current level of pike stretch

hi guys this is my current level of pike stretch...i'm focusing more on flexibility since i've injuried my rigth wrist..

i'm working on active and passive flexibility, no doubt that for my experince the active flexibility plays a big role to achieve this postion...and i want to increase it..just think that if i take my back a little bit straight i can go more down for a 3-4 cm..

WOW.

slizzardman said:

WOW.

What he said.

I'll go with WOW as well. Not sure what else to say. Not even sure in my dreams I'm that flexible.

Impressive! How close to your legs can you get your chest without the door? How does your seated pike look? I've been trying to get a good pike for a while and I feel I'm relatively close to where you are although a considerable bit behind as my back isn't as pulled over. From what I can figure out on my own(this could be completely wrong) when your hips have turned that much straightening the back is actually an effect of having more hamstring flexibility. The lumbar doesn't have much mobility(at least mine doesnt, is it good to try to develop lumbar mobility?) and to straighten it you need to loosen the hamstrings and glutes to essentially fold in half.

I need alot of work on my hip flexors which is what keeps me from pulling myself under the power of the muscle (my seated pike is terrible without pulling on my feet =/ ) One thing that has been helping my hamstring flex is working my groin. My groin is by far my tightest area and I can get a noticeably larger ROM on hamstring stretches(leg kicks, one straight leg pulled to my chest while lying on my back) when I've done some work (SMR and stretching) on my groin. Thats just some personal info that may or may not be helpful. Hopefully it might prompt a response that is helpful.

Brendan Coad said:

My groin is by far my tightest area and I can get a noticeably larger ROM on hamstring stretches(leg kicks, one straight leg pulled to my chest while lying on my back) when I've done some work (SMR and stretching) on my groin. Thats just some personal info that may or may not be helpful. Hopefully it might prompt a response that is helpful.

Similarly, I've noticed seated pike gains by emphasizing seated straddle forward bends (pancake)

well i don't know why but on the floor my pike is better...i can make my back more flat..i don't know why..

when in this position i usually touch with my upper body from the sternum (maybe the higher part of abs) to the lower neck..

working with PNF and with pancake is increased a lot..

but i'm not using the normal pancake where you are with the butt and legs on the floor...i'm usually on my back and i try to maintain the butt on floor and i pull my legs (wich are in straddle position) over my shoulder...maintaing the back flat...and this work more more more more than normal pancake for me, i think because in this position the concept of PNF of opposing force to elongation is applied wihtout problems..

Somewhere sometime ago Coach posted doing raised weighted pike stretches and these are great for extending the stretch down. Stand on the edge of a box, stair, etc and using a weight perform the piked stretch. I have found that it helps to have the feet a good 24" off the floor so that you can fully extend the arms while holding the weight. I generally use a 30lb dumbell.

mmm i i saw IDO doing these with dumbells and not only him..by the way i'm not currently doing this method bcause maintain the back straigth is not simple expecially if the weigth is very big...consider that if you are not enough strong you risk to damage your back during the ascent movemnt to the top of the bench or during the descent..

so i prefer normal progression...i use the door to see how strigth is my back and only for this...with stretched back..i'm closer to the door

Well, you don't need to carry the weight with you as you bend up and down. I just leave the dumbell on the floor and pick it up once I'm bent over. As I said, you really want to go for a full overhead arm extension holding the weight, there is something very nice about the added weight pulling. And 30lbs is really not much.

maybe if i can't progress i'll consider the idea to use this way but now i don't have this problem...

seated view i gain 1.5 cm more