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Posted

Cody, The Nielsen stuff looks particularly good. Thanks for sharing. Looks like they'd fit right in here.

Definitely, their content is pure gold - on par with what I see from Kit, Ido, Sommer, Rafe, Yuri, Erwan, etc. I'm hoping to make Spina's FRC seminar at Dewey's gym in Oregon in January. Dewey promised "the best wine, beer, coffee, and mobility training on the planet." Sounds like my kind of weekend.

Posted

@MH,

Yes, there is always work to do! But today is rest day.

I think that there has been a radical shift in the last 5 years in the quality and direction of the teaching that is on offer. (Or I was just looking in the wrong places prior to that): I have been interested in Spina's stuff for a while especially the FRC part, but he seems mostly to be centered on the US.

regards,

Frederik

Posted

Andreo Spina's stretching method seems focused on maximum contractions in both the stretched muscles (PAILs) and then in their antagonists (RAILs) followed by a hold. A common protocol seems to be 20 second PAILs, then 20 second RAILs, then a hold of 2 minutes or so.

  • Like 1
Posted

Day 3 of my experiment with daily loaded and ballistic stretching.

So much DOMS...hips already feel totally different

Posted

@ Kit -

On my last YouTube video you mentioned you were doing loaded middle splits on benches with 28kg. I think your comment was from a month ago... wondering how your progress has been?

Also, for those that are adding extra load to their iso middle splits, how long are your holds? And are you planning to stick with a hold time and increase weight, or stick with the same weight and add volume (time each set or increase # of sets)? I know the guy on the martial arts forum has done some testing with hold times in Uni studies and says strength can continue to be built up to 3 minute holds, but I'm curious if that's totally necessary as it adds months to the program before reaching extra load. That being said, at 5x60s holds, I still dont think I can add any load to my bottom position, but I am not yet getting noticably easier access to ROM until warmed up, though it may just be very gradual.

Update: front splits coming real fast with iso holds for both Chris and me. We're currently at 5x30s holds, I'm practically on the floor and Chris has noticed a big improvement in depth. Neither of us could pull our hands off the floor when we started a month ago.

Posted

I've been folllowing the hold times and have been finding as I've been increasing in ROM I've had to reduce the hold times as I just can't sustain the time. First set might be 45 secs but by the end of set 5 and at my max I can only hold for about 25 secs. I've also noted that my access to the new ROM is great. I can get fairly close to my limit straight after my morning coffee. Was also doing them in my cossack squat and now its right bottom from the start.

How are you doing the front split? any chance of a pic?

Posted

I've been folllowing the hold times and have been finding as I've been increasing in ROM I've had to reduce the hold times as I just can't sustain the time. First set might be 45 secs but by the end of set 5 and at my max I can only hold for about 25 secs. I've also noted that my access to the new ROM is great. I can get fairly close to my limit straight after my morning coffee. Was also doing them in my cossack squat and now its right bottom from the start.

How are you doing the front split? any chance of a pic?

Good to know!

I'm also doing fairly high volume olympic lifting right now so it's pretty rare that my legs feel fresh, which could be hindering my "no warmup" access to ROM. It could be more that I would rather enter the stretch slowly cause my legs are sore lol. I have a deload in two weeks and I am planning to test my mobility movements cold then (with video).

I will try to get a picture of my front splits, but I think I can explain it pretty well. I put my rear knee down and square my hips, then slide the front leg out until my end range with hands on the ground. To get set I flex my quads, point my toes, push my front heel into the ground, and lightly push the top of my rear foot into the ground to stabilize me. Once I'm set I take my hands off the ground and pull my torso vertical while maintaining the square hips, and actively try to tuck my hips during the set. Hold for 30 and then switch.

Posted

I've been doing almost daily ballistic stretching and loaded stretching. Some days im extremely deep, other days I'm feeling very tight. Already seeing quite incredible progress, but I imagine the real test will be if I keep it up for 3 - 6 months.

Posted

Loading and developing strength in end-range of hip extension. Apart from weighted front splits? Possibly an experiment.

I have some knee problems presently (cannot put much weight on the left knee) which precludes the best hip flexor stretch I know (the partner wall hip flexor stretch). It could last some time.

Thinking about developing strength at end range, my idea is to do a loaded/weighted limbering lunge. Any thoughts or experience here? I have done longer holds after the C-R style, it is challenging position to say the least. I am thinking that the MAP protocol could be used. I think it would be hugely uncomfortable - possibly too much so.

Also, if I stretch say pike & pancake on Monday, then going for front splits on Tuesday is a moot point since my hamstrings will have tightened up a bit and limit the amount of stretch I can get in the hip flexors. So I am looking for ways to challenge the hip extension without having to deal with hip flexion in the other leg.

cheers,

Frederik

Posted

Loading and developing strength in end-range of hip extension. Apart from weighted front splits? Possibly an experiment.

I have some knee problems presently (cannot put much weight on the left knee) which precludes the best hip flexor stretch I know (the partner wall hip flexor stretch). It could last some time.

Thinking about developing strength at end range, my idea is to do a loaded/weighted limbering lunge. Any thoughts or experience here? I have done longer holds after the C-R style, it is challenging position to say the least. I am thinking that the MAP protocol could be used. I think it would be hugely uncomfortable - possibly too much so.

Also, if I stretch say pike & pancake on Monday, then going for front splits on Tuesday is a moot point since my hamstrings will have tightened up a bit and limit the amount of stretch I can get in the hip flexors. So I am looking for ways to challenge the hip extension without having to deal with hip flexion in the other leg.

cheers,

Frederik

I'd try pike and front splits monday, pancake tuesday so that one day is hamstring intensive and the next is biased toward adductors. I dont see HFs being a problem with this format.

@ Emmet

Here is a video I shot a few weeks ago with a buddy on loaded stretching for wrestlers. This is pretty much how I go about doing iso front splits. (I dont know how to embed and dont have time to learn at the moment, sorry)

Posted

Nice video cody.

Have you tried working the ISO front splits with weight? I'm holding 20kg extra at the moment, its doing fantastic things (and getting me into places that are.......interesting :S). Started with 10kg.

Posted

Nice video cody.

Have you tried working the ISO front splits with weight? I'm holding 20kg extra at the moment, its doing fantastic things (and getting me into places that are.......interesting :S). Started with 10kg.

I want to start adding weight, but I'm thinking I'll wait till I build up to 5x60 first since 30s doesnt seem like that long. I can tell I'm still gaining a lot of strength without weight, and I come out all loose and wobbly in the hip flexors afterwards.

How long are your holds with weight?

Posted

im doing 3 x 30s at the moment, but it's a giant set.

So basically my weighted routine looks like this:

1 x 5 mins tailor's pose +10kg each knee

1 x 60s side split +20kg

1 x 30s front split +10kg

all of that 3 times

I need to get a plate so I can do the pancake, been using hanging pancake bounces at this stage.

Posted

@cody

now I'm jealous...you have a pommel horse! sweet! I want those skills so I can bust them out on a park/bus top bench/esky/tree branch.....!

I've lined up later this year to spend sometime learning with a coach on a training mushroom.

Posted

im doing 3 x 30s at the moment, but it's a giant set.

So basically my weighted routine looks like this:

1 x 5 mins tailor's pose +10kg each knee

1 x 60s side split +20kg

1 x 30s front split +10kg

all of that 3 times

I need to get a plate so I can do the pancake, been using hanging pancake bounces at this stage.

Sweet! Sounds like a good little circuit.

@ Adurst - the mushroom is super fun! I've destroyed my forearms on it in the past though... Do lots of bucket circles to condition the forearms. If you're just learning you wont have a choice anyway so no worries lol

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Nice one! I've been playing with front/dancers/middle splits on the gymnastic rings in a similar fashion!

  • 2 months later...
Posted

Hey guys, it's been over three months since I've posted here so I figured I'd update the thread on some of my progress since then.

I put the pancake on maintenance since then and focused on Iso Middle Split. Worked up to 5x60 pretty deep on rubber floor, and then in the last month or so I started working on slippery floor with socks... Whole different ball game! It forces you to contract muchhhh harder, and I felt really good adaptations coming from it. I still havent been able to make it down as low as I was on the rubber, but I know it's doing better things for me.

Craig and his GF Cherie stayed at my house near San Francisco recently, and we were messing around with some MS variations. My ultimate goal has been the Straddle Up, where you lower from iso MS into a seated pancake, then press back to iso MS without using the hands. We came up with an assisted variation with a rubberband attached to a pole in front of you at eye level to take some weight off as you lower into the pancake.

Well a couple weeks later, whadayaknow? I got the full Straddle-Up. Super stoked.

Here it is on my instragram: http://instagram.com/p/toUF4Dg8Y0/?modal=true

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