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angeleyes
Jun 8, 2009, 4:27 PM
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My experience with stretching over the years has been, it seems like it reduces the chance of injury, but I've seen almost no gains in flexibility from doing it.
It seems like if you want to increase range of motion/flexibility for X... you basically need to do an activity that involves doing X. So if X is better high step without having to lean back, best way to get it is do more.
Same experience for me in other sports as well, whether it's throwing my leg over a bike saddle or a high kick. Only way to get more flexibility for them is to do them.
So I regard stretching as mostly useless as far as increasing flexibility, but good to do after your warm up prior to exercising
Anyone have any opposite experience or can recommend any specific way of stretching that does what it's so often advertised to do?
I've tried basic yoga classics, likewise they really did nothing for me.
thanks
(This post was edited by angeleyes on Jun 8, 2009, 4:39 PM)
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bill413
Jun 8, 2009, 4:50 PM
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angeleyes wrote: My experience with stretching over the years has been, it seems like it reduces the chance of injury, but I've seen almost no gains in flexibility from doing it. It seems like if you want to increase range of motion/flexibility for X... you basically need to do an activity that involves doing X. So if X is better high step without having to lean back, best way to get it is do more. Same experience for me in other sports as well, whether it's throwing my leg over a bike saddle or a high kick. Only way to get more flexibility for them is to do them. So I regard stretching as mostly useless as far as increasing flexibility, but good to do after your warm up prior to exercising Anyone have any opposite experience or can recommend any specific way of stretching that does what it's so often advertised to do? I've tried basic yoga classics, likewise they really did nothing for me. thanks
My take on it is to move slowly into the stretch, hold it (NO BOUNCING), release. Repeat. (Or, do stretch to other side, then repeat).
I do see it helping my flexibility, but....it was easier to increase when I was younger. As we get older, it takes longer to see progress.
Be careful not to overdo it, you can easily pull various things & wind up restricting your motion.
With regard to things like high steps, those are not just flexibility but also the muscle training to move into the position. For that, I think you do have to do specific training.
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Toast_in_the_Machine
Jun 8, 2009, 4:58 PM
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bill413 wrote: angeleyes wrote: My experience with stretching over the years has been, it seems like it reduces the chance of injury, but I've seen almost no gains in flexibility from doing it. It seems like if you want to increase range of motion/flexibility for X... you basically need to do an activity that involves doing X. So if X is better high step without having to lean back, best way to get it is do more. Same experience for me in other sports as well, whether it's throwing my leg over a bike saddle or a high kick. Only way to get more flexibility for them is to do them. So I regard stretching as mostly useless as far as increasing flexibility, but good to do after your warm up prior to exercising Anyone have any opposite experience or can recommend any specific way of stretching that does what it's so often advertised to do? I've tried basic yoga classics, likewise they really did nothing for me. thanks I sort of agree about the classes, I think most move too rapidly through the forms to give you real stretching. My take on it is to move slowly into the stretch, hold it (NO BOUNCING), release. Repeat. (Or, do stretch to other side, then repeat). I do see it helping my flexibility, but....it was easier to increase when I was younger. As we get older, it takes longer to see progress. Be careful not to overdo it, you can easily pull various things & wind up restricting your motion. With regard to things like high steps, those are not just flexibility but also the muscle training to move into the position. For that, I think you do have to do specific training.
To answer what I see as your implied question is: “Yes, specific stretching only helps specific moves.”
“General flexibility” is a myth similar to “general strength” and “spot fat reduction”. You get only what you work for.
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hafilax
Jun 8, 2009, 5:29 PM
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If you're not gaining flexibility from stretching you're not stretching properly.
After a few months of yoga classes I went from touching just below my knees to touching my toes.
If you're talking about move specific flexibility you have to find stretching positions that work the weakness you're trying to improve. The nice thing about stretching is that you can do it on your rest days. You can work on loosening up your high step away from climbing.
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heidt410
Jun 8, 2009, 7:08 PM
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Mix in some dynamic stretching moves if your just doing static. Yoga is great. Every person has a limit though due to bone structure.
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seatbeltpants
Jun 8, 2009, 8:12 PM
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hafilax wrote: If you're not gaining flexibility from stretching you're not stretching properly. After a few months of yoga classes I went from touching just below my knees to touching my toes. If you're talking about move specific flexibility you have to find stretching positions that work the weakness you're trying to improve. The nice thing about stretching is that you can do it on your rest days. You can work on loosening up your high step away from climbing.
absolutely agree. i've gained a huge amount of flexibility through stretching for 30 - 60 minutes a couple of times a week. no dramas to do on my rest days in front of the tv, though the cat looks at me strangely.
steve
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aerili
Jun 8, 2009, 8:21 PM
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angeleyes wrote: My experience with stretching over the years has been, it seems like it reduces the chance of injury, but I've seen almost no gains in flexibility from doing it. ... So I regard stretching as mostly useless as far as increasing flexibility, but good to do after your warm up prior to exercising
Hard evidence is revealing more and more that stretching actually does not reduce injury. There are a lot of complex facets within that statement, however.
Dynamic flexibility (i.e. your examples of throwing your leg over your bike or doing a high kick) isn't as dependent on statically stretching as you may think and perhaps that is why you haven't seen much benefit from stretching statically within those types of motions.
Stretching is far from useless for increasing flexibility, however. (And I find it weird you state you find it useless and yet beneficial "after warm up".... Um, for what?)
I do believe some muscles are more amenable to being lengthened and retaining that length than other muscles. (A physical therapist friend backed up my thoughts on this, but I don't know the specifics of any data on that.)
If you want to get more flexible, you should:
* be very warm prior to stretching
* preferably do it after activity, not before
* concentrate on the areas you truly need to become more flexible
* be consistent
Most research shows there is no difference in flexibility outcome between holding a stretch 30 seconds or 2 minutes, so you might as well do the shorter time. You can also do repeated stretches using this shorter duration.
PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) and/or CRAC (contract relax agonist contract) methods of stretching typically show greater increases in flexibility than just holding it statically.
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desertwanderer81
Jun 8, 2009, 8:33 PM
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Thanks for that advice! I've always been looking to become more flexible but really had little direction in doing so.
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serpico
Jun 9, 2009, 10:17 AM
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I agree with everything posted by OAHM and Aerili, and would add that it's of no functional use stretching your hamstrings/glutes/etc to gain the range of motion to enable a high step, if you don't: strengthen their antagonists to be able to lift the leg into this new position, and strengthen the newly stretched agonists to have strength at this new muscle length.
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