Stretching, do you stick with ONE method ?

CatsEyes started this discussion · 10/19/2014

Hello, I came pretty far in stretching but then I injured myself (hamstring tear) 7 months ago. I am very slowly recovering but my leg feels really better now (though I prefer waiting for another month before starting stretching again) but I realized I have A LOT of stretching dvds and videos and I seriously don't know if I should just pick one and stick with it or if it is better to mix everything into one stretching training or do one dvd for two weeks then another one, then come back to dvd 1 ? I have no idea, I just feel overwhelmed by all those different methods !!! Here is what I have in my pole library : - Alethea Austin Dvds (stretching for pole + Pure splits) - Felix Cane Flexibility dvd - Cleo Rockin' Legs 'n Abs - Resistance stetching with Dara Torres - Valentino brothers dvds (front split & spine stretching + side split & joints stretching) - Body & Pole Allison Wardwell class - Pole & Aerial stretches Do you have many dvds or methods ? Which one do you prefer ? How and why did you choose one over another ?

9 replies

Phoenix Hunter · 10/19/2014
I'm with you on the hamstring tear. I had one about 6 months ago. I also have several stretching dVd's . alethea, cleo, and Get Bendy and I also use Veena's. I say mix it up. different stretches hit different muscles and you will benefit. I wouldnt even worry about a set schedule for how long you are gonna use each dvd. just do what sounds fun to you on that day. youre more likely to stretch if you dont have a strict schedule to follow. you benefit as long as you stretch. the hard part is just doing the work. I find that cleo stretches my hip flexors better. alethea stretches my hamstrings more. and get bendy stretches my EVERYTHING. haha! I tore my hamstring when I was doing my own stretches and not following a dvd. I guess I didnt have the discipline to hold back and pushed it too far.
Phoenix Hunter · 10/19/2014
also, VERY gradually stretch that injured hamstring. If you havent been stretching it already, you are gonna find that it is very stiff. it will loosen up. just accept that you are gonna have to take it slow on that leg. and use perfect form. you will find that you will still be able to stretch your other front split well and you may be able to stretch your middle splits nicely. depends where your tear was. I have gained so much flexibility in my middle splits since I tore my hamstring. it's weird, but it didnt affect that at all. my left splits suck and I'm okay with that. my right splits are ok. they could be better, but I am scared to push it too far.
Runemist34 · 10/19/2014
I agree with Phoenix hunter: Mix it up! I have a few different DVDs, but I don't really use them... mostly because I just don't seem to get enough time in each position to really feel like I'm increasing my flexibility when I'm using someone else's methods. I suppose once in position, I could just pause it! Haha I know that, for me, it takes a while to relax. Warm up and other training aside, I have to really think about relaxing, releasing, and proper form while I'm doing any flexibility training. It's helped me out a lot, and I'm getting better at it, but it's still a struggle! On the topic of injured hamstrings... I, too, know what this feels like. I don't THINK I actually tore it, but I don't know- never went to the doctor! I do know this: I screwed it up, and it got tighter and tighter till it would just hurt, all the time, a sort of dull pain that I just couldn't shake. I didn't like that at all! Knowing your "stretching limit" is so super key. You should never feel actual pain! I know there are some people of the notion that you push as hard and as far as you possibly can, but I really don't agree with this. Your limit could be the difference between a shift of weight, a quarter inch, the flexing of your toes. This is the very best time to increase your body awareness!
Club Dynasty · 10/19/2014
Hi guys! Re: the hamstring tear. As with any injury, it's best to get a diagnosis from a health care professional for therapy and healing, but one thing that worked for me was Active Release Therapy or (ART). What happened is I injured my hamstring during an aggressive front splits attempt w/out proper warm-up. I don't know if I tore it or not, but I do know that my flexibility in that hamstring was impaired (couldn't stretch it like I used to) and time did not make it better. What happens with my kind of injury is that when the muscle fibers are injured, they heal, but in a knot. That knot will impede the stretch. With ART, the chiropractor or massage therapist stretches the muscle and tries to straighten those fibers out of the knot. When the fibers are stretched again, you're able to stretch more. For me, after a few sessions, I found remarkable improvement in my hamstring stretch. Between the targeted massage therapy sessions and the ART sessions I was back to my previous stretchability, and have continued stretching more. My studio instructor, who is a dancer, suggested this to me. ART is a trade name and practitioners of it should be licensed or certified in it in order to offer it as a service. ART is a technique that is different from general massage; if you are getting massages, ask your provider if they do it. I found a chiropractor licensed/certified to do it, it takes about 20 min. She did it (ART) on my shoulder blade too, where I had been having neck/shoulder blade pain from attempting to do those elbow handstands, and she solved that one too!
polegramma · 10/19/2014
I agree, ART is a wonderful technique. It helped me recover from a hamstring and gastroc tear injury. After I had used up all the physical therapy my insurance would cover,I found an ART practitioner and the results were worth the time and money. He also showed me body weight stretches I could do to continue my recovery. It's not just for legs, but I believe ART certification is specific for different body areas so you need someone who has the certification for legs; if you have a back injury, I think they need the ART certification for back, etc.
Krista Bocko · 10/19/2014
another one who's had ART therapy...it made a WORLD of difference. I still am taking side splits super slow (don't have either at the moment) and that bugs me, but it's what I gotta do. My middles are SO MUCH BETTER than my side splits, I wish I had stretched them more (I quit stretching altogether for months and months) while my hamstrings were healing.
Veena · 10/19/2014
The lessons here offer a variety of method including foam roller and I'll be adding a new Abs and Legs routine that will strengthen AND lengthen the muscles! We're having a sale by the way.... :)
Lina Spiralyne · 10/20/2014
I would select the best bits from the methods available. The instructors can only make a program based on what has worked for THEM (and possibly what the know have worked for a lot of people, even though not particularly for themselves). And while you are not them, you will always have different strengths and weaknesses.
CatsEyes · 10/23/2014
Thank you all for your answers :) So it took me some time but I came up with my very own flexy traning mixing part of Cleo, Felix and Alethea's dvds all together. I hope I'll see some results ! I live in France so I wasn't able to find anything about ART in here :(