Five Point Fitness: Flexibility Training

Stretching is one of the most beneficial activities you can do for your fitness. It's an aspect of training that is often neglected in these fast times. It requires you to slow down, breathe deep, and assess your limitations.

You will learn a lot about your body this way. When you are making progress and improving the ways in which your body can move, you are becoming it's master. There is only so much that I can teach because I don't know your body. You will have to learn for yourself with practice. So, without turning this into a total lecture on anatomy and bio-mechanics, I'm going to show you how you can get started.

  

Types of Stretching

For now, there are two types of stretching that will be discussed.

Static Stretching  

Stretching a muscle to its limit and holding it while letting the muscle relax. This is the best way to start out. It carries the least risk of injury, and will gradually improve flexibility, allowing you to stretch deeper while learning to relax the muscle. It's also a useful tool to rehabilitate an injury. Generally, you should hold each stretch for around 20 seconds and 2-3 repetitions per session.

Dynamic Stretching  

This involves stretching a muscle through its range of motion in a controlled path while increasing the speed each repetition. The dynamic leg swings from Five Point Fitness: Warm Up & Mobility Training are an example of this. The benefit of dynamic stretching being that it is the fastest way to improve functional flexibility, such as throwing a high kick.  

Where to Begin

Since this is just an introduction, I'm going to focus on static stretches. It should be at the core of your training, because it is essentially the safest and most consistent way to improve your flexibility. Not to mention, it can actually be a pleasant and relaxing way to end a work out, or a long day.

This kind of stretching should be done after a work out and not before. Your body needs to be warmed up, but that doesn't mean you have to work out before you stretch. More on that coming up..

The Basics

Here are the basic tenants you need to know to make stretching as productive as possible.

Alignment  

You need to keep your bodies natural mechanics in mind. There are ways a body is designed to move and there are ways it isn't. That can mean the difference between making progress and injuring yourself. Stretching can cause an intense pulling sensation in the muscle if its tight, but it shouldn't be unbearably painful. If that's the case, you're either trying to stretch too far for your current level of flexibility, or you need to reassess your posture. If you feel a pain in your joints,  stop immediately, ease back into it and try to feel where the pull is coming from. If it's coming from anywhere other than the muscles being targeted by the stretch, you need to adjust yourself.

Control 

Keep full control over how deep and how sudden you move into a stretch. Don't ever try to force it. At worst, you will be injured. At best, your muscle will contract from the sudden trauma, and it will tighten causing the opposite of the desired effect.

Breathing 

Never hold your breath during a stretch. Inhale deeply before a stretch, and breathe out as you move into it. Relaxing the muscle is key, and if you're holding your breath you're not relaxed.

Self Honesty

Acknowledge what you can and can't do. If you won't make an honest assessment of where your limitation is, how do you expect to improve it? Are you bending your knees to reach your toes on a hamstring stretch? Does that make you feel better about yourself? Do only what you can and work your way up from there, but don't cheat because there's nothing to win.

Warm Up  

Make sure your body is warmed up before you start stretching. You should at least feel like you are just about to start sweating. You can do something aerobic for 5-10 minutes, stretch right after an intense work out, or.. and this is something I do frequently, get in a hot bath for 5-10 minutes. It's a good way to prepare to stretch when your on a rest day from the gym.

The Myotatic Reflex

Generally, muscles are long enough on their own to accommodate full range of motion. There is a conditioned response however, from the nervous system known as the myotatic reflex that causes them to tighten when a sudden increase in length is registered. It's meant to prevent your muscles from stretching too far and tearing. It keeps them in their comfort zone, so to speak. With consistent stretching you can reprogram this reflex.

The Stretches - Full Body Routine

Hold each repetition for around 20 seconds, stop for 10-20 seconds, then relax a bit further into the next repetition. 3 reps for each stretch will be enough. Start off easy and by the 3rd, stretch to your full limit. A full session should last no more than 15 minutes total.


Long Stance 

Targets - Legs and Hips

Builds flexibility and strengthens at the same time. Turn the back foot sideways and lunge foreword putting your weight on your front leg while keeping the back leg straight. Keep your shin perpendicular to the ground and shoulders facing forward. Move your front foot foreword and bend at the knee to deepen the stretch. Do both sides.



Seated Toe Touch

Targets - Hamstrings, Calves, Lower Back

Basic sitting stretch both feet together, toes up, knees straight. Start by reaching to your ankles. If you can't reach your ankles, you can get a towel, hold each end and loop it around your feet.

Progression

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-Grab your ankles, breathe out and lean foreword.

-Grab your toes, pull back on your feet.
-Grab your heels and lean foreword from your waist and bring your head to your knees. 



Double Quad Stretch

Targets - Quadriceps, Ankles

Kneel over your toes and lean back keeping your legs beneath you until you feel a stretch.
Never turn your feet out when doing this.

Progression

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-Use your hands for support.

-Lean onto your elbows

-Lie all the way down.



Seated Crossover/Crossover Twist

Targets - Outer Hip, Large Muscle Groups of the Torso

Bring one leg over the other and pull your knee into your chest. Keep your body upright and centered as possible. Make sure to stretch both sides.

From the crossover grab the bottom of your foot and support yourself with your other hand while twisting your torso to the rear.

Straddle 

Targets - Hamstrings, Inner Thighs, Hips, and Groin

Spread your legs as wide as you can until you feel a stretch. Massage your legs and groin muscles until they relax. Keep your toes pointed at the ceiling and your knees flat on the floor. Always keep your toes inline with your knees, and your knees inline with the rotation of your hip.

Bend at the waist and lean foreword bringing your stomach towards the ground. Hold for 20 seconds. Sit up and scoot a bit deeper into the stretch.

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Stretch to the right foot, then stretch to the left foot. Pulling your chest towards your knee.

Bridge 

Targets - Back , Torso , Shoulders,  Quadriceps

Lay on the floor with your feet flat. Putting your palms by your head press yourself up arching your back, pushing your stomach to the ceiling. Since this movement can be difficult for some, We'll start out with a modified version.

Lying on the floor with your feet flat, Put your hands under your lower back and lift yourself towards the ceiling.


Progression

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-Modified Bridge

-Full Bridge Feet Flat

-Full Bridge on Toes

Rollback

Targets - Neck, Back, Hamstrings

Following the bridge, roll back on to your shoulders with your palms flat on the ground. Bring your feet as close to the ground as you can manage while keeping your legs straight.

Cobra Stretch

Targets - Lower Back, Chest

Lie on your stomach with your palms under your chin. Slowly press your upper body off the ground while keeping your hips planted. Stretch all the way up until you're looking at the ceiling.

Stretch Back/Arch

Targets - Back, Hips, Shoulders

Following the Cobra, dig your toes into the ground and push your hips all the way back over your heels.

Then come up on all fours and arch your back towards the ceiling. This is a good way to end the session.



Frequency

The point of how often seems to vary from person to person. Some people say everyday, others say every other day. What I find works best for me, is to take a day or two off after a session of deep stretching. Light stretches such as those in Warm Up & Mobility, are suitable for everyday, or you can do these but not go as deep. You'll have to find out what works best for you.

 Learn to Love It

Unless you have maintained your flexibility from childhood, stretching is something you need to learn to enjoy to become successful at it. Each time you stretch, during each and every movement, you are awakening pathways of conscious awareness throughout your body. This conscious energy is going to allow you to move in ways you may have not even been able to imagine before you started. When properly maintained, it will keep your body feeling younger and energized. With that said, you can see why training your flexibility is most definitely worthwhile.


That wraps up the fourth point of Five Point Fitness. The foundational system for ultimate fitness is almost complete, but every ending is a new beginning. The last point will be Nutrition & Recovery. It may be the last but certainly not least, because where all of the constant training is breaking your body down this is how it's rebuilt, and where the magic happens.