Advice for a good full body stretching routine?

[Chris Reid]

 Hello GB, 

 

First time poster here.Recently purchased the Foundation 1 programme and was looking for advice/guidance on a complimentary streching/flexibilty routine to train in conjunction? 

 

Feel still quite stiff and rigid from years of traditional weight training, and would like to know how, what, and where regarding stretching/flexibilty

 

Any help woul be much appreciated

 

Ta Chris.

[Stefan Hinote]

Check out Kit Laughlin's work http://www.pandf.com.au/

[David McManamon]

I am not yet aware of a complete series available for purchase so I would recommend the traditional learning path of finding a flexibility coach.  For example, in New York City right now there are over 5 professional level rhythmic gymnasts offering excellent flexibility classes that will produce good results on top of that the circus schools have several professionals teaching contortion.  In my personal experience, I have found great flexibility classes by looking for rhythmic gymnastics, circus schools and occasionally professional dancers.

Maybe you still want to just buy a book and I can almost guarantee your results won't match those from a competent coach because it is very unlikely you will be able to push yourself in the same way a coach would push you in a class.  Although I can train strength effectively on my own, I could never stretch with the same intensity as I do in a class when the instructor is pushing us from one challenging exercise to another in timed sequences.

If you don't find a coach and start doing regular classes, make sure to integrate stretching with all your strength training.  Actually that is beneficial regardless of whether you decide to add additional stretching classes.

[Blairbob]

 Most of the stretching resources out there don't have an established cookie-cutter program.

Drills&Skills goes over the positions and Roger has commented before in his blog or his forum (years back) on general programming.

 

Relax into the Stretch goes over a lot of different stretches but I don't remember a program of any sorts as in do this for this many seconds this many times.

 

I created one for Brandon's ATG program a few years ago which was exactly what my entry competitive level gymnasts used. 

It's best to start with something like this and then customize it per your needs and goals.

 

Basic gymnastic stretches to cover are pike, bridge, middle (warmup with froggies besides doing seated straddle) and side splits (warming up with floor lunge and half front split, floor german hang ish stretch/shoulder extension, cat stretch, maybe seal stretch, lying scorpions, butterfly is another good one. Then I generally add in some Kelly Starlett stuff or stuff from the GB mobility program.

Identify your tight spots where you need to get more flexible. Do the general stretches and perhaps some of the GB mobility or K-star stuff as assistance or warmup stretches.

For beginners, I generally like warming up with 20 seconds on the first set and 40 on the second set. Ideally over time, ramping this to 20-40-80-160 or increments of 30. Eventually you will need to put in some long holds to effectively truly stretch the muscles. 2-3 minutes at the very least to something possibly like 5-8 minutes and it's not uncommon for ballet dancers to do 15. But you have to start somewhere and I wouldn't just go for 5-10 minutes on the first try.

[Biren Patel]

 

...Eventually you will need to put in some long holds to effectively truly stretch the muscles. 2-3 minutes at the very least to something possibly like 5-8 minutes and it's not uncommon for ballet dancers to do 15. But you have to start somewhere and I wouldn't just go for 5-10 minutes on the first try....

At one sports physical therapy facility I observed, I learned that 30 minute stretches at low intensity are extremely effective for increasing plasticity. (I think Joshua Naterman does this method?) However, they didn't practice that method simply because of the costs. No one will shell out money every week to lay in a stretch for half their session. The normal method they used was 10-30 second static stretchs, and when people are significantly stronger it's ramped up to PNF cycles of 6 second contractions with 10-30 second assissted stretches. Food for thought...

[Guest SuperBru]

I'm busy learning the splits at the moment as i'm not that flexible. This will benefit me a lot with the sPL. You don't have to go to classes to become flexible. If you are unable to push yourself then a coach won't help much. This is because in order to change you have to want to change. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.