Weird flexibility results ( help)

Ive been stretching for the past 1-2 weeks (2 times a week).

Ive been doing what I think is hard stretching and I did not stretch for 3 days and now i got something like this:

My hamstrings are very tight now and I can barely reach the ground with my hands ( hamstrings get very tight )

This means that I have done something wrong. True, I dont know much about stretching. 

Has anyone ever experienced something like this ? It is like my flexibility has decreased. 

I want to learn how to stretch properly

Thank you !

I think that what your describing is fairly common. DOMS following a good session means that ROM is restricted in the following days. Your ROM should soon be back to normal, or perhaps even a bit better (fingers crossed).

MrPuppeh said:

 It is like my flexibility has decreased. 

I'd wait to see how you feel once you're fully warmed up after your next workout.

When I started to condition my hamstrings more intensely, I had a similar feeling. But during the workout when I got going, everything loosened up. Now I can place my palm flat on the ground with my legs locked whenever I like, no warm up required, it just takes time and conditioning to get your body used to the new ROM you're building.

Remember that stretching is really just training your nervous system.  If you stretch too hard, your nervous system can freak out and think 'oh, I'd better not do that again' and you can lose ROM.

You learn to get a feel for how hard you should stretch with practice.

It's complexity normal to have DOMS after hard stretching. In general with a little warm up the ROM you gained from it will return very quickly, just don't expect that first stretch to be easy. Once you warm up and limber a bit first, it will come back.

Cole Dano said:

It's complexity normal to have DOMS after hard stretching. In general with a little warm up the ROM you gained from it will return very quickly, just don't expect that first stretch to be easy. Once you warm up and limber a bit first, it will come back.

Is limbering a lighter version of stretching ? I've read a phrase on the forum that stretching every day is not recommended but limbering is good to do every day.

Bipocni said:

Remember that stretching is really just training your nervous system.  If you stretch too hard, your nervous system can freak out and think 'oh, I'd better not do that again' and you can lose ROM.

 

You learn to get a feel for how hard you should stretch with practice.

You mean that by stretching the muscles don't become physically longer in terms of measurable length ? I read on some article that stretching increases muscle length and gives more room for it to build up and become bigger etc but I also heard ( If I'm not mistaken, then from an article made by Pavel Tsatsouline ) that stretching is a nervous system adaption because we all can go into splits but our nervous system is not trained for it.

MrPuppeh said:

Is limbering a lighter version of stretching ? I've read a phrase on the forum that stretching every day is not recommended but limbering is good to do every day.

Limbering is any process that one uses to get back to their normal full ROM.

MrPuppeh said:

You mean that by stretching the muscles don't become physically longer in terms of measurable length?

Not really no.  It does, however, align the muscle fibers nicely, which helps with both expressing strength and growth potential.

Funnily enough strength training actually makes your muscles longer.  I'm lost on the specifics though....

Are stretching DOMS similar to workout DOMS, in the sense that a good diet will help recovery and/or lesson the ache the next day, and your body gradually adapts to the stress you put it through?