Head to Toe stretching

[chuchodani]

This stuff works really well ! Thanks Emmet, I just hit Same elbow to toe without taking it seriously in about 4 days. 

 

[Emmet Louis]

Good work!

[Emmet Louis]

A quick FAQ on some of the more common questions I'm getting.

 

[Maarten]

Pyxida I'd keep working Shi da Pan 1 or craigs ballistic program with some partner or loaded stretching once or twice a week til you can hit a good palms flat pike with no warm up before starting this.

 Hi Emmet,

 

Couple of questions.

 

Don't know if this is the topic but is loaded stretching once or twice a week enough to get your palms flat on the ground?

And can doing daily loaded stretching be too much? Work counterproductive?

 

I have read a lot on stretching but I'm paralyzed by analysis. Have tried multiple things but still can't touch the ground...

[ChenZhen]

@Maarten: Stiff legged Deadlifts with a small weight (I used a KB) 2 - 3 times a week, 10 reps for 2 - 3 sets is, in my experience, the easiest way to get the palms to the floor and reach a fairly good flexibility level that stays with you.

 

@Emmet: I'll send you a pic as soon as I get it, at the moment I am about a fist away from head to toe with my left leg. Progress seems to be very slow but steady, right leg is a bit behind.  I do about 400 - 500 reps per leg each day, yesterday I even did 650. It seems my body needs a higher volume to make progress.

[barna284]

@Maarten: Stiff legged Deadlifts with a small weight (I used a KB) 2 - 3 times a week, 10 reps for 2 - 3 sets is, in my experience, the easiest way to get the palms to the floor and reach a fairly good flexibility level that stays with you.

 

ChenZhen, are those Single-Leg Stiff Leg Deadlifts? Have you used this method yourself? Interested in this...

[ChenZhen]

Barna,

 

yes I've used the method a lot when I first read about it (I think it was in Pavels first Kettlebell or stretching book). I meant the two-leg version, it is much more comfortable and easy to reach an ok level of flexibility, even if I don't do any flexibility work it seems to stay with me.

 

The single-leg version is even more effective in my experience but it's harder (keeping the hips squared) and more uncomfortable ;p I've used it in the past when I read about it from Ido and I'm using it right now to supplement the ballistic stretches. I found with the single-leg version I get a better stretch if I just hold it for 60 seconds per leg in the lowest position instead of doing it dynamically. I do those 2 - 3 times a week 3/3 minutes per leg.

 

Hope that helps!

[Craig]

ChenZhen (cool name btw! must watch fist of legend again),

 

Great! this is similar to my findings with single leg good mornings....havent experimented with weighted 2 legged yet but been meaning to.  definitely found that holding the bottom position was better for me than dynamic.  may add your little 3x3 sequence assuming emmet's ballistic stretching h2t doesnt make my legs fall off

 

Cheers,

MH

[Nathan]

Hey Emmet,

 

Thanks for the program! I've had great results so far - I'm posting weekly updates on IG (@gaolaining). It's been about a week and a half now and I'm on the verge of same side elbow to toe during my third set of pulses.

 

I had a quick question I was going to throw your way on FB or IG, but you mentioned the forums in your latest Q&A video so I figured this might be a better place to ask since other people could weigh in or benefit from the answer. My progress has been fairly balanced on both sides, but I feel the stretch in very different places. In my left leg, it tends to be the lower hamstring, back of the knee, and in the calf. On the right leg, though, it is up near the top of the hamstring and is actually most intense in what feels like the side of the glute. I realize it will be different for each leg, but I am curious as to whether such a large difference may have to do with leg positioning or something that I should watch out for.

 

Other than that, everything is going great and I expect to get same side elbow to toe tomorrow!

 

Thanks again!

 

Nathan

[Craig]

We are asymmetrical beings (inner organs for example), nothing will be perfectly symmetrical, especially tension patterns.  I get vastly different experiences left to right, a lot of this is to do with my particular history of physical and emotional habits stuck in my body due to many years of neglect (not paying attention or moving properly).  outwardly, the range looks much the same, I think in this case it's not too much of an issue.

[Nathan]

We are asymmetrical beings (inner organs for example)

 

Speak for yourself! Just kidding

 

Yes, I am very aware of my asymmetries, especially in my hips. I assumed that this had something to do with it. I just wanted to make sure that it didn't mean I was perhaps rotating my leg in a disadvantageous way or something, but it seems that is unlikely then. Thank you for your input! I'll continue to torture my right glute

[Tibetanac]

So deep bent leg lunge worked wonders for me. I ended up in a frontsplit holding it with ease... never ever felt doing a frontsplit like yesterday after ballistic. Also in pancake I touched the floor with my shoulders yesterday. Today I will be doing ballistic after leg training will see how it goes.. as for pike I will stabilise the head to to and start working toward elbow l sit for some badass pike compression. A friend in my gym tried heaf to toe routine and ended up hittimg same elbow to toe in first try. This ballistic thing is magical haha.

[ChenZhen]

Craig,

 

haha, thx, probably my favourite martial arts movie, I should watch it again too

 

That's great to hear, looking forward to your results. I find that the single-leg deads with a focus on anterior pelvic tilt done right before the ballistics improve the h2t a lot!    

[Brett Anthony]

Thanks for the program Emmet. I'm hovering around the pre req's so I've just been incorporating it every other day. I used it before squatting the other day, something that usually gives me odd soreness/nerve issue feeling in one side of the high ham/glute, but I was able to squat heavier than I had in a while without that soreness the next day, and decreased DOMS in general. Cheers.

[MattPark]

Finally broke my plateau!! Was able to progress from almost forehead to 1/2 thumb to forehead to fist and have the doms to show for it today. Thanks Emmet for helping me with my technique on instagram the sitting back more and slower pulses with a slight pause has made a huge difference.

[ChenZhen]

Had a little breakthrough: Until today I never used stairs to put my foot on as i don't have any at home. I just used my hands to pull my foot into dorsiflexion. Today I took a cooking pot, turned it upside down and put it in a corner. Made everything much easier and better to track progress, more over it was easier to do slower pulses. Did all sets head to fist after about 10-20 reps of opposite ellbow and felt really great. Especially with my left leg I feel that I'm very close

[Frederik]

Had a little breakthrough: Until today I never used stairs to put my foot on as i don't have any at home. I just used my hands to pull my foot into dorsiflexion. Today I took a cooking pot, turned it upside down and put it in a corner. Made everything much easier and better to track progress, more over it was easier to do slower pulses. Did all sets head to fist after about 10-20 reps of opposite ellbow and felt really great. Especially with my left leg I feel that I'm very close

 

DIY / tinkering credit to you!

[Craig]

Why don't we all take some photos of our progress and update as we go? Ive started to hit head to toe + fist on the last few reps of the 3rd set, cold im usually sitting around head to toe + handspan or thumbs up. Will take some photos tonight

[Nathan]

I posted about my experience so far here in Kit's thread, but afterward I felt like that may have been inappropriate since that thread is something like his own personal log. I will post further updates in this thread since you threw the idea out anyway, Craig!

 

I posted a two-week update on IG yesterday. I hit same side toe to elbow during my morning pulses, so I decided to move on during my later three sets. A quick test showed that opposite side elbow to toe came along with same side for me - no complaints! Before my three sets, I was at head to toe + fist and I reached three fingers by my third set of pulses. Today I was able to reach two fingers by my last set.

 

After moving on to the head to toe stretch, I've noticed that the sensation difference between left and right seems to have leveled out. More specifically, I was only feeling the stretch in my glute on the right side, but have started to feel it in the same place on the left side now. I've also noticed that the stretch seems to be much more intense. Previously I never felt much discomfort, but this has changed. I don't think that I am pushing any harder than before, but I imagine that perhaps I am pushing to new levels of flexibility that I have never accessed before and this has something to do with it. Whatever the cause may be, it is still plenty tolerable so I'm looking forward to continued progress!

[LukeMM]

Not everything but Most of my everydays

[Tibetanac]

Today I got my opposite leg head to toe and with my right I started bouncing clearly forehead to head.. I will start doing active pike holds after ballistic session everyday.. will be getting some hard cramps in my hip flexors. Feeling good

[jon.valentine]

Here's my first round from Friday:

 

Edited August 4, 2015 by jon.valentine
Failed to internet properly

[ChrisScott]

Prop your foot up man, you're just making things harder by not doing so.

[ChrisScott]

Also what I've fond to be far more effective with pulses in the pancake is to do one leg at a time. So turn to one side an pule down towards the foot, playing with degrees of rotation at the hip too. That said I do have a particular tight line that this gets great.

[jon.valentine]

Cheers ChrisScott, it does feel easier when I prop my foot up on something although I'm not sure what to do with that hand when I do that (not a huge problem it just feels strange not to use it).

 

What does everyone else use for a prop? Anyone have something really portable that they like to use?