Front and side split in shortest time.

[antman]

1. Get hypnotised
2. Have the person who hypnotised you order you to do the splits.
3. Have photographer take pictures for your business card or flyer.
4. Wear jeans and freeball it when your training people so you don't have to actually do them because you can't take your pants off.

[Dr. Sleepless]

I should do a stretching article, but nobody would take it seriously because everything I learned, I learned from a PT during a ballet workshop.

But what I did learn was that you should do light stretching, then warm-up, do your workout and then in the middle stretch. This is the best time to stretch. Then complete your workout and then stretch again.

Just do them and you'll go down faster and safer.

[Judah Maccabee]

Just do them and you'll go down faster and safer.

Insert gay joke here.

-0-0-

A ballet friend of mine told me that if you stretch less frequently than every 12 hours, all your muscles start contracting.

[Teh El Macho]

Insert gay joke here.

-0-0-

A ballet friend of mine told me that if you stretch less frequently than every 12 hours, all your muscles start contracting.

Back in HS, a friend of mine joined the gymnastics team. After 4 weeks of training he was able to do side splits, but he told me he was told exactly the same thing.

In my case, I need to stretch my hamstrings everyday. If I don't, they cramp up and it's a bitch to be able to re-stretch them again. Really, it's fucked up. But I work sitting in front of a PC the whole day, so that must be a factor.

I should do a stretching article, but nobody would take it seriously because everything I learned, I learned from a PT during a ballet workshop.

But what I did learn was that you should do light stretching, then warm-up, do your workout and then in the middle stretch. This is the best time to stretch. Then complete your workout and then stretch again.

That sounds about right. Sirc, do you really do ballet?????

I don't quite buy Tsatsouline's theory. Yes, there is a mental aspect that precludes people from stretching beyond what they are accostumed. But tendons and ligaments are no figments of the imagination either.

Muscles don't stretch. Ligaments do, and they need to be gradually and intelligently conditioned to increase the lenght by which they can stretch before snapping. This requires mental discipline, and here is where I buy Tsatsouline's mental argument.

But anyone who buys that argument without taking into consideration that ligaments must be conditioned is just begging for a groin pull.

I have Tsatsouline's book as well. It's interesting read, but none of his exercises are ground breaking. Nothing that cannot be figured out by working out or going to a MA class.

[TheCount]

If you warmup then do a session of stretches with deep stretches you basically stretch your muscles out further than they normal go. To maintain them at this extra length or whatever you wanna call if you do need to stretch rather frequently and aim to get a little further - even if just by a milimeter - each time. Eventually your body gets used to that muscle length so in general you are more flexible while being capable of doing the splits.

[Nid]

Eastern athletes are known for what now?

Women pulling barges of 'roids down the r. Volga to the neo-natal olympic training camps along the Caspian, that's what

[Nid]

Muscles don't stretch. Ligaments do, and they need to be gradually and intelligently conditioned to increase the lenght by which they can stretch before snapping. This requires mental discipline, and here is where I buy Tsatsouline's mental argument.

And what in Baal's name are YOU talking about?

[Teh El Macho]

And what in Baal's name are YOU talking about?

Gaah!!! I just noticed a typo on what I first typed.

I meant I do not buy Tsatsouline's argument that it's just the nervous system that stops us from stretching. When muscles are relaxed, it is the ligaments, not muscles, that determine how much we can stretch. It is then the ligaments that need to be conditioned to increase the lenght by which they can be stretched.

Another thing: I can't quote Tsatsouline's book by memory, but I remember correctly that he says it's not necessary to warm up before stretching. Yes, warming up is not needed for light stretches. But for the type of stretching his books claims to teach, Jesus, that's a sure recipe for a groin pull.

[Judah Maccabee]

I can't quote Tsatsouline's book by memory, but I remember correctly that he says it's not necessary to warm up before stretching. Yes, warming up is not needed for light stretches. But for the type of stretching his books claims to teach, Jesus, that's a sure recipe for a groin pull

Tsat claims that you do isometric exercise of the muscle as the only warmup:

"Muscles should not be forced into any stretched position unless they have been
previously warmed up through pre-loading," warned East German specialists J.
Hartmann and H. Tunnemann. This may be a bit paranoid, but an isometric
contraction held for up to a minute indeed brings in a pool of relaxing blood
into the muscle. You do not need to do any special warm-ups; they are a total
waste of time.

(I think) This is kind of similar to the PNF principle that you contract a muscle prior to stretching it so that you stretch the muscle as the "relax" reflex is occurring.

[TheCount]

Light stretching can be used as a warmup, but personally I'd be inclined to do soemthing a little more strenuous... just to be sure