Any tips for stretching??

[nekoTKD]

Hey all, Im new to TKD in general (well 14 weeks) and Im having a little problem getting my kicks up high. Do you have any tips for the best types of stretching to do? I mean I do about 30 minutes a day of static stretching (I hold for about 30 seconds) but it doesn't seem to be working too well. Like my sidepierce kick will only get to about belt level...
so if you've got any tips on stretching, please post!

Thanks,

Brandon

 

[bignick]

Patience....

the flexibility that you see from higher ranks didn't develop overnight...I would say to just stick with your stretching routine and keep working...you will notice results...

 

[The Kai]

Especially Side Kick, it is a combination of the lateral movement which your body has not had a lot of call to do and can't use momentum, but pull up the knee with some rather minimal muscle.


BTW Big Nick, either the camera angle is great or you are a rather large nick!
Todd

 

[Xequat]

Sometimes it helps to do a little running in place or jumping jacks for a few minutes to get the blood flowing to your muscles first. I think it's good to hold for about 30 seconds like you are and when you try to stretch further, do it on the exhale. Then inhale and stretch a little further on the exhale again. One stretching exercise I like for that sort of thing is straight-leg kicks. After you loosen up and stretch out some, stand up and keep one leg straight and swing it up in front of you or lift it to the side. Maybe for the side kicks, you could hold one leg out in the air by itself then make little circles with it to get it higher and higher. After time, this seems to help not just your ability to do the splits or something, but to have better control of your leg when it's in the air during a fight. Hope that makes sense.

 

[RanaHarmamelda]

First: Always warm up before streching -- a bit of jump-roping, some shadow-boxing, whatever. I actually find stretching works best done *after* a hard-core workout -- better gains when your muscles (damn spelling...did I get it right?) are all warm and loose.

Second -- don't do hard-core, 30-second stretches every day. Every other day, at most -- give your muscles time to heal between stretches.

Finally -- be patient. It can take years, literally, to get really flexible, depending on your age and current physical condition. Don't push too hard -- you'll hurt yourself. Worst injuries I ever saw when I was in TKD were stretching injuries -- pushing too hard, too fast. Or partner stretches. Those can be dangerous, too.

 

[bignick]

everybody else gave some good advice...like some have said, never stretch hard when your muscles are cold...you can stretch lightly to help warm up but to really get the benefits of stretching, stretch after a hard workout or class, when the muscles are already at their most flexible and you can stretch even farther...

the excersizes Xequat described are ones I do alot, the same warning really applies here, be very careful when doing any dynamic type stretching, as there you can risk tearing or pulling somthing...

BTW Big Nick, either the camera angle is great or you are a rather large nick!

6'5'' 335 pounds....just goes to show you, it doesn't matter who you are, you can gain flexibility

 

[Marginal]

Side rising kicks (10-12 per side) are great for developing flexibility in the side kick.

 

[MA-Caver]

It also helps to relax a bit in a hot bath (full immersion...up to the neck duh) or sit in a hot tub for a while (30-45 min) then get out and stretch and hold it until you cool. This is a good way to increase flexibility after working out or a class.
You do have to go at it carefully and slowly. Patience was mentioned here and I'll stand behind that as well. I've been re-stretching my legs after so long of not doing any TKD. I use just about anything to rest one of my ankles on while keeping the other foot flat on the floor and leg straight. I'll hold it til it starts to hurt (about 30 to 45 seconds) then relax and do the other leg. I'll put my ankle on table tops, chair tops, kitchen counter tops where-ever I can get away with it.
Patience young padawan patience.

 

[TigerWoman]

There are tons of threads already on this. In the Taekwondo forum and Health forum as well. Just do a 'Search" on the top blue bar with the word "stretching" and research away...

Also, try this page: http://www.stadion.com/
Kurtz's Stretching Scientifically, several books and tapes.

or Jean Frenette's Guide to Stretching--
got that through Century Martial Arts-they have alot of books, tapes..
at: http://www.centuryma.com/

TW

 

[nekoTKD]

Thanks for the replies everyone, they all help. I think I will just stick with my regular routine(maybe incorporate some of the stuff you guys mentioned), and give it some time. If you think about it 14 weeks isn't really that long at all. It just kind of feels like I've hit a platue.

Thanks again!

 

[TigerWoman]

Neko TKD,
It's good to ask about stretching, but you should follow it up with research, finding out the right way to stretch. I have read alot about it and Kurz's Stretching Scientifically makes the most sense and is backed up with research.

Anyway, you can find his articles written for Taekwondo Times, at this site:
http://209.197.88.183/column_stretch4.html

You can find the "previous article" button at the top of the page to go back to the first in the series and at the bottom, another bottom forwards you to the next article.

If you stretch right, your stretches will be more beneficial in a shorter period of time and you won't be hurting yourself by say for example doing static stretches before a workout. It also talks about what kinds of workouts should be done on what day of the week, but if you have a instructor who has his own plan, that gets to be difficult to get around. But it might be wise to know... TW

 

[Oak Bo]

Read up on dynamic stretching. You'll find if you're able to do that 1-2 a day your nervous system will get reset, and the higher kicks will start happening for you. Best if you do any relax or iso stretches after the workout itself.
You can use joint mobility and dynamic stretches as your warm up if you wish.
Good luck with it Brandon, and enjoy your martial arts journey :karate:
:asian:

 

[VarunPratap]

wow things hav changed from last time I was here...
I second tom Kurz's book. in addition to it. I also suggest look into Pavel Tsatsouline book Relax into stretching...
Varun Pratap

 

[Blooming Lotus]

I think what you're really asking is how to improve your hip flexibilty. The folks above are right, it won't happen overnight ( despite matt fureys ( ex-world champ, combat conditioning author / creator @ www.mattfurey.com ( btw : sign up and he'll send you daily emails with everything from motivational jazz to health advice ) claim to have a system to that effect. If you stick at it consistently, there's only improvement.

A good stretch sequence you can try for hip flexibilty is :

Find a gate or bar or a sofa will do ( anything at butt/ hip lvl), sidekick from chamber to rest foot on bar. Once up there hook the top half of your foot around the bar and elongate elevated leg and gently pull/stretch out from your hip, leaning slightly out of it as you go. After this, turn your grounded foot around , turning from your hip as though your elevated leg is half way through a back kick. relax that back leg and put your weight into the grounded one. If you can manage it, again pulling out from your hip, come down spine straight, rolling as you get to the ground to put palms either on the ground ( grandually adding a gentle twist to opposite side as elevated leg as you improve ) .Re;ease spine and come up dpoing standard chin / chest to shin / ankle stretch while grabbing the middole of your underfoot. After that place your palm on the inside of your foot lean into it and turn your foot toward the outside until you can get your outer foot flat to your bar. DO NOT break your ankle or force a pulled muscle doing this , a little at a time is ample!! Then repeat with the other side. I also find that a good monkey stance ( really low mabu ( wide squat) drop pelvis and roll toward the back ( as in butt pointed high to back wall) and force legs out with elbows, keeps me loose in my hips as well.
1 more:- I also like to sit on the floor spine straight , pelvis tucked back just a little, ;legs together and straight ahead. Point toes and lean in as far as poss. roll back up and turn soles of feet together, lift slightly and extend as you lower. turn feet aiming for inner blade ( instep) either flat on floor , grab ankles or outter blade and ease chest downwards.

Really good stretches but better to go slow than get injured.

Enjoy!

BL

 

[nekoTKD]

TigerWoman, thanks for the link, it's really good. I've been doing a lot of static stretching prior to workouts, because I've always thought that dynamic stretching can tear stuff. Doesn't really seem to be the case.
Blooming Lotus, yes I think hip flexibility is what my main trouble is... thanks for the descriptions. I'll have to give those a try.


Later,
Brandon

 

[still learning]

Hello, We have added this "Core Performance" to our training progam. There is book written by MR. Mark Verstegen ,for more details. Great info on some new workout stuff. One of the things you will notice, is all your students will find a gradual improvement in there stretches... after about three months, of the core performance progams. You may want to look into this? .... Endurance,lean body,balance, flexibility,,quickness and power will be develop
Don't take my word...look more into it? and then try it? Want to be more Flexible?.....This is no overnight stuff...but it works! There will be no ending of info's and idea's....Endless is the key word,in the world of martial arts training......may I end here? ALOHA

 

[Blooming Lotus]

Brandon : No probs .

I had this chat with other men who've been practicing for yrs and for one reason or other are in the same dilema. They've also said that trying east / west splits in socks on tiles has helped them out too. Do you have more flexiblity in either split variation ( nth/sth vs est/wst ) ??? Try it against a wall even for east west or next to a chair on the nth/sth , and you can take some weight off your joints.

cheers

BL

 

[nekoTKD]

I'm a little better at the side splits (e-w?) but it really puts stress on my knees. I'll try that on a wall and see how it works out. With the front spilts, I can't really get my back leg straight at all, but I'm working on it
Im still reading over a lot of stuff, but I can already see quite a few areas where my routine could improve.

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[TigerWoman]

Hi Brandon, it does put alot of stress on your knees especially early when the quads around your knees are not strong enough. Another exercise to strengthen the least exercised part of the quadriceps, the VM muscle, the muscle on the inside of your knee/thigh, is to put a 3-4 lb. weight on your ankle, sit on the floor with your back against a chair, move your leg to a 30° angle (from the regular 90° sitting position-out) rotate your foot so it points outside and slowly lift your leg 8-10" off the floor and hold for 10 sec. Repeat 20 times.both legs. These are static active stretches-strength building.

This can also be done with straight leg raises too (practice your front kick toe position too doing this) Also strength building for high front kicks.

Also practice isometric exercises for the inside muscles. Going into the stretch split position, contract your inner thigh, like you gripping a horse for 10 sec./repeat 3-4 times. These are done during your workout after warming up but NOT at the end. These are faster then static passive for results but are work! Then do cool-down exercises, static passive stretches before you go out the door or stop exercising for the session.

Also when you are side splitting don't forget front splitting then going back into the side splits. Each time you will get looser.

Now forget the rush, you gotta remember this is a gradual process. Try to stretch every day. Warm up, Dynamic 1st in the morning. Then before your class, do rotations of your joints, then dynamic raises to loosen up, then workout, static active, then isometric, then static passive.

I'm teaching a seminar on stretching next week. Everybody needs to do it the right way! TW

 

[nekoTKD]

Cool. Do you think there are any machines I should focus on at the gym too? They have a whole lot of leg machines that I never really look at.

Thanks for the tips everyone,

Brandon