Daily limber through week to supplement stretch series

Hey guys 

I want to start incorporating a daily limber into my post workout. 

I appreciate we should only do the stretch series once a week but I understand from what I've read here that we can include this daily limber as long as it's less Intense than the weekly stretch

what must we do to deem something "less intense " as both options I have confusion with 

would it be:

less time in the hold (my confusion being coach states in the front splits follow along that doing a stretch for a couple of sets of 30seconds won't do a thing) 

or

less deep in the stretch (my confusion here being what would be the point in doing a stretch that wasn't in the required position to "stretch" me 

Through different responses to my form checks throughout my few months since starting gst this is what I was planning on being my daily limber  (approx 10mins work)

Slight knee bend Pike fold  1 minute 

Pirofirmis 1 minute each leg

Butterfly 1 minute

Shoulder extension 1 minute

Diamond frog 1 minute 

Elevated Seiza 1 minute

Slight knee bend Standing pancake 1 minute 

Seiza 1 minute

Bent vertical shin 1 minute each 

shoulder flexion throughout day 5 mins total 

all of the above I was planning on doing for the one minute at the same "stretch depth" as what I would be doing in the weekly series . 

Please could you advise your thoughts on this and any problems you see with this 

many thanks 

Leigh 

Generally the daily limber work must be focused on the range of motion where you are restricted, one exercise and not more for more restricted muscles.

But Alex I'm restricted in every thing ha ha 

Are you saying this programme of 10 minutes  of stretch is not to be done 

Leigh 

Thats a good question. I have a similar daily limber routine and I am careful not to make it intense. I usually hold them for about 30 seconds each or so. Plus i am making more use of movement patterns. When I move around the house I can be seen doing that utilizing crab, ape, frog, etc walks.

I think what Alessandro meant (correct me if I'm wrong!) is only one stretch per restricted area--i.e. don't include three hamstring exercises in your limber; just pick one (not that you did this, it's just an example : )

4 hours ago, Julia Quigley said:

I think what Alessandro meant (correct me if I'm wrong!) is only one stretch per restricted area--i.e. don't include three hamstring exercises in your limber; just pick one (not that you did this, it's just an example : )

Ok Julie yes that makes sense .

This in mind, I'm thinking to incorporate the following into my daily limbering routine :

3 rounds of 

Slight knee bend Pike stretch 30 seconds 

Pirofirmis 30 secs  each 

Butterfly 30 secs 

Shoulder extension 30 secs 

Diamond frog 30 secs   

Seiza 30 secs

Bent vertical shin 30 secs 

im hoping this is deemed ok to continue with guys ......

@Alessandro Mainente @Everett Carroll @Jeffrey Bittner

Nice idea here. 

I'd like to start incorporating a daily limber like this, too. My weakest links seem to be pancake work (adductors?), generally maintaining APT during Pike or pancake work and shoulder extension.

Stretches I thought of are:

- Isometric middle split (as coach pointed out in the video that it's probably the best exercise for middle split flexibility)

- Diamond frog

- Standing Pike

- Supine Shoulder Extension

What holding time and what training frequency would you suggest for those stretches? As a warm-up I'm thinking of something like ten side to side squats or the 2 Pike 2 Squat exercise plus the Daily Limber routine from Fundamentals. Can you recommend a specific stretch for improving my ability to maintain APT during Pike/Pancake work?

Hey Ferdinand .

Below is a screen shot I took a while back of some advice Wesley gave in a post specifically regarding helping improve your apt. Hopefully this may help you .

alternatively sitting up on blocks as high as is needed to achieve Apt and actively trying to maintain that position comfortably  is something that I'm needing to do until I can Do so on the floor . It's a long road this one but already I'm feeling better in this position

as far as hold times and frequency maybe 3-4 times a week I'll cycle between two different sets of a few exercises of the stretch series as stated above .

i do 30 seconds at low intensity of each of the exercises and then repeat 3 times . If I'm sore from training or the main stretch series I won't do anything but rest on it. I'm listening to my body more than every before since joining gst 

good luck my friend 

Leigh 

Wow, thanks Leigh! That's some great advice!

I'll try to play around a little with low weight deadlifting, focusing on the APT as stated in this post. I actually feel like my lower back is a very weak link of mine, I also recognize that during the SL PE1 (Russian Twist) when leaning back.

When you're doing your pancake work for example, do you recommend sitting up so high (on blocks) that you can bring your torso down to the ground with solid APT, or is it sufficient to sit up straight as long as I can feel the stretch in my adductors/lower back? At the moment my middle split flexibility is so bad, that even sitting on two blocks during pancake work doesn't allow me to significantly lower down my torso with a straight back.

I'll try your 3x30s approach and will throw it in 3-4x a week! How do you warm up for those stretches, do you think side/side squats or 2 Pike 2 Squats will suffice?

One final theoretical question about stretching/mobility - as Leigh stated in his OP, coach says something like stretching less than 30s won't actually help our flexibility. How do the mobility exercises of Foundations work, when there's no such stretching involved? I just try to understand what I'm doing:p

Thanks so much!

Hey ferdinand no problem

51 minutes ago, Ferdinand Berr said:

When you're doing your pancake work for example, do you recommend sitting up so high (on blocks) that you can bring your torso down to the ground with solid APT, or is it sufficient to sit up straight as long as I can feel the stretch in my adductors/lower back? At the moment my middle split flexibility is so bad, that even sitting on two blocks during pancake work doesn't allow me to significantly lower down my torso with a straight back.

I hope the coaches confirm what I'm about to say but from what I'm learning here it is best to sit on as many blocks as required to be able to sit in Apt . First and foremost sit straight before attempting to lean forward . Only should you attempt the forward lean when you can maintain the straight back and Apt . So what I'm doing is concentrating on micro leans forward sat up on blocks with Apt just to contract the right areas and I'll then decrease height as I get better . When I can sit on the floor and maintain Apt only then will I start to attempt the lean forward . As I say I'm hoping the coaches will confirm this is correct procedure . 

There is no point getting a "false rounded back" lean as it won't be hitting the right areas To help you achieve what we are aiming for in this series which is a solid Middle split/pancake  with Apt. 

57 minutes ago, Ferdinand Berr said:

I'll try your 3x30s approach and will throw it in 3-4x a week! How do you warm up for those stretches, do you think side/side squats or 2 Pike 2 Squats will suffice?

This looks perfectly fine to me Ferdinand but without sounding repetitive I'd much rather you get clarification from our experts on here 

keep posting your attempts and progress for feedback that will be vital in you progression through the program 

leigh 

1 hour ago, Leigh Kettle said:

keep posting your attempts and progress for feedback that will be vital in you progression through the program 

I'm already constantly annoying the coaches with review submissions:p

Concerning the pancake/pike work I've also followed the approach outlined by you and prioritized APT over leaning forward. Can anybody clear up whether it's rather a strength deficit in the lower back or rather a flexibility issue of the hamstrings/adductors, when maintaining the APT in pancake/pike work seems to be so difficult? Is there a way to find that out for each individual?

For example when doing the 120s Standing Pike I've so far taken the first 60s to concentrate on the APT and bringing my torso down with a straight back (as far as possible), then I let loose and used the remaining minute to relax into the stretch, bringing my fingers to the ground. Doing this I feel a strong hamstring stretch in both positions, whether I focus on APT or on touching the floor. What's the advantage of concentrating on the APT in this case, is it the added stretching of the lower back?

Excuse me for bringing up so many questions:p

Hi,

The lower back strength for APT really got my attention.  I didn't know it could help this way.  I currently have my right hamstring that is really stiff and my hips are rotated a little due to some low back (and other stuff) imbalances.  I suppose Foundation could help to balance these kind of problems?

11 hours ago, Ferdinand Berr said:

Doing this I feel a strong hamstring stretch in both positions, whether I focus on APT or on touching the floor. What's the advantage of concentrating on the APT in this case, is it the added stretching of the lower back?

For your question, and to coaches correct me if I'm wrong, but the concentration on APT is to actually not adding stretch on the lower back.  We want to keep the stretch explicitly on the legs.  Plus, in a flat pancake (I'm not there yet, so I may be wrong), you want your back to be completely flat, so not concentrating on your APT is like a wrong start for a perfect final form.

I hope I am answering your question

I have one additional question regarding the topic of APT during all the hamstring/adductor stretches.

I do focus on the APT and keeping my body rather upright than leaning forward with a rounded back, but that also often results in a less intense stretch in the hamstrings/adductors. When I simply ignore the APT and go forward/to the ground (whatever the exercise is) as much as possible, I feel a very intense stretch in my hamstrings/adductors. When focussing on the straight back, the stretch often feels less efficient, as it's harder to keep the intensity on a good level. When just "relaxing" the back in a 120s Standing Pike, I can maintain a solid stretch in the hamstrings; but when focussing on APT and keeping my back straight, I have a much harder time to get the stretch to a similar level.

I'd appreciate any ideas/feedback on this issue! Is it mainly a question of lower back strength right now? I guess that's a general posture problem of mine, I also sit with a very rounded back for example (which I'd like to change obviously). I'm just afraid that I'm wasting my weekly stretching through not doing it efficiently.

3 hours ago, Ferdinand Berr said:

I have one additional question regarding the topic of APT during all the hamstring/adductor stretches.

I do focus on the APT and keeping my body rather upright than leaning forward with a rounded back, but that also often results in a less intense stretch in the hamstrings/adductors. When I simply ignore the APT and go forward/to the ground (whatever the exercise is) as much as possible, I feel a very intense stretch in my hamstrings/adductors. When focussing on the straight back, the stretch often feels less efficient, as it's harder to keep the intensity on a good level. When just "relaxing" the back in a 120s Standing Pike, I can maintain a solid stretch in the hamstrings; but when focussing on APT and keeping my back straight, I have a much harder time to get the stretch to a similar level.

I'd appreciate any ideas/feedback on this issue! Is it mainly a question of lower back strength right now? I guess that's a general posture problem of mine, I also sit with a very rounded back for example (which I'd like to change obviously). I'm just afraid that I'm wasting my weekly stretching through not doing it efficiently.

Im not going to even try to answer the physiology questions but when performing the stretches from the stretch series the level of intensity should feel around 3 to 4 out of 10. No need to push too hard.

On 22/4/2017 at 11:21 AM, Ferdinand Berr said:

I'd like to start incorporating a daily limber like this, too. My weakest links seem to be pancake work (adductors?), generally maintaining APT during Pike or pancake work and shoulder extension.

Stretches I thought of are:

- Isometric middle split (as coach pointed out in the video that it's probably the best exercise for middle split flexibility)

- Diamond frog

- Standing Pike

- Supine Shoulder Extension

 

What holding time and what training frequency would you suggest for those stretches? As a warm-up I'm thinking of something like ten side to side squats or the 2 Pike 2 Squat exercise plus the Daily Limber routine from Fundamentals. Can you recommend a specific stretch for improving my ability to maintain APT during Pike/Pancake work?

 

Isometric holds are strength training for adductors, daily strength training it is not a good idea. You can consider inserting stretches which involve passive holds.

24 minutes ago, Greg White said:

Im not going to even try to answer the physiology questions but when performing the stretches from the stretch series the level of intensity should feel around 3 to 4 out of 10. No need to push too hard.

I think I was expressing myself a little misleading. I always try to find the right intensity, keeping it on a tolerable level as in "low enough". What I meant in my post is that when focussing on APT, I have a hard time to concentrate the stretch on the hamstrings and keeping it there, because I feel like I have to work and coordinate so many parts of my body, especially keeping the back straight. I feel like I have less "control" over the stretch because I'm struggling with keeping my back in the correct shape.

9 minutes ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

Isometric holds are strength training for adductors, daily strength training it is not a good idea. You can consider inserting stretches which involve passive holds.

Thanks for clearing that up! Is the isometric middle split the only such exercise in my list or would Standing Pike for example also qualify as isometric hold (as I try to "push" my torso downward with constant tension)? Same for Diamond Frog, where I try to (moderately) push the legs down towards the ground.

It is different since in the isometric middle splits you are resisting the fall by squeezing the groin muscles. this does not happen during standing pike.

14 hours ago, Ferdinand Berr said:

What I meant in my post is that when focussing on APT, I have a hard time to concentrate the stretch on the hamstrings and keeping it there, because I feel like I have to work and coordinate so many parts of my body, especially keeping the back straight. I feel like I have less "control" over the stretch because I'm struggling with keeping my back in the correct shape.

This is question I've been meaning to ask myself. I often find it difficult to decide where the optimum stretch lies.

On 4/25/2017 at 10:02 PM, Greg White said:

Im not going to even try to answer the physiology questions but when performing the stretches from the stretch series the level of intensity should feel around 3 to 4 out of 10. No need to push too hard.

 

I agree with you Greg, but I would also consider that once you have been doing stretches for some time, you learn your bodies limits, allowing you to know the range of your mobility a lot better and how far you can push your body - safely. And in my case sometimes (on good days anyway), that is a 7 or an 8. But ye, 3 or 4.