Stretching but just more stiff

All normal. When you start to use muscles that you haven't used before they tighten up. Soak in a hot tub, use some lotion for muscle pain--and slowly restart after a day of rest. You'll find that they'll loosen up after a week or so if you don't push them too much. Once they stop hurting, slowly add more--more time, different stretches. Whenever you quit, even just going on vacation, or after a month, you'll find that you have to start over. It won't take as long, but muscles need to be used regularly.

I had the same experience. Too much too soon.

sarahkw04 wrote: »

Have you looked into foam rolling? I swear by it. I foam roll most evenings, and always before I lift - helps so much!

hurts so much but feels so good (when you're done)

Morriganmum wrote: »

I would LOVE to be able to finally do the splits. But for now I can do Siddhasana & Sukhasana fairly well and comfortably. Lotus sitting is going to take some work. Butterfly stretch is what I am expecting more progress on but am not seeing much. And my hamstrings are so tight is it hard for me to touch my toes. Ug.

I've been sitting on the floor for about 3 weeks now. I just expected further progress by now.
I don't do any specific warming up exercises. Maybe I should at least start my sitting/stretching times with dynamic stretches?

I have a foam roller as well as a hand roller (Tiger Tail- LOVE it!!); I guess I need to use them more.

I am glad though to hear I'm experiencing similar to others and not that there is something wrong with me.

i was reading something in an athletic journal that often times hamstrings being tight is a symptoms of quad muscles needing to be loosened and hamstrings basically tighten up as a protective measure

Personally, I think stretching does work, but it's subtle, gradual, and not an instant-gratification thing.

Yes to the warm-up, and to not pushing excessively hard - just go until you can feel the stretch happening, not to the absolute max achievable by struggle.

For me, the difference in progress is huge if I stretch every day vs. almost every day. IME, a couple times a week achieves pretty much nothing.

Even then, it's slow. I was working on that stretch where you put both arms behind your back, one coming up from below, the other coming down from above your head, and try to grasp the two hands between your shoulder blades. It took around a month to go from fingertips not quite touching (inch or two) to just touching on one side, and a week or two more on the other. (Of course, I'm old (61), so it may be even slower for me.)

I was thinking about working on splits, too, but assuming it's at least a full winter's project, and I'm fairly flexible otherwise already.

Patience and consistency. Patience and consistency.

I find that stretching while "cold" isn't very effective. Stretching after a workout or walk is much more effective because muscles are already warmed up and pliable. Most common wisdom in fitness recommends against static stretching until after a workout. Even if you do some bodyweight squats, lunges, and pushups first for 5-10 min I think you'll find the stretching more beneficial. But 3 weeks isn't very long in terms of improving flexibility. It takes months for most people.

@snowflake954
A (dynamic) warmup is light use of the muscles through their full range of motion before you start the hard part of the workout and would be movement based, like arm circles, squats, rotations, etc. Static stretching is pulling/stretching a muscle but not moving it through the range of motion, like sitting on the floor and reaching for your foot/toes. (Sorry, this isn't a very technical description.)
Sounds like you have a great routine going that works well for you!