Taking small steps towards improving my "very inflexible" condition

[FedericoC]

Hi, it's my first post here but over the last week I've been in touch with Kit. We now decided that it makes sense to share this with other people.

I'm an F1 student on GB and I'm additionally a swimming student. Some general info on myself:

> 26yo, 184cm x 72kg, very low bf, always been exposed to sports since my youth. Started out my sport career as a cyclist. Competed 7 years until my 18.

> In 2002, I started weight training to complement cycling. This had a huge impact on my body structure, moved from ~180cm x 52kg to 183cm x 65kg. After a surgery (orchidopexie, after which I have been advised to use a compression jock/supporter for training and always did so since then) I switched my attention to strength sports. Started training for PLing and competed at Nationals until early 2010 with good results.

>This May, following suggestions from my physician, I started to get myself into swimming and to learn the crawl. Moved from not being able to float to swim with decent technique for 45-50’ in 2 months.

The first thing I noticed is that I was entirely lacking mobility in my body. I never paid attention to it before, never. Figured out gymnastics could help me in that and I got started with some basic calisthenics routine with the help of a sport scientist friend of mine. Since then, I trained regularly in both swimming and calisthenics. At work, I changed my working position from sitting 10-12h per day to a standing working position, with short intervening sitting pauses.

Now, after contacting Kit I purchased the book and the DVD update. I immediately started to work on limbering my lower body. I introduced work for piriformis as Kit suggested and attempted glute activation exercise as well as other exercises for lower and middle back flexibility. Here I report some questions/facts:

1) Harder version of the piriformis stretch (floor piriformis exercise): I can not even fold myself in the front leg. Next steps are out of reach for me now. What I mean is that I do not even manage to lower myself onto the front leg. I feel substantial tension in a region (deep into the mid gluteus, same on both sides) that I recently injured by doing windmills. In contrast, the seated version works fine and I am learning how to feel it properly. However, when I try to arch my lower back in that stretch, I can not even reach a straight line.

2) The hamstring stretch: by the time I start sliding my foot in front from the starting position, I feel tremendous tension in my glutes and I cannot proceed. Actually, over the last 2 weeks I do feel that, even if I just bend to the ground to collect an object. I also feel my lower back very compact, stiff, I hate this feeling! I tried out the modified version of the pike (in the same video), where you use the same principle of sliding the foot to contract the quad and hence inhibit hamstring contraction. If I do that, I can reach a position that I can forget if I just perform the stretch in the standard way .

3) Glute activation. While I was doing the exercise (video is on YT, using a swiss ball), I tried to understand the degree of contraction of my hamstrings and glutes. Hamstrings were fully contracted. Not so much was going on in my glutes. I tucked the tail before and during, but still not managed to have them working properly.

4) I keep going with the lower back stretch. I realized that when I straightened my legs, I was not perpendicular to the floor. If I try to do so, by leaning forward, I feel a tremendous stretch in the calves and this is very strong, yet very painful. My calves are deactivated, totally. I completely lack muscle mass in there, and it has always been like this although I now feel that this is becoming a major problem for the rest of my posterior chain as well.

I'd like to explore how to get out of this. Should I start making some video so that you understand the whole picture to a greater extent?

Thanks to anyone who will have the time to go through this,

Federico

[FedericoC]

Something is moving. I carefully attempted to get into a gentle piriformis stretch on the floor. I can now successfully get into the starting position and do the contractions. This exercise helped me in localizing the muscle exactly. After having performed the chair version as well, I can feel myself that the focus of the two stretches is on different sides of the muscle.

The other questions remain. I also figured out I have to work a lot on my calves, they are hampering 50% of the stretches I try out. I am working on lesson #1 from the book and started in some cases with the simpler variants.

To end with, I'd like to say that I attempted to perform two-legged hamstring stretches (such as Kit's version of the pike, where quad contraction is used to relax the hamstrings) after having performed calf, single leg hamstring streches, middle and upper back stretches. My experience so far is that it is indeed very true that doing so maximizes my ROM in the more complex hamstring stretch. However, I feel like I'm really gaining ROM in the exercise because my back compensates, not because my hamstrings are getting better. Is it advisable to reach the final position of the stretch with a strongly rounded back?

Thanks a lot!

[FedericoC]

The last element of this video:

is my execution of Kit's lower back stretch. Could you please give me a feedback on it? As you can see, I do move my body forward after reaching the end position. By doing so, I shift the focus to my hamstrings and really feel the stretch heavily in my calves. Calf stretching is helping me a lot, I believe many of my troubles start from there.

Thanks a lot!

[FedericoC]

A quick update. It's unfortunate I didn't get feedback on this but I'm continuing digging into the book and details therein. My condition is overall - slowly - improving. I feel now better doing the stretches. However, I find this to be completely dependent on the day and how tough was the workout. Sometimes I find very hard to reach even half way of the session before.

[FedericoC]

I also wanted to add this piece of info and see what you think about it. When I now perform the seated piriformis stretch, I'm not able anymore to feel it in my piriformis. Rather, having worked a lot on improving my hips mobility over the past couple of months, when I'm reaching the initial position I feel pain or discomfort in the hip. This doesn't happen with the floor version of the stretch, where I am still very far from a reasonable mobility and I'm able to move only a couple of cm down from the upright position.

[Kit_L]

Sorry, Frederico; I had missed this. i am just about to get on a plane back home, and I will look at the whole post in detail there.

I did look at your execution of the lower back stretch above; your hamstrings are very tight as well as your calf muscles, as you say. If you go to the YT channel, you will see quite a few relevant stretches there, but to begin, do the wall calf muscle stretch (out of the book); and stay in it for 2' per side, and really try to relax, then the floor lunge hammie stretch; see this clip below (from 3:00' in from the beginning; the first part is an explanation of what we do at a workshop):

Once you have done this stretch, beeping your back as straight as you can, then retry the standing lower back you demonstrate above; it should feel better (less in the back, more in the hamstrings). The standing stretch you are trying is actually a lower back stretch (just because of hamstring tension); the floor stretch I am recommending stretches one leg at a time and the extended back leg holds the lower back straight, so much easier to hold the truck straight.

I will be videoing the standing wall calf stretch when I get back home; please feel free to remind me by email! And keep going with the seated floor piriformis exercise too;

[FedericoC]

Sure. I will try tomorrow and get back with feedback.

Looking forward to your detailed reply.

Thanks once more,

Federico

[FedericoC]

Yesterday I tried to follow your suggestions.

I did 2' x each leg of the wall standing calf stretch from the book. I felt it mostly in my ankle, Achille's tendon and behind my knee - not much really in my calf. I will try it again as I probably have to improve the form. I'm also planning to try to relax for longer, should this help.

Then, I attempted the hamstring stretch you suggested. Since it was the first time, I cannot conclude much, but I can for sure tell that I felt the exercise strongly in my hips and just below the glutes, in the exact same position as where I injured myself with the windmills. Actually, after that and for the entire day, I felt quite good and relaxed in a region that is generally tight. I did only one stretch per leg, with both contractions. I will repeat and perform it more extensively in the F1 session when I also target the lower body, it's more appropriate I believe.

I then re-attempted the standing lower back stretch I was showing in the video and felt it heavily in my calves and hamstrings. The sensation is very strong and I have hard times focusing on relaxing. I stayed there for about 1'30". I finished with the laying floor piriformis stretch from the book (this version works better than the seated one at the moment - I don't feel it in my hips as opposed to the latter) and work for the middle/upper back.

I still have to come up with a good routine, I'm also still studying and trying the daily 5, and I had to use the easier versions to begin with. Would be advisable to perform the daily 5 every day before going to bed?

I will record my stretches soon, I think it's the only way I can get some feedback on the form.

Thanks,

Federico

[FedericoC]

I want to add to the previous post.

1) Today I repeated the stretches. On the calf stretch, if after the CR I lean further forward and support myself not on my hands but on my forearms (intermediate version I suppose) I can feel the calf muscle stretching as well. I stayed there for >2' / leg.

2) On the hamstring stretch, I could perform it properly and really liked the feeling today. Again, it helps a lot loosening my hamstrings at their upper insertion. I noticed that probably tight hip flexors prevent me to keep my back straight as you do, Kit. My lower back is quite hollowed, instead. Also, I have to become more confident with the 2 contractions. At the moment, I feel them in similar regions.

3) The standing lower back stretch afterwards gives me too strong sensations. I can't control it properly at the moment, maybe I'm just pushing too much.

4) I finished the WO with solo quad stretch, floor piriformis (CR and long hold there), mid back stretch from YT and the first 3 of the daily 5 (the only 3 I could manage to practice so far with confidence). On the third one I'm quite bad, need to work on it. On the second one instead, I start feeling it in my stomach.

[FedericoC]

Did the daily 5 today, wondering whether:

1) can be repeated more than once per day

2) can be done before going to bed

Need to work on my technique, but getting positive feelings so far.

[FedericoC]

I'm wondering how to remove tension from the lower back when doing exercise #2 of the daily 5. Contracting the glutes before starting and keeping contraction all the way through the stretch does not work for me, as I cannot avoid tensing the lower back as well. I do not actively contract it, but I certainly feel tension in there. I don't have any lower back pain or so, but I was just wondering how to improve. I'm using the beginner pose, with my forearms on the floor. I could probably also get into the intermediate one, but I want to take it easy and optimize details first.

[Kit_L]

We have just finished our National Convention; so have been extremely busy since getting back from Atlanta.

You wrote::

I still have to come up with a good routine, I'm also still studying and trying the daily 5, and I had to use the easier versions to begin with. Would be advisable to perform the daily 5 every day before going to bed?

Yes, the daily five can be done before bed. It is almost always preferable to perfect earlier, easier, versions of any exercise before trying harder ones; the fact that you can, or are close to, being able to do them means less effort, and hence less tension.

Are you doing any any relaxation practises? This is essential in my view, and will act synergistically with the stretches (the effects of doing both provide much greater effects than doing one or the other).

The other question you had (about how to reduce tension in the lower back in daily five ex. #2); see here:

As well, please post a link to a video showing your performance of any exercises you want feedback for; this is the best way for me.

As well, when stretching calves, sensation behind the knee is to be expected; gastrocnemius crosses the knee joint. Please find the post on calves HERE; you will need to try them all.

Side note: I am off to Malaysia for a two-week silent retreat (I am running the morning exercise sessions); because it's silent, I will be off the air, internet-wise, for this period.

And to Frederico: if I miss anything you post here, email me to let me know; for some reason, your posts did not show up in the 'new content' display.

KL

[FedericoC]

This is a quick update from my side. After a stop for 4-5 weeks, I started back with F1 from ground zero at the end of February.

I followed your suggestion and I’m slowly seeing some improvements. Particularly:

1) performing the calf wall stretch (for some reason, I feel more comfortable and feel a much stronger stretch in the calf by in grasping a stall bar than placing my hands on the wall) and then working on the hamstrings proved useful.

2) I can now hold an L-sit with locked knees.

3) I’m also trying to work on the piriformis, and here I have the feeling it’s not getting better. Same is true for hip flexors stretching, I don’t get what I should feel yet.

I think now it is time to structure my stretching routines, in 3 splits that I can do after F1 GST training. My priority is to continue improving on calves, piriformis, hamstrings and lower back. However, I’d like to start introducing work for hip flexors and upper body, especially I’d need to loosen my shoulders. I did not touch on this yet in the book and I don’t know which stretches you would recommend for a beginner.

Could you please help me by suggesting dependencies between stretches in the book so that I can try to shape these routines?

I will then record my stretches and try to post them on the forum.

Thanks a lot!

Fede

[Kit_L]

Hello there, Fede,

I think now it is time to structure my stretching routines, in 3 splits that I can do after F1 GST training.

Sounds like a plan to me. Re. shoulders, I recommend passive back bending over a support, like this:

This ROM is more important than what the shoulder joint can do, and plays perfectly into the whole-body ROM you will need.

[FedericoC]

Thanks a lot Kit. I will have a look and try it out. I'll then come back with questions.

For the time being, what do you think about my form here?

Thanks a lot,

Fede

[Kit_L]

Fede,

Are you doing a Hams or HF stretch? One of the feet (or the back leg's knee needs to be able to slide, and this depends on which one you are doing. Both are on the YT channel; do you know the ones I mean?

Your form looks fine, but if your ribs or chest are not tight on the front thigh (because of hip tension or compression in the joint) you can help this by having a towel or something in between; this really helps decrease the apprehension reflex.

[FedericoC]

Thanks! So you're saying that the two forms are not equivalent. I then wrongly assumed they felt the same on my body.

I use this as hamstring stretch, but I sometimes feel the hip flexors. Generally I perform the stretch as I showed, but I also tried by sliding the front foot forward. When I do that, I strongly push with the quad to relax the hamstring. When I move the back leg backwards - as I did in the video - I also push with the front leg to relax the hamstring.

Why am I feeling them equivalent? Which are the cues I didn't pay enough attention to then?

Fede

[FedericoC]

Here I recorded another stretch, my favorite for the very nice sensation it provides during and after to my upper/middle back. I considerably improved my ROM with confidence over time. Sometimes, I prefer to clasp my elbow to increase the stretch in the upper back. I always perform this stretch as last element after the majority of my GST workouts.

Any comment?

Thanks,

Fede

[Kit_L]

That's perfect. You can add to it in the following ways: while in the full stretch position gently try to pull your arms "through" your legs (this contracts all the stretching muscles; then when you re-stretch, you will get more movement), and also try pressing one leg away from you momentarily; then relax it, then do the other (this additional leg action induces a to ration; this will be felt under the shoulder on that side.

There are many more combos. possible; just go gently.

[FedericoC]

Thank you Kit, I will try them and get use to them slowly. This stretch has been doing miracles for me.

I have a couple of questions I'd like you to address when you have the time - if possible.

1) As I'm trying to learn hip flexor stretches, I started from the solo hip flexor (

, page 66 on the book). I didn't use a support as I felt comfortable with my hands on the floor. The movements feels great. However, at the moment I feel it more strongly in the gluteus of my front leg and I'd like to work on relaxing this so that I can then more effectively stretch the HF.

-Any suggestion on what I should focus on? Pressing the front foot into the floor is one option, I suppose.

-Also, should the arms close the front leg touch it? I could not exactly figure this out. I will record this stretch soon.

-I found out that I'm more loose on this stretch if I first stretch the piriformis. Is it normal/expected?

2) For the piriformis, I have the feeling I'm improving the floor piriformis stretch. Before that, I do movement #22 (page 68, lying hip) and on this one my feeling is that my poor hip flexibility is preventing me to further pull the support leg towards my chest. Both stretches are extremely effective and I can only say I feel very relaxed afterwards. It's a strange sensation - totally new for me - but when I finish my GST workouts with ST work I do feel like my body (and my brain) relaxes and releases all stress-induced tensions.

3) In the daily five (seated hip), I noticed that I cannot arch my lower back. Is there something I can do to improve here? I will train with a sparring partner soon and a partner version could also help I think to push me through this.

[Kit_L]

Fede wrote:

-Any suggestion on what I should focus on? Pressing the front foot into the floor is one option, I suppose.

Yes, you can do that contraction, and it will help. As well, if the front leg's hip/groin feel tight, simply go back and forth between legs; doing this will relax everything, providing you don't push any position too far.

Even more helpful will be to forget the outcome and "progressing", and just do the exercises from time to time. Change is happening in the body, but we are not aware of it; this can make us frustrated at our apparent lack of progress.

Yes, in your case, piriformis will help release the whole hip area.

The last part of your post has been cut off; can you revisit and correct, and if you have a question, please ask it clearly.

[FedericoC]

thanks, I will make good use of your suggestions.

I correct the last part of my previous post, which is about techniques to improve my lower back arch during a "negative thrust".

[Kit_L]

Fede, hi.

3) In the daily five (seated hip), I noticed that I cannot arch my lower back.

Well spotted: you can't just because that muscle is really tight, and doing this exercise (in any of its many forms, floor, chair, single/both legs, adv. version) will allow you to arch the lower back in time.

If you were doing the seated hip version of this exercises, you can start to get a feel of how to do this by having the leg further away from the body to start with (so don't pull the thigh as close as you usually do) and while in this easier version, then try to arch the back.

[FedericoC]

OK, then I will implement your suggestion.

I tried what you suggested on the upper/middle back stretch and indeed, it felt great. Clearly, I need to practice more and get a better feeling for the right sensations. Time to time.

Thanks a lot.

[Kit_L]

Take your time, Fede; time is all we have. Getting looser, especially with your athletic background, takes time. It took me 15 years... but then I did not have the benefits of the methods we now use. It will take you a year or two, but be patient.

Getting flexible is the antithesis of sets and reps; these do work well for strength training, as we all know. Flexibility is a different beast, and I do intend to write a piece on this.