Stretching

[Gmc310]

I'm sure this has been covered a hundred times on this forum, if so, my apologies. I am a bigger guy 5-11 230 (down from over 250 since I began training 15 months ago) my flexibility has certainly improved but not to the point that I would have hoped. I stretch pretty aggressively but seem to get pretty sore in the hips and lower back. Is this normal ? Consistency is probably the best bet , but man do I get sore . When you start doing the hip stretches it seems to bother your knees , but that went away, I don't know what I am actually asking but wanted a little feedback, Thanks in advance for any answers, Gary from Boston

[ZeiShou]

Well, first off, welcome to the forum.

I can't tell if you're asking for stretching tips, or if you're doing it right, or what stretches you can do for hip flexibility/flexibility in general... would you mind (trying) clarifying?

[rocknroll]

after a long time off i started stretching again, yeah my knees hurt a bit sometimes after stretching.... i guess i have to get used to it again...

i like to relax into stretch, make sure to warm up good, there is nothing i hate more than stretching cold it hurts, i dont like at all

seriously dont be aggressive when stretching, its like not tapping in bjj.... not good in the long run...

i hold a stretch breath very deep.. try to go further when i exhale.. sometimes i go into a position to stretch and its tight and i feel the pressure... i will hold the position and breath deeply and try to relax into the stretch but sometimes its just tight and i cant so i will hold the stretch and dont go any further and try it next time again...

better stretch 5x not to the maximum then 1x over the maximum :)

its important to stay consistent, try to stretch every day

[Gmc310]

to clarify some of the stretches I do It's mostly the seated hip stretches that bother me , seated on a stool ,ankle across the opposite knee leaning toward my knee, or scoot over to a wall push off with one foot,cross the leg over knee and drop back down, you use your own body-weight to perform the stretch. these are effective but like I said before, seem to kill me the next day.I was mostly asking if this was normal and how long before you keep that flexibility and the soreness doesn't happen as much. there is a funny youtube video of Eddie Bravo talking about stretching.

[rocknroll]

how many hip opening stretches do you do ?

[Adam]

First off , you MUST warm up before doing deep stretches. Personally, skipping and burpee do me fine. Get the blood hot and flowing before doing deep stretching.
You will find the 30 min warm up will make you go deeper in the stretch and the next day you wont feel sore compared.
This why i love summer for stretching , i hardly have to warm up lol.

[cholodeamor]

I broke my middle finger and I couldn't practice BJJ for a while, and I joined a Yoga School and have been going for 3 months. Yesterday was my first time back at 100% and we did a set up for a triangle that transitions from a hip roll sweep when we are on the bottom of a full mount. I remember trying it when I was brand new and I could not get my very long legs around the guys. After consistanly doing yoga, I was much more effective, even after not grappling for almost a month!

Yoga is very effective, and it is based around spending about 40 mins to warm your body completely, and get it very loose, before getting into very deep intense stretching. People should give it a shot.

We use breathing to help us stretch, inhaling "into" the tight spots and then exhaling deeply and letting the space we made by inhaling collapse.

[Deimos]

I used to be a over zealous with my stretching pushing it as far as I could go. My hips would be sore for a couple days and made it to where I couldn't properly stretch till the soreness went away. So it was basically 1 step forward 2 steps back. I guess what I'm getting at is if you go at it too hard you may harm your progress.

[Kaije727]

First off , you MUST warm up before doing deep stretches. Personally, skipping and burpee do me fine. Get the blood hot and flowing before doing deep stretching.
You will find the 30 min warm up will make you go deeper in the stretch and the next day you wont feel sore compared.
This why i love summer for stretching , i hardly have to warm up lol.

+1 on this, at Wrestling practice we jog in a circle and do light calisthenics like skipping, karaoke, inside circle, outside circle... then we stop and circle it up and do some light/medium stretching, and after practice we do deep stretching. and I am pretty flexible and have not once been sore from stretching

[Sue]

+1 on this, at Wrestling practice we jog in a circle and do light calisthenics like skipping, karaoke, inside circle, outside circle... then we stop and circle it up and do some light/medium stretching, and after practice we do deep stretching. and I am pretty flexible and have not once been sore from stretching

Singing by following a bouncing ball on a tv moniter? Are you singing very loud or what am I missing?

[Otto]

Singing by following a bouncing ball on a tv moniter? Are you singing very loud or what am I missing?

Karaoke is a footwork drill/exercise where you move sideways (quickly), alternating which foot crosses over in front. Then back the other way. Awesome footwork drill.

[Matt]

Karaoke is a footwork drill/exercise where you move sideways (quickly), alternating which foot crosses over in front. Then back the other way. Awesome footwork drill.

I love that drill, it has so many names! Any idea where Karaoke comes from? I was taught it as a grapevine.

[Otto]

I love that drill, it has so many names! Any idea where Karaoke comes from? I was taught it as a grapevine.

I was wondering that myself. I always knew it as "cross overs" or grapevine, the karaoke name is relatively new. At least to me.

[mattamatta]

Let's not get hasty, it could really be a singing warm up. And we are so quick to judge...

[Matt]

Let's not get hasty, it could really be a singing warm up. And we are so quick to judge...

Sorry homes, if that's how you roll then so be it

[Adam]

Zumba!!!!!!!!

[Gmc310]

Great insight guys, I think I am inconsistent followed by overzealous, which leads to the soreness, I will warm up a bit better and get at it every day, Thanks again everyone, G

[Otto]

Gary,
Do you do any supplimental stretching outside of your Martial Arts training? And the stretch you mentioned on the stool, is that stretching the hip? And does that one bother your lower back?

[Matt]

Haha, by the way guys.. Charles Poloquin has show that stretching is bad :) what you wanna be doing it Muscle Activation Techniques.

Edit: I'll elaborate a bit as I'm assuming some of you will want to know whats going on!

It is now viewed that muscle tightness is a protection maneouver as the muscle is weak. When you stretch you are lengthening a weak muscle making it even more weaker, and then you stretch it again and again and again which makes it even more weaker and the end result is it will probably just scrumple back up and be tight again :)


I'll copy and paste what MAT does exactly, When a muscle cannot perform its role in stabilising a joint, associated muscles may overwork and tighten. MAT uses a system of checks to find muscular imbalances, identify and treat the inhibited muscles and restore stability to the body with the effects of increased strength, mobility and a reduction in associated aches and pains. This has proved to be of benefit to people from all walks of life, e.g. a faster recovery from treatment for injury, improved sports performance and ease of movement in every day living.

[Otto]

I don't think what Poliquin is saying is that stretching is bad. He conducts seminars on stretching. He's big on posture and supplimental methods of stretching to go along with static stretching. (At least as I remember it, but I could be wrong)

[Matt]

I was talking to some one who trains under him about it, was interesting stuff. I'd love to do it!

Stretching when your seriously warmed up is okay, stretching when you 'tight' is bad.

[forrestang]

If after stretching you feel pain or soreness in your knees, be careful. If you feel this pain it is likely that you are asking your knees to do the work that your groin/hips should be doing.

Imagine sitting in a butterfly stretch, if you push down for the groin stretch, and your hips/groin don't open up much yet, then your knees will be doing more stretching than you want.

Be careful as your knees are not meant to be bent laterally. You really want to take it easy and focus on getting a deep stretch into your groin/hips and not your knees.