choosing programs for specific goals

[hYpYz]

Hi everyone.

I tried to find relevant information but couldn't.

I am following gb f series program with success and got their stretch series program. Unfortunately stretch series isn't working for me at all or at least that's how I feel and I was looking for a different approach. Kit's material looks super thorough.

I am 30 years old and I am like a wooden board. I would like to be able to do high kicks for kickboxing/thai boxing.

Which program do i need ? I assume master the squat and pancake.

With some warm up i can touch palms to floor but sitting in straddle isn't comfortable and I'm just not flexible in general.

Thank you in advance, Kamil

[FenryrMKIII]

Hello,

I won't' have the exact information you are looking for regarding your goals i.e. high kicks since mine are different but I am in a similar situation as you are. I am a 29 year old male and quite stiff from years of sprinting without proper stretching protocol. 

I started reading kit's material in December (ordered S&F) and then I bought the squat program in vimeo. I am planning to buy the pancake program sooner or later. What has helped me the most is the fundamental belief in stretch therapy that flexibility does not come because you are lengthening the muscles (the old belief according to my understanding)  but because you are making your brain understand that the positions you want to get to are safe. This information completely changed the way I trained my flexibility. Before, I was trying to get to it via brute force as I was doing for strength training, cardio, ... More work will get more results. This is not true, neither for strength and cardio nor for flexibility. 

Linked to that aspect (teaching the brain) is learning to control your breathing. This was also very important to me. Calm and controlled breathing puts you in a situation of control and helps telling the brain "this is ok". Quick breathing is similar to a situation of stress and danger. 

Then the third break through I recently had is realising that I am way too much immobile during my daily life. Yes I do a "significant" amount of sport for someone who has a family and is working full time but still the sport time is nowhere near the amount of time I am sitting on my butt at the office. So now i am trying to incorporate more movement and stretch in my daily life e.g. squat down when I can to pick up an object or bend over rather than bending the legs, stretch my arms on door frames, reach overhead from time to time, get up every 20 minutes and limber at the office.

Hope this personal and recent experience helps. Also having a way to actually look at your form helps. Personally I use a camera and spend one day a week focussing on some movements and record everything on YouTube so that I can assess my progress and review my form.

[hYpYz]

Thank you for reply. Bottom line is that for sure I'll get squat and pancake series but was wondering what else do i need for kicks. I assume any material that will help with splits middle or front.

Your advice is sound. I heard Steve Maxwell talk about similar thing and i started squatting for everything and trying to incorporate movement in my daily life to supplement my exercises. I can touch heels to floor now where previously i would just fall back and more importantly i can somewhat rest in squat position where previously it was work.

[Kit_L]

Kamil, with respect, did you read all the threads on the "Start Here" sub-forum? Once you do, and understand the system from the larger perspective, then getting what you need will be much simpler. You question, or ones very much like it, have been answered many times before. Senior members here will offer precise advise once they know you have actually read and digested this material.

FenryrMKIII's reply points to three critical aspects, but you will need the details of the how and why to make sense of it. Please get back on this thread when you have done that work. You will need a few hours, but it will be time well spent. The methods you have used up until now have not yielded the results you want; that's the place to start.