Gold Nuggets of the ST forums

[[DW]]

 

As discussed in the 'PNF Stretching' thread, this is for posts on the forum of a high quality but non-beginner nature. This archiving will (hopefully) lead to the creation of a useful 'Intermediate' level resource.  Let's see how it goes..

[DW]

 

EDIT: I have locked the topic to stop extraneous replies to this topic.. I think it would be best if only posts are posted (not discussion ON posts).  Send anything you think worthy to a mod via PM and we will post it if it is deemed as reading high enough on the 'Virtue-o-meter'. 

[[DW]]

Let's start the Ball rolling with Kit's epic post from 'Deeper techniques of Stretch Therapy: putting it all together': 

 

Today's routine, entered spontaneously after 400 bounces  and 50 full range Calf Raises, was a minor revelation.

 

I experienced a major insight: all the different angles (in terms of precisely which directions you choose to move in in any stretch) that Olivia and I have been exploring are not adjuncts to the exploration of any main angle (think pancake); they are one of the major mechanisms via which the "main goal" can be gained.

 

I shall explain. All this work I am exploring comes on the back of the 90-day challenge; still no days missed. There is a considerable residue (for want of a better word) of fatigue in the particular muscle lines I have been concentrating on, and will continue to concentrate on, until the desired pattern is simply a movement, and not a stretch. I want to stress this: when I did pancakes and pike many years ago, I held them against considerable force and very strong sensations. Both were at my limit. Now, when I have used a few prep. moves (more on the contents below), I can sit in the legs-apart position and move to over 45 degrees from vertical with no experience of resistance in the body, and this is the first time this has been the case. If any of you have read the introduction to Stretching & Flexibility, you will recall my experiences at the dance studio: it was clear then that dancers live in a parallel, but different, physical reality to most of us. Even then, I knew what I wanted, and that was to be flexible—but not just to be able to imitate the positions (by force, in my case) but to have those positions in the body in a way that they were experienced as easily as reaching up and touching the back of your head, for example—simply a movement.

 

This is happening now. There are many many factors, but I will try to tease out the main ones:

 

1. Small, gentle movements, which we call "pulsing" (frequency and amplitude emerging from the feeling in the body), in literally any direction that the position allows. In the example, the pancake, we are talking forwards on an infinite number of lines; over each leg using the groin muscle to do the reaching, not the hands pulling, and straight back, relaxed back, lateral flexion only, and lateral flexion plus various rotation angles. So, all possible angles. Some days this takes a couple of minutes; today 15.

 

2. Hold end positions. #1 has led to something new for me—I feel like I want to hold end positions now. This is new: before, I knew that holding end positions was necessary to get the position I wanted, but I never enjoyed or liked it. Now I do, and I am certain it's the pulsing that has led to this (in combination with other techniques below). Another way I use the pulses is 10 (or 20, or 30) at the same ROMs, then hold the end ROM, and simply let the body 'melt' into it, and rest there. Next, I start to pulse from that new end ROM, and keep repeating until I don't feel like doing any more.

 

3. Contract–Relax. C–R. Long a core method in our system, it has spontaneously re-manifested in the pulsing, like this. After a few repetitions and new end ROMs with the pulsing–holding technique described above, I will hold one of the end ROMs, but this time using hands/arms/body's weight/pole/edge of deck (whatever provides sufficient resistance to a contraction). In the example, I will lift my chest, make sure the back is perfectly straight, and gently contract in the usual way. The re-stretch is done as usual, and end ROM either held while breathing and relaxing, or a new round of pulsing begins.

 

4. Equally important as 1–3 above is the use of a number of partial positions; I will describe a few (and this will be a follow-along program I will make in a week or two; I will call it "Intermediate Pancake"):

4a. Standing legs apart. Main emphasis is bent-to-straight leg using RIR via quadriceps, pulsing over each leg, pulsing > ballistic to floor. Emphasis on being relaxed in all positions.

4b. Bent-leg Cossack squat. Body balanced on ball of support leg, straighten action pulsed in 'straight' leg. Once straight, pulses towards straight leg (so two different actions, working on the different hamstrings). Then support hand out in front, face and trunk taken towards floor, following this, body is taken to straight leg in plane of floor. C–Rs can be used in any position, depending on feeling.

4c. Half pancake. One leg to side, one leg folded (like tailor pose). Emphasis on all the small movements described in 1. above, plus trying to keep hip of straight leg on floor. Can be done bent-to-straight leg (as in 4a., above), C-Rs (pull away from floor with straight back; pull (in plane of floor or wherever you are) away from straight leg, relax in forwards-most position with head on floor preferably. Breathe and relax, and try to let any tension in the body go.

4d. Sit perfectly upright (still pancake) then hold support, arch lumbar spine significantly (should feel this extension tension) and make, and remake that shape from the upright sitting position. In this pulse, the contractions of the lumbar spine muscles are only rolling the pelvis and the legs. In the beginning, nothing much will happen if you are really tight in the hamstrings/adductors/piriformis, but in time, this becomes a considerable movement. And as Olivia has said 10,000 times, this IS the pancake.

 

5. In actual position, use what Divo calls "micromovements", or what we call "small pulses" of the trunk in all possible planes. Pulse in all possible planes. And in this last exercise, add any of the four methods above, all with the intention of moving in and out of the positions with as little resistance as possible, using the full pose. Keep the body as relaxed as possible—this means keeping a close watch/feel on your breathing, and check in to your abdominal area: let all unnecessary tension go from this part of the body.

 

6. Maintaining small contraction at beginning of, and through, the restretch phase. Experiment with this; both Olivia and I have found that doing so feels safer; feels more controllable, and in some exercises, reduces the discomfort of the stretch sensation."

 

 

And Olivia's Response in the same thread: 

"

A couple more points to add to K's list above.

 

7. Multi-vector 'push–pull' stretches: a revisiting of the solo versions of many exercises in the Stretch Therapy syllabus, which we know can be made more specific/intense when done with a partner(s), to introduce 'push–pull' forces when practised solo and thereby make the solo versions near, even as, strong as the partner versions. 

 

8. Balance of all the above techniques: how to know which of these to emphasise, when, in which exercises, at what point in your stretching experience (beginner thru advanced practitioner), etc.? Key message in answering this question is ... each individual must experiment – in many regards it is an experiment of one. I would recommend slow, gentle, static stretches, with Contract–Relax, to begin; then, once you know your body well and have many hours of stretching experience in your body, try the other techniques and see how your body responds.

 

9. Frequency of practise: following on from point 8, our experience working with many thousands of bodies has shown us that stretching once (or twice) a week, doing Contract-Relax, is effective – start with this. Incorporating micro movements and pulsing introduces fundamental qualitative differences to 'stretching', and daily practise is proving highly effective. And we have found the pulsing technique to be the fastest way to get past any DOMS that has arisen from using the C–R + long final hold technique. If you have found new ROM, you will be sore the next day.

 

Kit now thinks pulsing should be considered part of limbering—this makes the working out of the timing of your practise (in terms of hard–soft work and how this is spread over week, months, etc.) much easier."