Help me set realistic goals for flexibility/mobility

wellbert
wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
edited January 4 in Fitness and Exercise
I've worked this on and off for over a year. Static. Dynamic. PNF.
I can still barely reach past my knees. My hamstrings are insanely tight, and have become a huge limiting factor in my strength training.


Right now I'm doing mostly PNF and some stuff seen on mobilityWOD.
I roll/ball/theracane the living crap out of my muscle tissue (People say it hurts, I disagree. Rolling a painful muscle is AMAZING.)

I'm not seeing results, but, I'm not sure how to quantify.

How 'long' should it take, for example, for me to be able to touch my toes while sitting? Let's assume I work mobility every single day. Right now, I can get my fingertips just past my knees.

I also have a copy of 'relax into stretch' but the book doesn't really have guidlines, or 'workouts' outlined.

Replies

  • bradwwood
    bradwwood Posts: 371 Member
    I'm assuming your belly isn't in the way

    That's a long time, I'd expect that you would at least see progress. I don't know what PNF is, so can't comment on that. Have you mentioned this to your dr? Can you maybe get him to refer you to PT so you can talk to a therapist about it?

    I stretch regularly. I lay flat on the floor and use a yoga belt hooked over the end of my foot. I pull my leg up and keep my food flexed. This gets the hams and calves
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I did see a PT about it actually. She started me on foam rolling, which loosened up my IT band and helped with knee/hip pain I was having.

    PNF is basically where you flex at the end of your stretch, then relax into a slightly more stretched position.

    I do the same thing you mentioned, but with a resistance band. Feel it mostly in my knee though.
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    I don't think more or different stretching routines are the fix here. It sounds to me like you may have some major muscle imbalance going on and this can have a huge impact on ROM.

    One of the best articles I've ever read on this subject is here:
    http://www.t-nation.com/searchResults.jsp?cx=016420786931182441572:kswwmllusns&cof=FORID:10&ie=UTF-8&q=neanderthal+no+more

    Start with part 1 and move forward...
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Honestly? I know it's not what you want to hear, but what did it for me were flexibility exercises with the suspension trainer.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Honestly? I know it's not what you want to hear, but what did it for me were flexibility exercises with the suspension trainer.

    I can see how they would help! Sadly, I missed the sale. I think I have JUST enough room in my garage to pull it off too.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I don't think more or different stretching routines are the fix here. It sounds to me like you may have some major muscle imbalance going on and this can have a huge impact on ROM.

    One of the best articles I've ever read on this subject is here:
    http://www.t-nation.com/searchResults.jsp?cx=016420786931182441572:kswwmllusns&cof=FORID:10&ie=UTF-8&q=neanderthal+no+more

    Start with part 1 and move forward...

    I'll read it all. Thanks!
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Honestly? I know it's not what you want to hear, but what did it for me were flexibility exercises with the suspension trainer.

    I can see how they would help! Sadly, I missed the sale. I think I have JUST enough room in my garage to pull it off too.

    Well if you're willing to cover the regular price of $84 it's still worth it IMO. It was 60 on sale
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    Dare I suggest it? Yeah, why not - a decent Yoga class would sort you out in twelve months if you apply yourself to a regular class and daily homework.
  • MissJanet55
    MissJanet55 Posts: 457 Member
    Dare I suggest it? Yeah, why not - a decent Yoga class would sort you out in twelve months if you apply yourself to a regular class and daily homework.

    Totally agree with this. Find a good one, Iygengar teachers are used to working with a lot of different types of people. My Iyengar classes are often full of men who do other sports. They are very strong, but that shortens their muscles so they're very, very tight. Iyengar teachers try ot help you balance strength and flexibility. (The super flexible young women often struggle with the poses that require a lot of strength.)

    We all have our own challenges, whether we're strong or flexible. Yoga will absolutely help you, but you need to practice. One day a week isn't going to do it.
  • SandraNancy
    SandraNancy Posts: 128 Member
    I was just about to suggest the same thing! Yoga is excellent for strengthening muscles while helping you gain flexibility. Also, yoga stresses listening to your body, moving at your own pace, etc.

    I've fallen in love with hot yoga. I've heard that it helps you get a deeper stretch, releases the muscle more and so on, but I really just like the heat, the sweat, and feeling like I've just come from a massage when I leave. I don't always get that in traditional yoga.

    Teachers will often offer modified versions of the poses for people at different levels, so don't worry if your toes aren't over your head the first day. :) Good luck!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I have looked into Yoga, but the classes are $200/month and don't have any men in them. I know that sounds nuts, but it is what it is.

    I did Wii yoga for a while, but eh.

    I do use a few yoga poses to unkink my back between heavy squats. They help a lot. Especially tree pose, and child's pose.


    But anyway. At the moment I'm limited to what I can do at home.
  • MissJanet55
    MissJanet55 Posts: 457 Member
    There are some great yoga videos. There are lots available at the library where I live, you may find the same.

    I can see why your reaction to yoga is "meh". It's so gentle it's hard to believe it's working. But it works. And like many things, you might like one kind of yoga and not others. The differences can be surprisingly large.
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