Going hard on lower body mobility

[Andrew Long]

Hej everyone,

I have noticed myself losing a lot of flexibility due to sitting around studying for long portions of the day and decided to do something about it. No idea what I'm doing really so here is my plan

My routine using CR until max rom is achieved and then staying there for 3 minutes.

Wednesday/Friday:

Straddle pancake

Front splits

Side splits

Bent and straight leg calf stretch

Pancake

.

I just have a couple of questions.

1. What else should I add if anything

2. Am I going to unbalance my body ( have I missed something?)

3. Is the CR technique with a hold at the end good enough or too much?

4. When the hell is the stretch series coming out so I can get a real program

Cheers!

P.s. Active flexibility will be worked through the foundation and handstand series I'm just looking for passive flexibility here.

I'll also be limbering with ims a couple of days a week.

[Maarten Pijls]

Looks good if you want to focus on your hips.

I am no expert on this subject. Looking to up my stretching as well so I am keeping an eye on this thread.

Perhaps you can add in some stretching for the piriformis and gluteus. 

 

Kit recommends doing intense stretching once a week. Thomas Kurz talks about a minimum of twice a week.

At the end you can hold for a while. It depends on how big the muscles are. Smaller muscles you can hold less long. One minute I believe, bigger muscle up to two minutes or three. Think you have to start with less and build it up.

 

C-R is an option. You can choose to do some isometric stretching or loaded progressive stretching. I believe Ido makes his students stretch 4 times a week.

[Daniel Burnham]

need more hip flexor stretching and psoa specific stretches also make sure you get some quad stretching in.  

Unless you have splits already I would do some progressions towards them before jumping right in.  Warrior pose is a good one for middle split.

[Andrew Long]

I am not going to do too much work on psoa simply because last time I did I ended up with lower back pain. Also I am pretty close side splits (about an inch or so off the ground. Front splits I'm not as close but I'll definitely be using a modified warrior pose to work up to them.

What hip flexor stretches would you incorporate?

[Andrew Long]

Also is my method for stretching a good idea?

[Douglas Wadle]

Hey man, I'm not going to comment on your regimen, but want to throw out a couple other ideas for you.  Instead of siting and studying in a chair, sit on the floor.  Sit cross-legged, in taylor pose, squat, sit in figure of 4, sit in seiza...in essence your sitting can be your stretching.  You can accumulate huge amounts of limbering in this fashion, and not even notice it, then you won't be so stiff when doing your more focused C-R stretching and loaded stretching, which in my experience should only be done 2-4 times a week unless you're an advanced practitioner, in which case daily may work very well.  

[Andrew Long]

I don't have any chairs so I usually sit on the floor cross legged but I really need to stretch out to be able to sit in a stretched position without my lower back hurting or to be able to concentrate on m study properly while stretching.

What is Taylor pose?

[Douglas Wadle]

Taylor pose is essentially like the "butterfly stretch.  the soles of the feet are together in front of you.  https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yogatrail.com%2Fyoga-poses%2Flotus-pose%2F322%2F&ei=VGuKVNnpEtTfoATY8oKQBg&bvm=bv.81456516,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNH7rh4z5iEj3KauKx50rGcm69FvGQ&ust=1418443963845225