contraction during the stretch

FIrst, I'll say that I'm loving the courses!

 

My question is regarding contracting during the stretches.

should all the different stretching be done passively only? just relaxing into them and striving for a bigger range? or contracting to build strength in the end range of the motion (like when you hold an ISO split)

 

for example, in the Vertical Lunge, should i be actively pushing my font leg into the ground through the heel? 

or in the Standing Achilles on Block, should i be pushing into the block with my toes?

 

would love to hear your thoughts on it

 

Lior

That's not the impression that I got. Other than the middle split where Coach instructs you to try to pull your legs together most of the form cues seem to err more on tge side of active stretching (not isometric stretching) where you activate the muscles opposite to the ones you want to stretch. So for instance on the standing Achilles stretch I activated my quads (VMO especially) to lock the knee straight and reciprocally inhibit the hamstrings, activated my Tibialis Anterior (muscles on the front of the shin that pull the top of the foot towards the shin) to reciprocally inhibit my calf muscles. Then I let gravity pull my torso downwards to add some hamstring/fascial line stretch. I did the same with most of the other stretches unless instructed to otherwise.

I'm curious about this as well.  Most of the good stretch information I've seen: Laughlin, Kurz, Tsatsouline, DeAngelis etc recommend Isometric stretching, and to only do it once per week so as not to overdo it.  Coach is recommending this routine once per week, but does not specify isometrics.  Is it advantageous? disadvantageous?

I have this question as well.....

I've seen in a few other posts of his he says for example with the pike you can do both relaxed position and antagonist flexed go back an forth as you like during the holds. Also if you do the follow along video he specifies when the tense the antagonist muscles quite often but not on all of the exercises.