Simple static stretching routine

Here's a simple static stretching that should take you around 10 min to perform, at the end of your workout.
Hold the stretches for at least 12s for maintenance and to return the muscles to their original length. Hold for at least 20s for development and to improve your flexibility.

Pectorals stretch. Performed against a wall. Your hand should be facing up towards the ceiling.
Lats strech. Lay your outstretched hand against a wall, and gradually lean into the wall.
Triceps and lats stretch.
Pecs and rotator cuffs stretch. Place your forearms flat against both sides of a door and lean foreward gradually to increase the stretch.
This calf stretch targets principally the gastrocnemius. Keep your heel on the floor and your leg straight, and lean into the wall.
This calf stretch targets the soleus and achilles tendon. Keep your heel on the floor, bend your leg as you bring the knee towards the wall.
Quadriceps stretch. Push your hips forward and bring your knee back to increase the stretch.
Hamstring strech. Keep a straight leg as your bring your weight forward over your knee.
Hamstrings and adductors stretch. From the previous position, rotate the foot and the floor 90 degrees, and rotate your hips to face sideways. Lean your body towars your outstretched foot to increase the stretch.
Adductors and hamstrings stretch.
This will stretch your adductors and calf muscles. Press with your elbows on the inside of your knees to increase the stretch.
This stretch will target both your glutes and abductors.
Cobra stretch. Arch your back to target your abdominals.
The cat stretch increases flexibility in the lower back and core muscles.








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15 comments:

  1. would you recomend doing this routine daily in order to increase flexibility?? if so, should i warm up first on non training days??

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    1. Absolutely, you should do it daily if you want to improve your flexibility. And yes, warming up first would be a good idea!

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  2. What dou you think about Pasive Stretching vs Active Stretching? Do you read Convict Conditioning 2? That book not recommend pasive stretching. What are your opnion about this?

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    1. My experience is that passive stretching is OK after a workout... You can make good flexibility gains initially by using passive stretching, but these tend to stop after a few months, and it takes real effort to carry on developing your flexibility (I know athletes who hold these stretches up to 30min per stretch) in order to further improve. PNF stretching may yield better gains after the initial couple of months... I'm currently experimenting with loaded progressive stretching, and I might make a post on this in the near future.

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  3. Hi, have substitute for the 3rd to last stretch? I don't think I'm flexible enough to utilize this stretch properly, it is "This stretch will target both your glutes and abductors."

    Thanks!

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    1. Try this one: http://www.physiohub.com/activities/83

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    2. thank you....by the way this site is amazing

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  4. There seems a disproportionately high number or lower body stretches to upper body especially considering the fact that most of the basic work out is upper body. Is this because in addition to normal post workout stretching this is about flexibility increases and wanting to lengthen the cool down a bit or is there something else I'm missing?

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    1. There are 3 variations of adductor stretches here, you are right, and you could dispense with a couple of them if your flexibility is good. The reason I placed such an emphasis on them though, adductor and ankle flexibility is essential for squat work (particularly one leg squats), and for most people, adductors are one of the muscle groups least responsive to flexibility training.

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  5. I'd like to see a poster of these like the other poster for the exercise progressions.

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  6. I see you do a flat foot squat as part of the static stretches. At this point I am unable to hold a squat like that. What other stretches do you suggest in order to develop a good flat foot squat?

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    1. decline surface / elevated heels..
      work on lowering the angle..

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  7. Hi, I do appreciate your job of making this program. Can you make a video of proper technique of the stretching routine?

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  8. Which exercises for before and after workout? Actually must we do stretch before or after workout?

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  9. El Diablo your site is amazing. Informative and very easy to follow. I like the fact that you demonstrate for beginners through advanced not just the advanced guys. Keep up the good work friend!

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