The beginner's guide to flexibility A lot of the same questions regarding flexibility development are asked repeatedly, even

though many have been already been answered. To save time for newbies (and some oldies) using the "sear h" fun tion or posting the same questions again and again, ! have prepared this thread with answers to some of the most ommon questions on stret hing. "ollow the steps in this thread and be prepared for awesome splits and that all#time lassi party tri k of ki king yourself in the head. The information ontained here is not $ust benefi ial to ki king#orientated arts, but to other styles (hip flexibility in parti ular will be useful to %&& and wrestling exponents) and to your general well#being also. 'opefully you will find this resour e useful. (n$oy. Why is flexibility important? !t makes life easier and saves trips to the hiropra tor. )hy* )ell, suffi iently developing your flexibility means that learning and perfe ting athleti skills is so mu h easier. (ven some of the most basi te hniques demand a moderate level of flexibility. +any martial arts te hniques leave the skeleto#mus ular system prone to fatigue and trauma (in$uries), therefore being flexible will help greatly redu e the risk of buggering yourself up. "'ow*" you might ask... )ell, if you an,t get your body into an optimal position during a te hnique, you will negatively impa t on your oordination. -our body, being the fine ma hine that it is, will ompensate for this by in reasing the demands on other available mus les that an be re ruited into the te hnique. !.e. the wrong mus les are being ontra ted and you,re on your way to starring in the "'un hba k of .otre /ame" musi al as the title role. As you be ome more flexible (properly) your strength, speed and oordination will improve. A la k of flexibility will impair these qualities, all of whi h are fundamental to the orre t exe ution of so many te hniques. Why will stretching help me? !t will make you more flexible. /uh0 %ut stret hing an also speed up the rate of re overy following an intensive workout. !t won,t prevent mus le soreness. The phenomenon that auses mus le soreness is no why related to in reasing flexibility. %ut it an have something to do with decreasing flexibility. After training your mus les an be shortened by intense ontra tions in the epimysium (mus le belly). The average time required for mus les to return to their normal length (that is, their length before training) is 1 to 2 hours. 3erforming stret hes immediately following your main workout an help redu e this time, thus limiting the amount of metaboli damage to the mus le ells. !n a sense, it helps speed up re overy. As mentioned above, stret hing to in rease flexibility will redu e the likelihood of in$ury. -our mus les shorten after workouts that ause mus le soreness, so imagine how mu h they shorten following an in$ury* A he k of a lot. .ot only does a mus le heal at a shorter length, the affe ted mus le is also more sus eptible to the same in$ury. Think of stret hing as a preventative measure4 it,s easier to gain and keep flexibility when you are healthy than it is to regain lost flexibility through in$ury. 5tret hing also prepares your body for the demands imposed during the workout4 but pay attention to the 5A!/ prin iple (Spe ifi Adaptation to Imposed Demands). -our stret hing must meet the requirements of your workout # that is, it must losely simulate the skill you will be performing. That,s where you need to know about types of flexibility and their related stret hing methods. What are the types of flexibility? There are three types of flexibility you should be on erned with, whi h are defined by the a tion of the agonist mus le (the one that does all the work during a movement) and whether or not there is an external for e a ting to hold or in rease the range of motion. The three types of flexibility are as follows6 7. /ynami flexibility "/ynami " means "vibrant" or "energeti ". !t is flexibility in motion. -ou perform dynami movements through a full range of motion permitted by the $oints, for example, leg raises. /ynami stretching is used to develop dynami flexibility. -ou are essentially relaxing the extended (antagonist) mus les while simultaneously ontra ting the moving (agonist) mus les through a plane of motion. !n the front leg raise, the hamstring group (bi eps femoris, semimembranosus and semitendinosus) are the antagonists (they

relax) while the quadri eps (re tus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius and sartorius) are the agonist (they ontra t). /ynami flexibility is fundamental to many martial arts te hniques, not least the high and powerful ki ks that feature in many ombat systems. You can de elop your maximum le el of dynamic flexibility without doing the splits! 8. 5tati #a tive flexibility -ou ever seen those awesome gymnasts who hold their leg verti al with seemingly little effort* )ell, they,re displaying a high level of stati #a tive flexibility. This type of flexibility involves extending a limb and holding it using only the tension of the agonists, while simultaneously stret hing the antagonists. !f you were to hold a front ki k at head height, the quadri eps are the agonists and the hamstrings are the antagonists4 you hold the leg up using only the tension of the quadri eps while at the same time stret hing the hamstrings. And, yup, you guessed it6 you develop stati #a tive flexibility through stati #a tive stretching. This type of flexibility is not ne essary for a lot of martial arts styles. +ost te hniques are dynami in nature without pausing during the te hnique or ombination of te hniques. This does not mean it is not useful, however. !t is great for developing strength, and is handy for performing high#grade Tae 9won#/o forms su h as +oon#+oo Tul. !t,s also handy if you want to be ome the next &ean#:laude ;an /amme as this type of flexibility seems to impress non#martial arts bods more than any other. 1. 5tati #passive flexibility This is the oldest and most ommon form of flexibility # taking up a stret h and $ust holding it. )hat is the most awe#inspiring stret h you an think of* The splits0 (Although some of the more disturbed members will more than likely be thinking of ladies who an li k ertain orifi es that shouldn,t be anatomi ally possible...) This is the only type of flexibility that doesn,t involve stret hes that share the same namesake, and is the only type of flexibility that has more than one method for its development. The two types of stret hing are6 relaxed (also alled stati ) and isometri (also alled 3."). !f you paid attention to the bit about the SAID prin iple, you might be asking ")hy bother with stati #passive flexibility if the te hniques in my martial art are dynami *" The answer6 /ynami and stati #passive flexibility share a unique relationship and ea h has an indire t effe t on the other. -ou an onsider yourself suffi iently flexible when your maximal range of motion ex eeds the requirements of your sport by at least 8<=. The differen e between your flexibility and the requirements of your sport is alled the flexibility reserve. The range of motion in your dynami stret hing depends upon, and is affe ted by, the range of motion in your stati # passive stret hes, and vi e versa. 5tati #a tive stret hing does not feature in this relationship. What happens when I stretch? )hen you stret h, the nervous system a tivates the myotati reflex. Also alled the stret h reflex, this me hanism is your body,s natural defen e against mus le tears. !t is essentially reigning your mus les in when it feels they have gone too far. The good news is that you an train this reflex to fire mu h later, thus improving your pre#tensile range of motion (i.e. how far you an stret h before your mus les tense up. This equals deeper splits and higher ki ks). >esear h has shown that onne tive tissues (tendons, ligaments and fas ia) also lengthen over many appli ations of stret hes, whi h an delay the onset of age#related redu tions in flexibility. Do my genes affect my flexibility? 9ind of. Trying to understand the fa tors affe ting flexibility is a ompli ated issue and ! have neither the time nor spa e to go into great detail here. %ut ! will over the bare essentials for your entertainment pleasure. "irst off, the anatomy and physiology of your $oints affe t flexibility, as do the elasti ity of ligaments and tendons. ?ood news if you,re female6 you have a geneti advantage in the ?reat "lexibility >a e. "emales often have a greater amplitude of movement in the hips due to anatomi al differen es in bone stru ture. "emales have a high reservoir of the hemi al >elaxin, whi h de reases resistan e in the flexion of ligaments (for when that baby is due). "emales (apart from those who en$oy a o ktail of steroids with their evening meal) tend to have less mus le mass around the $oints, thus de reasing the amount of meat they have to lug around in a stret h. Age is possibly the most important fa tor to onsider be ause it

has the greatest impa t on flexibility. 5mall hildren are, generally, very flexibility, whi h de reases until puberty, then pi ks up again during adoles en e. @n e they hit adulthood, however, flexibility de lines with age. This de line an be delayed through regular physi al exer ise (parti ularly strength training). !t is possible to still perform full splits at any age # even in your A<s and B<s. -our state of mind also affe ts your flexibility. The simple way to think of this is6 happy thoughts C ni e splits, unhappy thoughts C bad splits. /on,t stret h if you,re in a mood. %est to stret h when you,re happy. %ut don,t try to stret h when you,re in the middle of pleasing your ladyDman friend as they won,t be too happy if you attempt a front split during forni ation. The time of day when you stret h will determine the gains you make in range of motion4 you will generally make better gains in the evening than in early morning. The sequen e of efforts in a workout have a big impa t on how far you an stret h # get it right and you an have full splits and high ki ks very qui kly4 get it wrong and you,ll be at the same level five years from now. 5trength has a dire t effe t on flexibility. A la k of strength means your body is not strong enough to support itself in various positions. The stronger a mus le is, the less a tivation is required to support a given load. The stronger you are, the more flexible you an be ome. 5o hit those weights. "ow do I arrange my stretches in a wor#out? /ynami stret hing first (during the warm#up), isometri stret hing after the main part, followed by relaxed stret hing. !t,s that simple. 5o many people get this wrong and still wonder why they are sore after every workout and see little or Eero progress after years of training. 'ere is a more detailed explanation6 7. ?eneral warm#up. 5tart with rotations to loosen up the $oints, then follow this with light ardiovas ular exer ises. +ar hing, $ogging on the spot and skipping rope are great examples. Don't do strength exer ises here. Fay off the press#ups, sit#ups, squats, burpees and other allistheni exer ises until the strength portion of your workout. And don,t do $umping $a ks. (ver. 8. 5pe ifi warm#up. .ow is the time to do your dynami stret hes. "ollow these with milder versions of the skill you will be attempting in the main part. !f you,re throwing high ki ks in the main part, your spe ifi warm#up should onsist of dynami stret hes followed by low# and medium#height ki ks. 1. +ain part. /o te hnique before speed. /o speed before strength. /o strength before enduran e. Always. G. :ool#down. /o isometri stret hes followed by relaxed stret hes. /id isometri stret hes yesterday* Fay off them today and do only relaxed stret hes. !sometri stret hes are a strength exer ise and should be treated as su h. Feave at least 8G hours between appli ations. What if all I want to do is increase flexibility? 5kip the spe ifi warm#up and $ust do dynami stret hes, stati #a tive stret hes, isometri stret hes and relaxed stret hes in that order. Take out the ones you don,t wantDneed. $y coach ma#es us do static stretches at the beginning of a wor#out% Why not now? :hange your oa h. .o offen e, but any "instru tor" who makes you do stati stret hes before dynami a tions has no lue about orre t prin iples of sports training. 5tati stret hing de reases strength by impairing a tivation of the stret hed mus les for up to five minutes following the stret h, and ontra tile for e for up to one hour. !f the goal of your workout is to display high, powerful ki ks, then why would you want to do stret hes that temporarily redu e for e produ tion, enhan e drowsiness, and do not adequately prepare you for the skill in question* The methodology of your training must hange to adhere to the orre t prin iples of sports training if you want good results fast. I buggered arious body parts in my last in&ury% Should I still stretch? 5o you,re sore, huh* !f you want to in rease flexibility, don,t stret h. -ou,ll only ompound the problem. "a e up to the fa t you,re in$ured (! know, it an be a hard pill to swallow) and fo us on relieving pain and preventing ex essive loss of flexibility. "ollow the advi e of your do torDphysi ian until you are

suffi iently healed, then get ba k on the right tra k and train properly and sensibly. 9eep your hin up and you,ll soon be well again. The least you need to know6 # /ynami and stati #passive stret hing are essential if you want to be great at ki king and other skills. # /ynami stret hing, stati #a tive stret hing, isometri stret hing and relaxed stret hing, in that order. # /on,t do isometri or relaxed stret hes before your main workout. # -our genes will not prevent you from doing the splits. # %e happy C greater gains in flexibility. # +aintain orre t alignment, or you may end up with your big toe in your ear. # 5trength is essential for flexibility. # "lexibility will be greater later on in the day. So how do I do dynamic stretches? /ynami stret hing involves moving your limbs while gradually in reasing the velo ity and range of the movement. !t doesn,t involve stopping or holding the limb in the stret hed#out position. -ou do not boun e or $erk. The movement should be ontrolled throughout the full plane of motion. >ussian resear her +atvyev (+atveev) explained that 78 repetitions is the optimal number per set. /o enough sets until you rea h your maximum for that stage of training. A de rease in height is an indi ation to stop. /on,t do dynami stret hes when you are sore or tired. /oing so will redu e your dynami flexibility, whi h is something !,m sure you don,t want. The following guide has proven useful to many people in a hieving maximal dynami flexibility6 5et 76 knee height D 82= maximal velo ity 5et 86 waist height D 2<= maximal velo ity 5et 16 hest height D H2= maximal velo ity 5et G6 shoulder height D A2#B<= maximal velo ity 5et 26 head height D 7<<= maximal velo ity /ynami stret hing is very onvenient. !t forms part of your warm#up and only takes 72 minutes tops to develop an in rease in flexibility. The optimal frequen y is twi e a day, every day. !t is possible to display your maximal dynami flexibility in $ust A#7< weeks of applying dynami stret hes. /o them in the morning upon waking (before breakfast) and at the beginning of your workout in the evening. /ynami stret hes do not fatigue4 if you get tired doing them, you,re doing too many (use the guide ! outlined above) or you need to see a do tor0 The morning routine helps reset the nervous regulation of the length of your mus les for the rest of the day. -ou don,t need to do a tual ombat te hniques (su h as ki ks) in the morning workout. -ou also don,t need to do a ool#down. !f you have time, do relaxed stret hes after your dynami stret hes. 3ersonally, ! don,t bother be ause on e per day is the optimal frequen y for performing relaxed stret hes (more on that later). %ut if it makes you feel better, then do them. /o dynami stret hes to the front, side and to the rear, on ea h leg. Alternate sides between sets, i.e. do leg lifts to the front on your left leg, then on your right leg, (or vi e versa if you want to be pedanti ), before doing lifts to the side and rear. .ote that ! said "lift". -ou start the movements slowly and gently, gradually in reasing the height and velo ity of the stret h. -ou do not throw or for e them0 9eep your breathing as normal as possible. !f you,re breathing like a thirteen#year old kid wat hing his first ever porno, you,re doing them too hard andDor too fast. !,ll say it again6 5tart slowly and gently. After the first ouple of sets you should have nearly rea hed your full range of motion. )hen you rea h this point, begin in reasing the

velo ity of the movements. The last few in hes will be less ontrolled but they should never be sudden. 5tret h at no less than H2= maximal velo ity used in your a tual skill after the first few sets of dynami stret hing. The least you need to know6 # /ynami stret hes are easy and onvenient. # -ou an develop maximal levels of dynami flexibility in a short time, and the time needed to maintain these levels will gradually de rease. # -ou don,t need to do a warm#up for the early morning dynami stret hing session. &oint rotations, dynami stret hes and (if you have time) relaxed stret hes are suffi ient. # The sooner you do them, the sooner you see results. 'ool( I got the dynamic stretches down% "ow do I do isometric stretches? Ah, isometri s. The fastest method for in reasing stati #passive flexibility. !n fa t, they,re 8IH= more effe tive than relaxed stret hes. They,re beautiful. .o really, they are. They not only improve passive flexibility but a tive flexibility also, as well as strength in on entri , isometri and e entri a tions. They an ause longitudinal growth of mus le fibres and you don,t have to do them every day0 /own side is, they hurt like hell if you,re not used to them. @nly attempt them if you regularly train strength for the mus les you wish to stret h. !sometri stret hing is easy. -ou add strong tensions during stati stret hes, whi h indu e a post# ontra tive stret h reflex depression and allow you to move into a greater range of motion. All you do is stret h, tense, relax and stret h again, repeating this up to your maximum. .ot surprisingly it,s also referred to as :ontra t#>elax 5tret hing. !t,s also known as 3roprio eptive .euromus ular "a ilitation, whi h if you an spell then splits should be easy0 3." stret hes were developed as a rehabilitation te hnique for stroke patients to re over normal fun tional movement. %ut here we,ll refer to them as isometri stret hes be ause you apply isometri tensions. /o isometri stret hes two to three times a week. @n e you a hieve your desired level of flexibility you need only do them on e per week for maintenan e. !sometri stret hes are great for breaking through plateaus, whi h usually o ur at 7<#78 in hes from the floor (in the side split). @nly do isometri s when you are ready. !,m psy hi so ! already know what you,re going to ask. 'ow do you know when you,re ready* Try them. !f you,re sore the day after, you ain,t ready. -ou should be able to squat a load equal to your own body weight and run 8 to 1 miles without getting sore before you ready to >(AFF- do them. /on,t do them if you,re a hild or going through the growth spurt. !f your body isn,t ready for them, you will get sore. !f you,re really unlu ky, you an ause a omplete tear in the mus le # something you definitely don't want. 3reparation will take time, ! know, but su k it up and do the $ob properly or you,ll never get your splits. %etter to take you time and get it right than rush things and end up going to the physiotherapist for a year, right* !f you,re really, really, really sore (i.e. for 1 or more days) then strength (or la k thereof) is the issue. 'it the weights and try isometri s after two or three months. !t,s a trial#and#error thing. !t,s something we all had to go through (unless you,re a mutant), so think of it like a rite of passage. !f you,re sore for more than H days, you,re in$ured. ?o see a physi ian. >ight now you,re probably thinking how you build strength for isometri s, eh* 5ee, told you !,m psy hi . !deally you want to build strength through a full range of motion. !n your workout do basi exer ises su h as the squat, lunge, deadlift and good morning, followed by dynami #strength exer ises su h as hamstringDaddu tor flies and pulldowns. /o isometri stret hes at the end of your main workout (ideally straight after your strength training). A

solid session of isometri s should take 1< minutes tops, whi h isn,t all that long if you think of the rewards you,re going to get (lovely, lovely splits... ooh, ! $ust love the splits). 5tret h as far as omfortably possible (don,t worry, omfort will end soon) and tense up the stret hed mus les. Tense for about 2#H se onds, gradually in reasing the tension until about the third or fourth se ond when you rea h your maximal tension. The last one or two se onds should be held at 7<<= of your maximal voluntary ontra tile strength. Then release the tension and immediately (i.e. without delay) in rease the stret h. /on,t wait more than a se ond after releasing the tension before in reasing the stret h4 waiting longer than five se onds means you,re wasting your time. >epeat the pro ess until you rea h your maximal limit for that stage of training. )hen you,re at your maximum hold one final tension for 1< se onds. :ome out of the stret h, rest a few minutes, then repeat for 1 to 2 sets. (ventually you will hit a plateau. )hen this happens, tense harder, or longer, or both. (ventually the strength gains you make will translate into a greater stret h. And remember6 never, ever do isometri stret hes when you are sore. -ou only need one exer ise per mus le group so front splits and side splits will do. ?et a pain in the top of your hips when you do the side split* >otate your pelvis more. That pain is you $amming the top head of your femur (thigh bone) into your a etabulum (hip so ket). %ye bye artilage, hello hip repla ement0 5eriously though, you got to rotate your pelvis if you want to tou h your rown $ewels (if you have them) to the floor. The least you need to know6 # /o isometri stret hes at the end of your workout following your main strength routine, and leave at least 8G hours between appli ations. # .ever do isometri s when you are sore. # !f experien e soreness for several days following every appli ation of isometri stret hes, you are tensing too hard, too mu h, or both, or you are not yet ready for them. )reat( so how do I do relaxed stretches? 5imple # $ust don,t tense up when you stret h. "o us on omplete relaxation. 5tret h as far as omfortably possible then wait patiently until the tension dissipates. Then "pi k up the sla k" by moving into a greater range of motion. )hen you start to fidget (a sign you,re not relaxing) or get mus le spasms, slowly get out of the stret h. >elax and repeat on e more. The optimal frequen y for relaxed stret hes is on e per day. 'old the stret h at its maximum for thirty se onds, or a minute if you like. .o need to hold it for longer be ause it a hieves nothing. !mportant point alert0 )aiting out the tension on the way to your maximum an take several minutes. 5o as long as you feel the tension start to disappear after 1< se onds and the stret h be omes easier to hold, you,re doing fine. !f the tension doesn,t start to fade after 1< se onds, you start to sweat or your mus les start to tremble, hit the big red e$e tor button and get out of the stret h. /o relaxed stret hes in pla e of or after isometri stret hes. >elaxed stret hes are slow so you must do them every day for them to be effe tive. %ut, you an them any time of day without a warm#up and they do not make you tired. >emember to be patient with relaxed stret hes, during appli ations and over the longer term. -ou only need one exer ise per mus le group # the front and side splits demonstrated above should be suffi ient. The least you need to know6 # -ou an do relaxed stret hes any time, any where and without a warm#up. # -ou must be patient when doing relaxed stret hes # don,t time yourself0 # .ever boun e in any type of stret h.

# /o relaxed stret hes at the very end of your workout(s). # @n e per day is the optimal frequen y for relaxed stret hes. # >otate your pelvis to prevent pain o urring at the top of your hips. "ow do I de elop static*acti e flexibility? !t is diffi ult to develop stati #a tive flexibility to the level of your dynami or stati #passive flexibility. The best way to develop this type of flexibility is to use a ombination of both isometri tensions (isometri stret hing) and dynami strength exer ises (hamstring and addu tor pulldowns, flies, et ). @ne example is you an ontinually raise and lower your leg to the side in one slow ontinuous motion, followed by holding your leg at the maximum height for 2#7< se onds. -our level of stati #a tive flexibility depends mostly on your stati #passive flexibility and stati strength. To perform these stret hes simply extend your leg to the front, side and rear and hold it for as long as possible. !,m not going to insult your intelligen e by in luding pi tures. /on,t use your hands to support the stret h. >emember you,re trying to build the strength of the agonists (the mus les at work) so by using your hands you will be heating yourself out of a good workout. !t,s tough, it,s designed to be tough for a reason # be ause only those who try hard and put in the work will reap the rewards. There are no short uts to a hieving great flexibility. The least you need to know6 # -ou don,t need to do stati #a tive stret hes if all you,re interested in is high ki ks and splits. # 'olding your leg to the side an stress the vertebrae of the spine. After every set of holding your leg to the side do some forward bends to release this build#up of pressure. # "or a de ent#enough stati #a tive flexibility workout all you really need to do is three sets of holding your leg to the front, side and rear, for 7< se onds per set on ea h side. "ow long will it ta#e me to achie e the splits? That depends on your initial levels of strength and flexibility. !t an take anywhere from 8 weeks to I months, but it definitely takes less than one year to display full splits. !f it takes longer than this, then your method of stret hing is wrong. $y hip pops when I do leg raises% Why is that? !n reased flexibility may ause greater frequen y of $oint li king or popping, resulting from an enhan ed leverage of the $oint,s bones. 3ainless li king or popping is usually harmless, espe ially if followed by the feeling of release of tension and by in rease mobility. !f in doubt, onsult a qualified medi al pra titioner. What boo#s or D+Ds do you recommend? Stretching Scientifically (book) or Secrets of Stretching by Thomas 9urE. That,s where ! got all my information from. -ou really will not find a more qualified authority or extensive resour e on the s ien e of stret hing. Should I use a stretching machine? -ou don,t need one. %ut, they an be useful for performing relaxed side splits (toes#up version) if your knees are too weak to support your body weight in the toes#forward side split. ! explain how and why in the arti le that an be found by li king on the following link6

http6DDwww.martialartsplanet. omDfor...php*pC7<2HA77B $y martial arts instructor insists on doing static stretches during the warm*up% What should I do? "ind a new instru tor. @ne who knows the orre t prin iples of sports training. Is it possible to display a full split without warming up first? -es. This usually o urs one to two months after you first a hieve a full split. (ventually you an work your way up to a hanging or suspended split between two hairs. Should I use partners in stretching? .o. 3artners do not know when you have gone too far in a stret h. %y the time they respond and ease off on the stret h, it might be too late. Anything you an do with a partner or ma hine you an do $ust as well (sometimes better) with a ni e, solid floor. )ell, there you have it folks. A beginner,s guide to flexibility and (hopefully) the most ommon questions answered. !f you an think of any questions not raised here, feel free to post and ! (and others) will do our best to answer. 3romise we,ll lay off the sar asm. ()ell, at least a little bit.) http6DDwww.martialartsplanet. omDforumsDshowthread.php*tCA21H1