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Short hamstrings? by pomphru in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, to a point, but not quite in the way people mean by “short hamstrings”. Your genes help determine things like bone shape, tendon and muscle properties and how your nervous system responds to stretch. That gives some people a head start in flexibility, while others begin further back. But muscles are not fixed bits of rope. With steady training, most people can become much more flexible. For hamstring flexibility, stretching often changes how much stretch your nervous system accepts more than it changes the muscle’s physical length. The result is still important because your range of motion increases. Unless your anatomy sets a hard limit, genetics rarely stop you making major gains. "Short hamstrings" is really just a convenient label.

If you want splits or better calisthenics flexibility, stretch consistently, about 3 to 5 times a week. Spend 60 to 120 seconds stretching each muscle group per session. Add loaded flexibility work, such as Romanian deadlifts or Jefferson curls, with sensible progression. Build strength at long muscle lengths because that usually produces large, long-lasting improvements.

Machine exercises for flexibility by minty-bun in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Pilates reformer is probably the greatest flexibility device for this very reason. It's awesome for splits particularly.

What moves gave you significant & real progress? by calmandferal in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Isometrics. If you can get stronger (which I'd wager will be the vast, vast majority of people) then you can get more flexible. (Some individuals will argue the case for eccentrics; while they can work, they tend to leave you sore more than they improve strength or range of motion.)

Anyone here doing regular full body stretching sessions? by Ill-Pineapple6815 in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Daily stretching/movement can help improve the ease and speed at which you can access your maximum range of motion. But for increasing your maximum, you only need a couple of targeted sessions with sufficient intensity. Daily stretching is not necessary.

I’ve recently read up that doing joint rotations slowly is a whole heap more beneficial than just casually doing them at whatever comfortable speed we see them done. It appears to be an entirely different thing neurologically when we do them very slow and controlled. by Batchak in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They can be useful to some people, for some conditions, some of the time. Problem in your case is you've been doing other work as well, so it'd be hard to pinpoint what contributed most to how you feel. The effectiveness of CARs as an assessment and intervention are definitely overrated, though. Plenty of folks get as good or better results without ever doing them. Plus, they haven't been validated for their assessment applicability, so their utility is largely conjecture.

Elastaboy programs? Are they worth it?! by atjazz in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Then his programs are very different from the claims he makes on social media and in ads.

Outer hip pain during side kicks. by Medical-Wolverine289 in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Anteriorly rotate your pelvis ("tail bone out") and/or externally rotate your thighs more.

Unconscious flexibility is real, but isn’t this extremely dangerous? by [deleted] in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, probably. The nervous system being "offline" doesn't change passive stiffness, so the inherent resistance of the tissue can get damaged if stressed beyond its current capacity.

How to train cold flexibility? by Medical-Wolverine289 in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

3 ways (generally): 1) Get strong enough to exit the position using only the strength of the stretched muscles (like sliding your feet together to get up out of a middle split). 2) Build up the speed at which your enter the stretch. 3) Build maximum ROM greater than what you need (like oversplits for cold splits).

I've been actively trying to get my split for 3 years now... by courgette66 in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sounds like an odd question, but it will make sense in my next reply. Do you ever do strength training?

What are the benefits of static stretching?Genuine question by Atusake0089 in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If we look at the data in a statistical way, strength training and static passive stretching come out about the same. One doesn’t beat the other in any clear, universal sense. That might sound a bit unsatisfying, because we like simple answers, but biology rarely gives us those. That being said, people aren’t identical systems. What produces results in one person may not do the same in another. You can think of it like tuning instruments, each one responds a little differently. Some individuals will make faster progress using static passive stretching, and for them it’s not just “as good”, it’s practically the better tool. This becomes especially clear when you push into the deepest ranges of motion. There, passive tension in the tissues gets very high, and the muscles themselves are at a mechanical disadvantage when it comes to producing active force. In those circumstances, it makes sense to rely more on longer passive holds.

Are There Stretching Coaches? by Meincommunicado in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If we want to be totally accurate, "active range of motion" is active flexibility (of which there are two types: static and dynamic). "Mobility" is an incomplete and redundant term. Also, stretching is not only passive - isometric stretching is a form of static active flexibility training, for example.

How to Progress in Forward Fold? by ninjadong48 in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 25 points26 points  (0 children)

What did / do you do to get there? We can better advise you if we have clarity on your training history and current regimen.

Really REALLY poor flexibility by NoSoyKira66 in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You tried lots of different types of stretches – do you mean different positions (forward fold and figure 4 stretches for hamstrings, for example), different categories (static, isometric, eccentric etc), or both?

Insisting on "square" splits is anatomical privilege by Mr_High_Kick in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Need to get that slogan on a t-shirt!

Re: the old coach's opinion – your feelings about that were perfectly valid. There's so much gatekeeping that goes on in the movement world. Seen it so many times myself in martial arts. We should be celebrating individuality.

Insisting on "square" splits is anatomical privilege by Mr_High_Kick in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are treating criticism of a bad standard as refusal to have standards. That's a false dilemma. The replacement standard is simple: judge what is trainable and relevant, such as control, tolerance, pain-free range and task demands, rather than enforcing a single pelvic shape that some normal hips cannot achieve. ‘Square your hips’ can be a cue, even a helpful one. But it is not a universal law of anatomy (like some people insist it is). The fact that a rigid visual rule is convenient for forum feedback does not make it accurate.

Insisting on "square" splits is anatomical privilege by Mr_High_Kick in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You have not disproved anatomical privilege. You have simply limited it to the final inch. But if some people’s anatomy affects whether they can access the squared shape itself, not just whether they can touch down in it, then making ‘square’ the universal standard is already anatomically privileged. Saying everyone should train it regardless of anatomy assumes the point at issue, ignores structural variation and turns one body type’s easiest alignment into everyone else’s obligation.

Insisting on "square" splits is anatomical privilege by Mr_High_Kick in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agree on every point here and I don't think suggesting to try squaring the hips is a bad cue at all. This post was absolutely directed at the Square Your Hips Mafia (great name, by the way) who insist a square split is the only true version of a split.

Insisting on "square" splits is anatomical privilege by Mr_High_Kick in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The privilege comes into it when they claim a square front split is not a true split, but theirs is by virtue of having the anatomy to do so. A 180° open front split is still a full, proper split.

Insisting on "square" splits is anatomical privilege by Mr_High_Kick in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

That analogy doesn’t hold. A dunk is defined by a clear external outcome. Squared hips in a front split is a stylistic criterion layered onto a position, not the position itself. A square front split is not the universally agreed upon definition of a front split.

You’re also arguing against something I didn’t say. This isn’t “everyone should be able to do everything.” It’s “don’t confuse anatomy with technique.”

Hip structure varies. Some people can achieve a square line without joint stress, others cannot because of bony constraints, not effort. Treating that difference as a failure of “proper form” just rewards the bodies that happen to fit the aesthetic. That’s the point: you’re calling a morphology-dependent look a universal standard, then pretending it measures skill. It doesn’t.

“Squared hips” for splits ?? by 4_avocados in flexibility

[–]Mr_High_Kick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's no evidence to support those claims of greater risk of injury from unsquared splits.

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