Master the squat and hip mobility: LIVE TODAY

[Kit_L]

These programs definitely can be worked on their own, and certainly will be effective if you are not doing strength training in the ordinary (traditional) or GST. And as MH says, expanding one's movement patterns (adding new ones) will only assist this process.

The big picture perspective is many tight people would be better off doing our work and learning how to move better generally before starting a martial art, dance, or GST, or anything that needs above average ROM/flexibility for a year or two before starting these other activities: their progress in the form will be far faster and less likely to result in injury if they do.

Moving helps everything, for sure.

[FedericoC]

Exactly what Geoff said. Spoon feeding in this case will do the opposite of what the programs are aiming at achieving, which is you getting to know your body more thoroughly so you can do each of the positions and more.

The best thing to do is when you have time, follow the videos, and when you are on your lunch break, attempt to remember how to do them on your own. It will be a struggle at first buy soon enough you will actual learn how and what to do, which will be a unique thing for your body

This means, Craig, that what I do - watching the video several times at home and then try to reproduce it without any video during the workout, checking the cues of course - is a plausible way to go? In case, at least I did something good so far

[Kit_L]

@ Fede: yes, exactly. And as soon as you can, practise with no PDF, either (and once you have done that a few times, re-watch the videos, because likely you will have not remembered some of the details.

​The goal is for your body to know the work, rather than your mind! Then, in time, it will do what it needs to do. I will expand on this later; off to teach day 2 of STfGST here in Canberra. Images and videos to follow.

[mtruelove]

Had an excellent stretch session yesterday. I worked on my hamstrings (using the video from Kit's YouTube channel), tailor pose (couldn't convince my girlfriend to stand on my legs), piriformis (E5d has been a breakthrough for me) and abductors; squashed frog.

Squashed frog is REALLY intense for me so I'm going to focus on it over the next couple of sessions. These courses really are incredible!

[FedericoC]

While mtruelove reports about squashed frog, let me add that this movement became one of my favorite. I can move confidently in all directions showed in the video, felt it extremely effective and very intense only if I strongly enforce a PPT/tail tucking. I spend minutes in the position, exploring tight bits. I also realized that in the first part of the movement, when one moves from side to side, is easy to loose the alignment between knees and hips, e.g. moving forward. Placing some marks on the floor beforehand helped.

Also, regarding the piriformis stretches, in movement D I found that after the contraction one can further intensify the stretch by moving the toes up (contracting the soleus) which brings the bent leg a little bit closer to the chest.

[AndeL]

Squashed frog assist:

Good stretch just then in the cold.

I put this on my tight side and had my other leg on non-slidy mat, on a cushion. Gives a great contraction option.

[thecolin]

Squashed frog is REALLY intense for me so I'm going to focus on it over the next couple of sessions. These courses really are incredible!

Squashed frog and half pancake pose are my new friends/worst enemies. We're going to be frenemies for a while I think.

I put this on my tight side and had my other leg on non-slidy mat, on a cushion. Gives a great contraction option.

Thanks Andrew, I should try this with a bolster.

[mtruelove]

That's great AndrewL. I have quite a hard time widening my knees after the contraction.

[Geoff]

I have been seeing a lot of progress in the past two weeks. For me the tailor pose seems to be one of the only stretches so far that addresses external rotation without causing unpleasant sensations in the knee. What helped me the most with this stretch was attempting to roll the pelvis inbetween the legs using the hands and the back. Now I experience just a little discomfort while sitting crosslegged as opposed to having difficulty just holding the position for longer than a minute!

Another thing I noticed is that most stretches do not seem to cause as much of an impression anymore as before. Yesterday I tried the solo hip flexor (

) for the first time again for months. Normally this stretch gives me an extremely intense sensation, so it took almost all I had just to stay in position. Now, however, when I sink in, I just feel a stretch and it is easier to experiment with slight minor movements, or maybe attempt to sink in even deeper. I have noticed this same decrease in intensity (or perhaps decrease of perception of intensity?) in all other stretches!

At the same time, however, my groin area, the hamstrings and the area behind the knee (hamstring/gastroc?) are quite sore for two weeks now. When I am warmed up I do not notice much of it (at least I do not notice it during stretching) however I do experience some 'annoying' sensations after doing certain movementS. One position that seems to trigger the most intense sensations is the recovery position of the backbend from floor in which you lie on your back ( S&F page 29, 3rd photograph from above: Lie on back, have knees flexed, flex at the hip such that leg lies next to or on top of trunk, hold knees to the chest or towards the ground next to trunk ). Does this lasting soreness indicate that I might be overdoing it? I myself do not feel like I am overdoing it, however I have no idea of how to interpret this soreness that feels quite distinct from regular muscular ache (e.g. I do not sense it while contracting muscles).

[FedericoC]

Not sure there's the possibility to "form check" stretches in the program. If so, these are some of mine:

[Kit_L]

Andrew: love the smiling beanie image!

Geoff wrote:

I have noticed this same decrease in intensity (or perhaps decrease of perception of intensity?) in all other stretches!

That's how it works! You will be looking for ways to make it more intense; just wait. This is where a partner (or heavy sandbag) is gold.

Fede: I watched the clip; seeing you move confirms the following: v. tight hamstrings, tight HF, and supple spine. Use the lingo hamstring stretch in preference to the straight legs standing one (unless using MH's dynamic versions). Good work and I will always look at any student's videos.

[thecolin]

Geoff wrote:

That's how it works! You will be looking for ways to make it more intense; just wait. This is where a partner (or heavy sandbag) is gold.

The slight modification for the 'advanced' half pancake stretch seems to be doing this for me. It appears that it's finally loosening up the inside of my legs (a long standing problem, particularly on my left leg)

I'll have to figure out some sort of sandbag like solution.

[FedericoC]

Fede: I watched the clip; seeing you move confirms the following: v. tight hamstrings, tight HF, and supple spine. Use the lingo hamstring stretch in preference to the straight legs standing one (unless using MH's dynamic versions). Good work and I will always look at any student's videos.

Thanks Kit! My feelings confirm exactly what you write. I should add v. tight calves as well. Everything is loosening up, with time. I will record more

[AndeL]

Just wanted to share a little success. I just did a 15+minute squat - currently doing Ido's 30/30 challenge in addition to the Mastery work. I feel this is a great challenge if you are at a place where you want to have a crack at it.

[SwissDanny]

Andrew, you look like you are much more advanced than me, but my advice is do plenty of moving around even when hanging out at the bottom, and then dont hold long squats until you have a really effortless bottom position. I did the challenge when it first came out a couple of months ago and focussed too much on hanging out fairly statically at the bottom "toughing it out", and not enough trying and shifting between different postures (feet width, angle, hip angle, calf position vs hamstring, etc). Got a partially trapped peroneal nerve one session about 10 days in when I'd gotten to 15minsx2 which took several weeks to fade (cotton wool feel on outside of calf, luckily no drop foot symptoms). I have had much more success improving my bottom squat position with the master series limbers and stretches.

[JoachimG]

Help me understand something here. Why is it that I can get pretty far out over my toes when testing ankle mobility by doing what the picture shows, but I am nowhere near this flexible in the bottom position. Does it have something to do with active vs. passive flexibility?

B

[AndeL]

Hey Joachim, I was thinking exactly this a couple of weeks ago.

I don't know the answer (guessing it is related to whole posterior chain/muscles tightening in the bottom), but doing calf limbering and SLDP before the squat helps. I am also leaning everything over one leg and relaxing there. ie ease into that position for three breaths, then hold for five breaths and relax as per photo below. I find that feeling hamstrings and calves relax here is important. This seems to help access more ROM.

Danny, your cautionary tale is appreciated. My plan isn't to keep doing long sets, and this influences me further in that direction, as per the intention of the challenge. That said, the relaxation from 10-15minutes is deeper. Having done that, I hope I will be able to access it earlier now. <10 minute sets until maybe a final test at the end might be a plan.

[Craig]

Jaochim:

The calf isn't the only factor that allows a squat to be deep. You need a lot of compression at the knee joint which requires quad flexibility and softness of the calf and hamstring, you need a lot of compression at the hip joint which requires glute, hamstring and adductor flexibility and softness of the quads, hip flexors and abdominal muscles.

One of my favourite exercises for this is E3 in the Master the Pancake program!

[Kit_L]

MH said:

quad flexibility and softness of the calf and hamstring,

This why he emphasises E3 (MTPan); but I strongly recommend L2C: RollStretch squat, in addition: this will immediately let you get deeper in the squat. The reason I am a strong advocate of flexibility is not just ROM: it's softness in the body. Let me explain.

On the How to sit in the full lotus YT clip, I show that when you put one ankle up on the other thigh, the capacity to put the folded leg's knee on the floor is all about how easily the thigh under the ankle flows out of the way, and not any special ROM. In my case, the muscles of the upper leg are so soft that the top surface of the lower leg literally is at the same level as the top of the thigh. You need exactly the same flow-out-of-the-way capacity in the hamstrings and both calf muscles (esp. gastroc.) for a deep squat.

And to Andrew and Danny: yes, moving around in that position is essential, I believe. And my suggestion is not to 'tough it out': the body will win, one way or another. Start with five minutes, and let the body ease into it. MH and I have done 10' with ease many times. I am working on the transition from full squat to Cossack/Skandasana; this makes it much more interesting (and useful, IMHO).

[JoachimG]

@AndrewL and Kit_L

Thanks for the advice, I still haven't checked out MTP, I bought it though:P

The RollStretch definitely hits some spots in my calf and it feels pleasant in a painful way(this is weird I know). I have chronic knee pain, even when walking, but I'm thinking it's due to the surrounding fascia/soft tissue being out of balance or to tight in some places, I can sit in the bottom of the squat perfectly fine, although not upright, so It's definitely something with my ankles/calves in terms of limitations.

I've read in Ido Portals 30/30 group on FB, that a lot of people have cured their knee pain,just by spending a lot of time in the bottom squat. Is this advisable when the bottom position is painful for me at the moment? I really wanna get back to squatting hehe, pistols would be a dream scenario!

[mitch]

Quick question about the E5 (piriformis) exercises. What would you recommend if you are too tight through the hamstrings to sit comfortably with legs straight out (as in E5B). I have tried the wall stretch in E5C and can perform it comfortably, but it doesn't seem to give quite the same stretch as the seated stretches.

[Kit_L]

Mitch, welcome!

Do this exercise on a chair: sitting this way takes the straight leg our of the equation completely. Everything else is the same. There is a YouTube clip on this, too, I believe.

[Pat (pogo69)]

Mitch, welcome!

Do this exercise on a chair: sitting this way takes the straight leg our of the equation completely. Everything else is the same. There is a YouTube clip on this, too, I believe.

This?

I was using it just yesterday (trying to get some limbering time in while seated at work).

[mitch]

Mitch, welcome!

Do this exercise on a chair: sitting this way takes the straight leg our of the equation completely. Everything else is the same. There is a YouTube clip on this, too, I believe.

Thanks so much! That makes a big difference. The wall stretch is also gold.

[Kit_L]

Pogo, that's yet another variation. For Mitch, I meant the one where you sit on the chair, and pull the folded leg across the body under the opposite armpit (like E5B, but without the HS component, because the non-involved leg is bent, and its foot on the floor). Doing it this way there are all the benefits and none of the disbenefits. We use the chair version in the clinic for this reason.