What's a good gastrocnemius stretch?

[Tris]

Hi all,

The gastrocnemius up towards the back of the knee feels like the tightest link in my posterior chain at the moment. I'm keen to loosen it up. At the moment I limber it daily with the bar standing calf stretch, which feels great and keeps it feeling free (it gets a pretty good shortening as I run 30 miles a week with 17 inch calves).

This is good for day-to-day maintenance, but I'm not noticing any long-term change. I often still wake up with them tight, and the upper heads of the gastrocnemius complain the most with any type of hamstring stretch.

I find the standing-against-wall stretches not intense enough - in this position my hip flexors stretch before the calves do.

What would be a good way to loosen them up long-term?

[Jennifer]

When I am doing the standing against wall stretch I lean my torso over so that the hip flexors are not a limiting factor. On pg. 63 of the book you see that the model is leaning forward so that his torso and upper leg are in a straight line. Maybe this will help?

I know what you mean about tight calves. I have added ex. 18 and 19 to the daily 5+2 and it's been working really well for me. I can tell if I miss a day.

[Kit_L]

Tris,

The 30 miles/week is probably the main reason things are not changing: you're a pretty big guy, and that's reasonable mileage.

The single-leg dog pose is one of the best IF you can stop your ankles pronating. The SLDP is also the strongest neural and fascia stretch, too.

One more suggestion: single leg weighted heel raises (but the bottom positions, with little C-Rs). Do you have access to a gym?

[Tris]

Thanks for the tip Jen - that does help!

Ah was hoping it was unrelated to the running.

I'm wondering if the restricted feeling is from the fascia, because mobility-wise I think the ankle seems pretty good. I feel the ankle joint lock structurally before I feel any stretch in the gastroc or soleus. Here's a pic of the point where it feels like the ankle structurally can't dorsiflex any further (no stretch is felt along the calf):

If the feeling is from fascia superficial to gastroc, wonder if maybe the "rod of correction" applied lovingly by wife may be a good port of call?

What is SLDP?

[Kate Abernethy]

Single Leg Dog Pose methinks!

That's an amazingly good range of ankle motion! Just tried it out myself and my bottom is below seat height!

[Kit_L]

I agree with Kate. There clearly is no ankle ROM restriction.

This is the key thing in what I wrote above:

The SLDP is also the strongest neural and fascia stretch, too. That is the key to unlocking your "gastroc." tightness (i.e., it's not your gastroc!).

K

[Tris]

Ah, I thought you were talking about two different stretches in that second paragraph.

Is the SLDP a downward dog with one leg extended in-line with the torso? I've got my main stretch session tonight so will try it out.

Kate: Thanks! Lots of pushing the ball of the foot as a contraction has worked wonders.

[Kit_L]

wheezer wrote:

Is the SLDP a downward dog with one leg extended in-line with the torso?

Precisely.

For the others, the "rod of correction" may need some explanation! It's a polished dowel, pressed into the area where a restriction is felt, and slid up or down, to work the fascia. It hurst, but can have seemingly magical effects. All these pleasures await on a workshop near you!

[Tris]

In SLDP, is it just as effective to rest the ungrounded foot on the grounded leg? Or is the split a necessary aspect?

I tried to bring my ungrounded leg up in-line with my torso, but got to about parallel with floor. I couldn't focus so much on stretching the grounded gastroc/sciatic as much as my leg extension strength sucking.

[Kit_L]

T., resting the other leg behind is fine, but extending the non-working leg (even if only halfway to same line as spine) straightens the lower back—and literally triples the intensity. What do you want?

So, if raising it halfway does the job, then that's far enough.

Edited March 15, 2014 by Kit_L
typo

[Tris]

I'm a sucker for intensity.

How does it increase it? I would have thought straightening the lower back shortens the posterior chain.

[Keilani Gutierrez]

by straightening, i think he might mean APT. (i could be mistaken but i just tried it and it DID make the position feel really intense.)

[Kit_L]

When in doubt, grasshopper, forget thinking; just try.

Sorry; couldn't resist!

Yes, the APT caused by lifting the non-stretching leg radically lengthens the distance between the ischial tuberosity on that side and the knee... hugely increasing the sciatic nerve and fascial involvement. Lifting the leg improves the shape of the whole pose, too. I can expand, but in the meantime, give it a go!

[Tris]

Ahh that makes sense, thank you!

Tried it, loved it, welcomed it to my regular hard stretching routine.

[Tris]

Update: SLDP is a miracle! The stretch hits the surface tension in my calves head-on. After three days of using it daily, I just tried some Jefferson curls; suddenly the calves aren't the tightest link - they have an easy time with it!

[Kit_L]

Wheezer wrote:

SLDP is a miracle!

Why I suggested it! I am pleased to hear the response in the body; the fascial and neural dimensions are SO poorly understood functionally, it seems to me. The SLDP will unlock whatever is holding back that posterior line. It is so much better than the the standard dog pose, we treat them as separate exercises.