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Hi, I have a pain in my hamstring around this reigion where it says hamstring tendon: The pain is most easily activated doing the "elephant walk" stretch from one of the stretch series. The pain is on my left side, and when I do the stretch shifting my hips to the right to stretch the left, it is easily felt. Also when doing a stretch like this: And front splits as well, mostly near the bottom ROM. This is not the first time I have had this pain, I have recovered and had it re-injured a few times now. What frustrates me the most about it is it always takes several weeks to months to heal and at the time of injury, I feel nothing. There is not sign of injury like a pull or snap. I always stretch to what I feel is within my boundaries, and there is no excruciating pain/discomfort during the session prior. I guess what I would like to know is what exactly have I injured, what can be done to rehab it faster, and what can then be done to prehab it in the future.

See here: http://vimeo.com/ondemand/frontsplitsprep If you want front splits with square hips and minimal lumbar extension, you need this program. Buy Liv a cup of coffee! I will be posting on this pulse technique in my 90-day challenge post. It developed out of the ballistics protocol (and I am still using this approach for some exercises) but for some of the more subtle things one wants to enhance (and awareness is much enhanced with the pulsing compared to the ballistics) this is the way to go. More over at the other thread.

I attach a photo taken at the recent inaugural Monkey Gym workshop in Chattanooga; in it, Ryan (a participant and keen CrossFitter) is shown using a piece of Pilates equipment (the Cadillac) to stretch all the hip flexors. Getting the back leg to the Cadillac table surface is easy: by leaning forwards, and by hanging the lower leg off the table top, you can get the hips square and in the full front splits position. The string hip flexor stretch is then brought on by taking the trunk away from the front leg, using the Cadillac uprights to assist. The partner holds the hips square, and provides the pivot around which to move, as well as weighting the hip joint itself. Three contractions are done: the standard 'drag the back leg through the table top'; the fold up the back leg until there's a stretch, then 'try to straighten the leg', and the novel 'press the trunk forward and down' (uses psoas very strongly). Then the back lower leg is replaced on the table top, and then you try to lift the shoulders and trunk as far away from the Cadillac table top as you can; Ryan has done a brilliant job here. I should add he's 6' + and 100Kg. Very nice suppleness in such a big man. Try this; you'll like it.