Flexibility after a day of skiing - Stretch when your legs are tired?

Hello,

I just came back from a week of skiing. While I didn`t have the time for any exercises, I noticed that after a day of skiing my flexibility in standing and sitting pike was much better than usual (almost head to knee). When I usually do the stretch series I can never get this far/deep. Is this because my legs (quads) are to tired to care? And generally, would it make sense to really tire out the legs before the stretch series to get better results?

Thanks for your help

Julian

Hi Julian, 

There is a phonemenon called post contractive reflex depression. This causes a muscles resistance to elongation to be momentarily reduced immediately after a sufficiently strong contraction. However this is not a lasting effect so I can't see how it would come into play here. 

I'm not sure that there is connection between fatigue improving flexibility. When of you normally stretch your standing and sitting pike is it at the end of a training session or is your front split a stand alone session?

Hi Darin,

thanks for your reply. I usually do the strech series as a stand alone session - sometimes after some cardio training. But I was really surprised by the added flexibility after really tiring out the legs. So there is no benefit in stretching after an intense leg workout, since a stretching session would be so much deeper (while still being comfortable)?

Thanks again

Julian

If you are achieving considerably better results in your session from stretching your legs in a fatigued state I would say to continue with it.

I would love for you to keep me updated on the results. 

Hi Julian,

I have got a hard leg session planned for Saturday which I will include a stretch session at the end of it and let you know whether it helps me get deeper into my stretches!

Will post my results soon 

Thanks for your replies. I will try the stretch sessions after intense leg workouts and see what happens and how it feels. I will let you my results. I am also looking forward to your results Winter.

Thanks again

Julian

I would suggest that it would be good to stretch at the end of a hard leg workout, but I would not suggest doing a stretch session after a hard leg workout after you've cooled down and stiffened up.  In other words, while the muscles are warm and activated should be fine.  But if you drive home from skiing and then try to do a stretch session you will likely not make much progress and may have an increased risk of overdoing it.  In this case, I would simply do limbering (or best yet, get in a hot tub and do some light stretching in there!).

Interesting points here.

As a note: 

My best vertical shin range occurs immediately after a comfortable cross country ski session.