I do DeFranco's Agile 8 (http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.html) plus some basic yoga-type stretches for my shoulders and lower back (for instance, downward dog, but push your head as far past your shoulders as necessary to really stretch out your shoulder girdles; then move down like in a dive-bomber pushup sort of move to stretch your lower back) before a lifting session. I also foam roll my hamstrings, hip flexors and adductors, quads, and IT bands before and after. And some good old-fashioned toe-touched will help stretch your hamstrings, too.

DeFranco's static hip flexor stretch is great, but the key is squeezing your glutes as hard as you can when you do it. That really pulls on your hips.

I also find lumbar and thoracic spinal mobility to be really critical to posterior chain stuff, so I use my foam roller for that, too. Basically, I just put the roller under the part of my back that I want to stretch, raise my body up so that only my feet are actually on the ground, and then drop my butt so that my spine is extended over the foam roller. I hold for a count of 10 or so, and then move on to another section of my back.

I do DeFranco's Agile 8 (http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.html)

yeah this is good, there is a 'simple 6' upper body version also

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgxr6xAB5ZM

there is some good mobility stuff on Bruce Lewis' youtube channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZctW20nt94

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwIqeBy0t28

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nSgHAL4w3E

And mobilitywod of course.

I don't stretch more than a few times per year.

Agile 8 is a good way to warmup.


I prefer foam rolling before every training session, and if my hips are bothering me I do some band distraction work.

mobilitywod.com has some great stuff to do.

just tagging, thanks!

bumping, always looking for good stretches for lifting!

Honestly, squatting itself is a good stretch. At the bottom, focus on maintaining the good arch in your lower back and going deep enough so that the hamstrings and glutes are being stretched.

Stretching is godawful boring and I have never been able to keep up a stretching routine. I have also never been as flexible since doing deep squats.

+1 for foam rolling (I use a PVC pipe and a lacrosse ball). It hurts like hell but it gets the knots out....instant gratification lol

I do DeFranco's Agile 8 (http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.html)

yeah this is good, there is a 'simple 6' upper body version also

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgxr6xAB5ZM

there is some good mobility stuff on Bruce Lewis' youtube channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZctW20nt94

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwIqeBy0t28

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nSgHAL4w3E

And mobilitywod of course.

Nice.

Tagging for review...