscle was torn
completely, by now nothing can be done—stitching and reattaching is done
within two weeks of the strain. If it was not torn completely, then maybe it
needs removal of the excessive scar tissue or of calcification. To see what
you can do to regain what function you can, see an orthopedic surgeon and a
physician specializing in applied kinesiology. In any case, do not dream that
stretching is the solution to your problem.
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Answer: Unless told by a doctor otherwise, I would avoid all exercise with
strong tension of muscles around that joint as well as any movements at the
maximum range of motion. This may still leave slow dynamic stretches,
static active stretches, and gentle relaxed static passive stretches available
to you.
Question: I was doing very well for about a month following your method.
Then I tried adding the front split isometrics after completing my four sets of
30-second side splits and I strained my gracilis muscle. It seemed that I just
overworked it. Any suggestions?
Answer: Your gracilis could have been exhausted by the four sets of
isometric stretches for the side split, and so the following isometric stretch
for the front split was more than it could take. It is worth knowing that the
gracilis is weakened by adrenal stress that can arise from work or family
stress or from training loads exceeding one's ability to adapt.
Question: I just recently pulled a hamstring in my right leg doing the front
split. I rest it for a while till the pain is gone, but it is the same thing all over
again when I resume isometric stretches.
Answer: Absence of pain does not mean that recovery is complete. When
the pain is gone the rehabilitation begins—and that is a long way from being
ready for the pre-injury level of activity. Another possible cause for the
recurrence of your muscle strain is that resting your injured hamstring does
not remove the cause of the injury. Here is my advice:
b) When permitted by your doctor, start doing the following exercises in this
order: walking, climbing stairs, running uphill, squats, hamstring curls, stiff-
legged deadlifts (or other exercises appropriate for whatever muscles you
have to rehabilitate). Progress from one exercise to another only when
feeling no discomfort performing the previous one.
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c) Only after complete recovery (when hamstrings or other injured muscles
of both legs are equally strong, equally flexible, and have equal endurance)
can you try isometric stretches involving those muscles.
Answer: What have you been doing wrong? I suspect that you have not gone
through the exercise program of preparing for isometric stretches that is
described at the beginning of chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching.” The same
program of exercises will help with the final stages of rehabilitating your
muscle tears.
You write that you love weightlifting. Do you do most of your lifts
explosively or with near maximal weights? If so, you may be capable of
tensing your muscles very strongly and very quickly. If you do that with
muscles of the inner thigh, which most people do not exercise for strength
and muscular endurance in adduction movements, you can tense them harder
than their structure can withstand and rip them. (If you tense a muscle or pull
on it very quickly, its tendon—if healthy—stiffens and so the energy is
absorbed mostly by the muscle's belly, which stretches or tears—depending
on the amount of the energy.)
Other causes: Muscles that are tired or inflamed are easier to tear than well-
rested and healthy muscles. If you take steroids, or supplements that
increase the force of your muscles' contractions, the structural strength of the
muscles may lag behind their contractile strength and muscle belly or even
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tendon tears are likely.
It is bad to tear a muscle. It is much worse to tear it again. You can find out
the nature of your injury and how to fully rehabilitate it by studying books on
injuries that are listed at The Athlete's Bookshelf. I especially recommend
Management of Common Musculoskeletal Disorders: Physical Therapy
Principles and Methods because this book explains how to rehabilitate
after an injury as well as what the lifetime consequences are of not letting an
injured muscle heal, not rehabilitating it fully, and reinjuring it. Another title
I recommend is Complementary Sports Medicine.
Question: I got your book Stretching Scientifically a while back and have
seen great progress. However, I've developed an injury to my pectineus
muscle on my inner left thigh. I injured it some time back; exactly how I
injured it or what I did to injure it, I truly don't remember. It's been nagging
me for a while, and when I try to do the side split it positively kills me with
pain. I was down to about 1-2 inches off the floor, before the pain from this
injury came back and prevented any serious further attempts. I paid my first
visit to an applied kinesiologist today. The doctor pointed to a strained (or
possibly slightly torn) left pectineus. He suggested replacing my running
program with lots of swimming, frequent icing, no weight exercises at all,
and laying off the stretching. I guess I have two questions:
2. I was so close to the side split. I can wait a while longer to allow an
injury to heal, but in a general sense I guess I'm asking . . . is there hope?
Will I ever be able to do it?
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Question: I am fifty-one years old, in good shape. For several years I have
noticed that my right leg is much tighter than the left and recently I have
noticed definite pain in the middle of the right buttock that also radiates
down the leg. A week ago I was doing a static hamstring stretch sitting on
the floor when I felt a stab of pain across my lower back. I have had pretty
bad spasms ever since and I have trouble straightening up after sitting. Do
you have any suggestions as to how can I overcome this and get back to
training?
Answer: It looks like you have a lower back problem that was developing
for several years—even before you first noticed that your right leg is tighter
than the left. To find out when and if you can exercise again see an applied
kinesiologist or a someone trained in muscle activation techniques.
Question: I have recently recovered from a low-back strain and have been
told to do sit-ups, back extensions, and leg extensions to keep the muscles in
this area strong. I would like to know if doing these exercises after my
morning stretch would defeat the purpose of the dynamic and relaxed
stretches?
Answer: No, these exercises would not ruin the effect of the stretches. To
maximize the effect of both exercises and the stretches, you may start your
morning with dynamic stretches, then do the exercises for your back, and
then do relaxed stretches.
Question: What sort of injury could result from doing the side split, toes up
position? I believe that my thigh was not rotated enough while I was very
close to the ground; when I rotated my toes more to the ceiling I felt a
popping in my left hip. Subsequent to this I have experienced extremely
sharp pain (which I assume is the result of nerve damage of some sort) ever
since. The pain in sitting runs from my sit bones [ischium] through my
hamstring and into the calf and ankle areas. The injury was almost a year
ago, and the pain of sitting is the worst but it has subsided—at first I could
only sit for 10 minutes before having to get up, now it is an hour. I have
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dutifully done physiotherapy exercises and submitted myself to chiropractic
treatment, and I have had my pelvis x-rayed (no problem there). Specialists
can find nothing wrong except to say that it could be pressure on the sciatic
nerve. I took plenty of time off immediately after the injury and slowly
introduced my martial arts and stretching routine again. All of this, and it is
still not healed. Do you have any suggestions?
Answer: To do a side split with toes up one has to start spreading the legs
while sitting and not slide into this split. You would not get into this trouble
if you had used the stretches shown in the Stretching Scientifically.
It seem like the specialists that you have seen are right and the sciatic nerve
is pressed or irritated by something. To find out what causes the irritation
and what to do about it you need to see someone who knows how to treat
musculoskeletal injuries.
Is there any way of knowing whether you have stretched the ligaments of the
spine and are there any corrective exercises that can reshorten them?
Furthermore, can hanging from a bar, as in hanging leg raises, also stretch
lower back ligaments?
Answer: To find out whether you have stretched the ligaments of the spine,
see an orthopedic surgeon. Overstretched ligaments may be associated with
back pain because of hypermobility of back joints or because of entrapment
of the tissues that normally would be kept out of the joint by the ligaments
(Hertling and Kessler 1996).
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Unless you already have weakened ligaments and muscles of the back,
hanging from a bar should not overstretch them. For healthy people, hanging
from a bar does not put such stress on the ligaments as bending forward with
a hunched back. It is like pulling on a stick versus bending it.
No Success
Many problems described here arise from not paying attention to what is
written in this book and from neglecting strength training/preparation prior
to starting intensive stretching program.
Answer: I think that you have misunderstood the side split test. It seems that
you tried to simultaneously tilt your pelvis forward and rotate your thigh
outward. That must be really difficult. I tried it and I could not do it either.
The test does not require tilting your pelvis forward—only rotating your
thigh and raising it to the hip level. Read the subchapter “Tests of flexibility
potential” in chapter 8, “All the Whys of Stretching” carefully and do the
test as shown.
Question: I have been using isometric stretches for the front and side splits
for three months and had made some progress, although not as much as I
would have liked. However, recently I seem to have “hit the wall” so to
speak and can progress no further. I am still ten inches from a front split and
14 inches from a side split. I have done the “split test” and have the right
range of motion. Are weak adductors holding me back, and would adductor
flies be the best method of targeting these areas? My overall leg strength is
very good otherwise.
Answer: If indeed you pass both split tests (tests of hip joints mobility and
thigh muscles' length) then “hitting the wall” may be caused by weakness of
the muscles stretched in the splits (thigh adductors, psoas, hamstrings), so
strengthening them may help. In your strength workouts do squats, front and
side lunges, deadlifts, and good mornings. Make sure you do your strength
exercises in the full range of motion. “Hitting the wall” may also be caused
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by doing the isometric stretches all the time the same old way—with the
same amount of tension, in the same body alignment, on the same surface.
Try tensing harder, leaning your trunk and bending knees more or less, and
stretching on more or less slippery surface, perhaps even sliding up and
down in stretched out stances.
The fact that the tightness of your hips is relieved by warming up may mean
that the cause of tightness is a soft tissue resistance rather than the bone
structure. To find out for sure see either a good orthopedic surgeon or a
physician knowing Applied Kinesiology.
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range of motion in their hip joints. I realize that since the book does not
mention it, I probably will never be able to have full, proper joint rotation,
but I just want to improve it as much as possible, not necessarily for martial
arts, but most importantly for my health.
Answer: If you do the side-split test properly and cannot pass it, then you
may not have normal mobility of your hip joints. If the mobility of your hip
joints is limited by their bone structure, then you will not be able to do the
full side split. Still, if you keep working on your flexibility (but without
forcing your joints), you may achieve a greater range and ease of motion
than if you don't.
Answer: That depends what limits the outside rotation of the thigh. It may
be limited by the bone structure of your hip joint (nothing can be done about
that), or tightness of soft tissues (ligaments and muscles—this can be
worked on). If ligaments at the front of the hip joint restrict your range of
outside rotation and abduction, then flexing the hip joint (leaning your trunk
forward) should let you spread your legs wider because it relaxes those
ligaments. If the muscles that resist outward rotation are too short, then
exercises may elongate them. Try sumo squats or ballet squats (with feet
pointing out, but without twisting the knees!) and stretches in positions of
maximal outward rotation of the thigh or combined maximal outward
rotation and abduction of the thigh.
A sample initial position for a stretch for outside (external) rotation of the
thigh: lie face down, bend one knee 90 degrees so the shin is vertical, let
that shin fall inward and down so it is as close as possible to the other,
straight leg.
A sample initial position for a stretch for combined outward rotation and
abduction of the thigh: sit in half lotus (half Indian squat), grab the ankle of
the bent leg so you can pull it up, put the other hand on the knee of the bent
leg so you can push it down.
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wider and lower your stance, the more forward you will have to tilt your
pelvis. At all stages (heights, widths) you must be able to do deep and calm
abdominal breathing. If you rush and progress to wider and deeper stances
before becoming comfortable at the current stage you may hurt your knees,
subluxate or fix your sacrum, and get lower back and neck pains.
Answer: To increase the range of abduction and external rotation in the hip,
try using this stretch:
Question: I have tried your stretching methods and I find that the tension in
my adductors is great and I cannot really get any closer to the floor in the
side splits position. (Sliding down from the horse-riding stance I am at least
16 inches [40 centimeters] from the floor.)
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Having done sprints for 17-odd years and 10 years of weights (including
power lifting and Olympic lifting movements) I know I have the strength but
find I am currently stuck. I cannot do the side-split test and have my foot
pointing upwards; as I move to try and have my hips in line, my foot wants
to point to the side. I can get quite low doing a front split but have a little
trouble getting the hips to straighten.
I'm not quite sure if I have reached as far as I can go. Is it just my body?
Answer: What is the maximal range of outside rotation of your thigh (see
photo below)?
If it is less than 50 degrees in the hip joint (or less than 70 degrees of foot
turnout), then perhaps that is what keeps you from sliding lower into the side
split. The fact that your foot turns inward during the side-split test seems to
indicate that you do not have enough range of motion in the outside rotation.
This may be caused by the bone structure of your hip joint, or tightness of
your soft tissues—ligaments and muscles. For solutions see my answer to
the preceding question.
Your strength from sprinting and lifting weights may be specific for the
sprinting and lifting movements you have done but not for standing in the
very wide stances when thigh adductors have to tense in a near maximal
stretch. Doing sumo squats, ballet squats, deep front and side lunges, and the
horse-riding stance should improve your adductors' ability to support your
weight in wide straddle stances.
By having “a little trouble getting the hips to straighten” in the front split, I
assume you mean keeping the pelvis from tilting forward (keeping hips from
flexing). If so, then you try to do the near impossible. In the front split the
pelvis should be tilted forward, toward the front leg.
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eight years. I have been an athlete all my life, and have used many strength
and stretching techniques. Your methods have been the most effective for
me. After using your methods I find my kicks are stronger than before and I
can “recall” my maximum stretch with very little warm-up. The problem I
seem to have now is that I have reached a “sticking point” in my side splits
and can't get further down than what you show in the third photo of
subchapter “Stretches leading to the side split” in chapter “Isometric
Stretching” (see photo below). I maintain my body in the upright position
when doing side splits and don't use my hands for balance. I usually do three
to five sets holding each tension for 20-30 seconds and concentrate on
strength gains as you suggest. I have reread your book several times and it
appears to me that I'm using your methods correctly. Why, then, can't I
progress beyond the sticking point?
Answer: The cause of a sticking point may be any one of the following:
a) lack of strength of all muscles of the thigh (try low squats, one-legged
squats, deadlifts, adductor flys, adductor pulldowns);
b) not tilting pelvis forward while spreading legs into a split, as shown by
the drawing Correct alignment of thighs and pelvis in side split in chapter
8, “All The Whys of Stretching.” (Your pelvis moves on the axis joining
both hip joints. A forward tilt makes the inlet of the pelvis face front more
than in a natural position, a backward tilt makes it face more upward.);
c) not getting enough rest between workouts (see the Science of Sports
Training for methods of evaluating sufficiency of recovery or readiness for
working out); or
d) doing isometric exercises too often (2-4 times per week is enough).
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Question: I am stuck at my current flexibility range. I'm a bit sore after my
isometric stretches, I don't have any sharp pains, my muscles just feel stiff. I
feel this soreness in the area above my thighs [in front of my pelvis]; my
inner thighs don't bother me. In adductor flyes I currently use a weight boot
with about 12 lb. on each foot. I use 27 lb. for the adductor pulldown load.
Answer: The fact that you can get so close to the side split (only nine inches
above the floor), even though it takes a long session of stretching, means that
the most likely limitation of your ROM prior to this session and on the day
after is the weakness of your muscles and not the structure of your hip joints.
I recommend that you follow the whole program of strength exercises for
hips and thighs that especially emphasizes the muscles that limit sideways
motion in the hip joint, shown on the video Secrets of Stretching.
If you stretch isometrically for 30 minutes then no wonder you cannot make
progress. Doing this much strenuous effort is counterproductive. Look at the
video Secrets of Stretching and see how and for how long the stretches are
done.
Also, consider if the jogging that you do prior to stretching is too intensive
or too long. As I mention in Stretching Scientifically, fatiguing endurance
work should not be done before strength efforts. Aerobic endurance work
should not be done before strength efforts for reasons explained in the
Science of Sports Training, but light aerobic efforts can be engaged in after
any strenuous efforts (speed, strength, anaerobic endurance) as a means of
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speeding up recovery. This is why most of the sample workouts shown in
Stretching Scientifically end with marching or jumping rope.
Do you start your isometric stretch for a side split from the horse-riding
stance position shown in the photo below (it is from the subchapter
“Stretches leading to the side split” (chapter 5, “Isometric Stretching”)? If
not, then you may be overstraining your thigh adductors so they cannot
recover fully between workouts and so you are stuck at the same range of
motion.
Impatience
So many ask “Are we there yet? How much longer?” as if they had no
experience with any physical training and no sense of its effects on their
bodies.
Question: I am within one foot of doing a complete side split. How do you
feel when you can do it? I mean do you one day start your isometrics and go
down all the way to a full side split for the first time? Is there anything else I
can do to get over the hump and be able to do the side split?
Answer: You will notice that you slide lower and can stand lower or in a
wider straddle without much change in the effort and without discomfort. To
“get over the hump” keep training and let small changes accumulate until
you find to be easy what was once difficult.
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Answer: The speed of progress in stretching depends on your initial
strength level and initial flexibility level, and on how rational your total
training program is. Normally it takes well under a year to develop the
ability to perform splits. I would like to take this opportunity to give you
one essential training tip: Consider isometric stretches to be strength
exercises and apply them as such. Use sufficient rest between workouts. Do
not do more exercises than you need, i.e., do not do more than two isometric
stretches per workout (you may do a few repetitions of a stretch but do not
do many various stretches). Do not overwork any group of muscles.
Answer: The reasons for you having to warm up before you can do a full
side split may be that:
1. Your exercises, although effective enough to let you do the side split, did
not have enough time to change the muscles of your legs as much as it takes
to do splits without any warm-up; or
2. Your body has not “learned” yet that sliding into a split is safe. (This
possibility cannot be considered separately from the first one.)
I would advise doing heavy squats, lunges, and deadlifts (normal and sumo)
until you can lift weights heavier than your body weight in the squat and
about twice the body weight in deadlifts, and using isometric tensions to
raise up from the straddle stance (extremely low horse-riding stance), and
ultimately from the side split.
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limber and relatively free of pain.
Answer: You say “relatively free of pain.” Does this mean that most of the
time your legs hurt? If so, no wonder your flexibility suffers—tired or hurt
muscles are less flexible than rested and healthy ones. From what you say it
seems that the inconsistency in the level of flexibility you display is caused
by irrational training. You do not have enough strength and muscular
endurance for your kicking workouts and so after such a workout you are
sore and inflexible.
Question: I'd like to ask you why after achieving a great stretch my muscles
seem to tighten again. For example, I get myself into a full lotus, and then for
a whole week after I can't get even close to it.
Answer: I think that there are two possible reasons for your problem:
Question: You indicate that soreness after isometric exercises is the result
of overdoing the exercises. After an isometric workout, I can really “feel”
the muscles of my hamstrings and inner thighs when I flex them, but there is
no pain. Does this mean I am overtraining?
Answer: It depends how long after the workout you feel the soreness. Use
the same judgment as you would in the case of lifting weights.
Question: In the event that I train my hip flexors or glutei very hard, and
they feel tired or sore, should I skip dynamic stretches since I would use
those muscles to raise my legs?
Answer: Flexibility usually does not decrease much, and may even increase
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because of the rest the muscles got. If you do isometric stretches or any
strength exercises even when you are sore because you are so anxious not to
lose your flexibility temporarily, you may injure yourself and lose it
permanently. You can do relaxed stretches, however, even if your muscles
are sore as long as doing these stretches does not cause pain.
Question: I've been using your techniques for a month now, with good
improvement when I slide down into a side split. However, when I sit down
and try to spread my legs into a straddle there doesn't seem to be any
improvement there. Why is this?
Answer: The reasons why you can stretch your legs further while standing
in a straddle stance than while sitting are these:
1. To slide down from a straddle stance you use alternating tensions and
relaxations to suppress your stretch reflex and so to slide your legs further
apart. When you are sitting you do not tense your inner thighs and even if
you wanted to there is nothing to give you an adequate resistance.
2. When you stand, the muscles of your thighs are tensed and so the stretch
reflex may be depressed. (During an isometric tension the stretch reflex is
depressed.) When you are sitting your thighs are relaxed and so the stretch
reflex is not depressed.
3. You have used isometric stretches for only a month and that is not enough
time to show much improvement in your range of motion in a static active
stretch. (Spreading legs while sitting, with no pressure against the inside of
the legs, amounts to a static active stretch.)
Question: I have been trying for a couple of months to do the side split. My
problem is that I still seem to be about the same distance off the floor now
as I was then.
My training routine consists of going to the gym 3-4 times a week and lifting
weights for all parts of the body. I do squats, leg curls, lunges, and hack
squats for my legs. Then when I go home and just before I go to bed at night
I do the 100 reps [of adductor flys] for the inside of my leg and then I do the
isometric exercises for the side split.
Answer: You may be doing too much. If you do 100 adductor flyes and
isometric stretches every evening, or even just on the evenings after lifting
190
weights in the gym, then no wonder you have tight hips and other problems.
At least four times per week you are doing two strength workouts for the
same muscle groups on the same day—if you lift serious weights it is only a
matter of a short time before you get injured.
191
If you want to stretch the muscles of your shoulders and arms, then a rope
with knots held behind your back and worked with your hands like a rosary
or prayer beads is all you need.
Other
Question: What is the difference between your book and your video on
stretching? Do I need the video? Should I buy your video to get my full
flexibility?
Answer: Stretching methods shown in the book and on the video are the
same. The book shows stretches for the whole body. It only mentions but
does not show exercises other than stretches that develop strength and
endurance while promoting flexibility. The book tells you all that you must
know about flexibility but you have to devise your own exercise program on
the basis of the provided (and abundant) information.
Question: Why don't you make a video for athletes who have a particular
level of flexibility, for example, those who cannot reach their toes?
192
them at any range, no matter how low, and increase it gradually.
This video teaches everything there is to know about kicks: body alignments
that allow kicking high and with power without any warm-up, footwork,
drills, and developing power. Simple exercises make sure that your hips and
knees don't hurt when you throw high side and roundhouse kicks. You will
learn the “little” details of kicking techniques that let you kick high and with
power without a warm-up while at the same time reducing your chance of
injury!
Explosive Power and Jumping Ability for All Sports: Atlas of Exercises by
Tadeusz Starzynski and Henryk Sozanski (Island Pond, VT: Stadion
Publishing Company), 1999.
How well you jump and how powerfully you punch, pull, or throw depends
on your explosive power, on your special endurance for explosive
193
movements, and on your speed, coordination, and flexibility. Explosive
Power and Jumping Ability for All Sports tells you how to develop each of
these abilities.
194
Appendix A: Hip Joint and
Shoulder Joint in Abduction
The following photographs taken by Prof. Ciszek and Dr. Smigielski (1997)
show configuration of the bones and ligaments of the hip joint and the
shoulder joint in pure abduction and in abduction with external rotation.
195
Fig. 3. Bones of the hip joint in abduction with external rotation—front
view
1. femoral head
2. femoral neck
3. greater trochanter
4. lesser trochanter
196
Fig. 5. Bones of the hip joint in abduction with more external rotation—
back view
1. roof of joint socket
2. greater trochanter
3. lesser trochanter
197
abduction—front view
1. iliac crest
2. insertion of rectus femoris
3. iliac fossa
4. greater trochanter
5. labrum acetabulare
6. pubofemoral ligament
198
Fig. 10. Bones of the shoulder joint in abduction with external rotation—
front view
1. head of humerus
2. rim of the glenoid cavity
3. coracoid process
4. acromion
5. greater tubercle
6. lesser tubercle
7. coraco-acromial ligament
199
Appendix B: Normal Range of
Motion
(Kapandji 1974, 1982, 1987; Potter 1986)
Neck
Rotation 70° left and right ................. Turn head far to the left, then right.
Lumbar Spine
Shoulder
Adduction 30°-45° ................. Bring arm toward the midline of the body.
External rotation 80° ................. Bend arm and move forearm away from
abdomen.
200
Internal rotation 110° ................. Bend arm and bring forearm behind and
away from back.
Elbow
Supination 90° ................. Turn lower arm so palm of the hand faces up.
Wrist
Extension 70° ................. Bend wrist so back of hand nears outer surface of
lower arm.
Ulnar deviation 30°-50° ................. Bend wrist so small finger nears ulna.
Hip
Flexion 110°-130° ................. Flex knee and bring thigh close to abdomen.
Adduction 30° ................. Bring thigh toward and across the midline.
External rotation 45° ................. Flex knee. Swing lower leg toward
midline.
Internal rotation 40° ................. Flex knee. Swing lower leg away from
midline.
Knee
201
Extension 5°-10° beyond 180° ................. Straighten out knee as much as
possible.
Ankle
Flexion (Plantar flexion) 45° ................. Bend ankle so toes point down.
202
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218
Table of Contents
Introduction: Getting the Most Out of This Book 9
1. Flexibility in Sports 11
Injury prevention and flexibility 17
2. How to Stretch 21
Methods of stretching 22
Early morning stretching 26
Stretching in your workout 27
The use of partners in stretching 33
Children and flexibility training 33
The elderly and flexibility training 35
3. Dynamic Stretching 38
Arms 39
Legs 41
Trunk 44
4. Static Active Stretching 47
5. Isometric Stretching 52
When you are not ready for isometrics 52
When you are ready 53
How to select your stretches 58
Neck 59
Forearm 59
Arms, shoulders, chest 60
Legs 64
Stretches leading to the side split 64
Stretches leading to the front split 71
Splits and high kicks 76
Trunk 77
Recap 80
6. Relaxed Stretching 81
Neck 82
219
Forearm 83
Arms, shoulders, chest 84
Legs 87
Stretches leading to the side split 87
Stretches leading to the front split 90
Trunk 93
7. Sample Workout Plans 96
8. All the Whys of Stretching 106
Anatomy, physiology, and flexibility 110
Tests of flexibility potential 113
Practical conclusions for sports training 125
Recap 129
9. Questions and Answers on Stretching 131
Does This Method Really Work? And How? 131
Body Alignment for Hip Stretches 134
Dynamic Stretches and Morning Stretch 141
What and When 143
Stretching in Workouts for Various Sports 148
Flexibility and Other Athletic Abilities 153
Age and Stretching 163
Gender and Stretching 165
Sounds in and around Joints 166
Pain or Soreness and Stretching 168
Injuries and Stretching 173
No Success 180
Impatience 187
Stretching Machines and Other Strange Practices 191
Other 192
Resources for Further Study 193
Appendix A: Hip Joint and Shoulder Joint in Abduction 195
Appendix B: Normal Range of Motion 200
Bibliography 203
220