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I was doing the E3 - Relaxed lunge from Master the Squat yesterday for the first time. After I extended the stretched leg, when I went for the C-R (try to drive the straight leg forward), I contracted the hamstring of the same, extended leg, which resulted in an immediate, intense hamstring cramp. It's only on my right hamstring that a 5-10 second cramp would produce soreness and tightness for me, and for multiple days at that. The soreness and tightness feels like it's only at a very specific, targeted area in my hamstrings. This has happened to me before at the gym while doing TRX or valslide hamstring curls, still only on my right leg. Walking, self-myofascial release, and stretching seem to help it recover, but it is a stubborn sonofabitch. Does anyone have any theories as to what is going on under the covers?

First off, I'd like to say I've only discovered Kit Laughlin (& ST community) in the past couple weeks, but already a big fan of both the physical practice of the system, and the underlying philosophy. Relieving tension and feeling brand new sensations in the body for the first time, and the parallel awareness cultivation that comes along with that, has been more than motivating to make ST a daily practice, and set me on the path towards an 'erudite' movement lexicon. Additionally, I've found some of the ideas discussed on coffee shop conversations to resonate immediately with me, yet the epiphanies seem to be very fleeting, so to digest I've been re-listening to conversations and with each successive rumination comes a deeper mental understanding - akin to physically arriving at deeper ROM with each successive contraction. Please keep these conversations going! I do have a couple questions: What do you make of 'burning' sensations when stretching? (the burning is enough that I immediately stop when I encounter the burn) What about cramping? When you recommend 2x contraction/strength sessions a week for best results, does that apply only to that muscle, the larger muscle group, or the entire body? For 2.) example, in L7: Seated Figure Four (Mastering Squat) when doing the contraction, I've found my external rotators can cramp up. My guess is because the muscles are not used to contracting at that particular (end-)ROM, but it's perfectly safe? I recall Dr. Spina explaining cramping as neurological confusion, or the inability of the nervous system to produce the movement you're asking it to, but to fight through it and it will eventually subside. For 3.) example, if the contraction occurs during external rotation of the lower body, can that be done 2 days a week, and contractions involving internal rotation of the lower body can be done two other days of the week in addition? And then perhaps the other 2 days upper body external/internal? So theoretically, you can be doing C-R cycles everyday, but with different exercises/muscles.