Stadion's Sports and Martial Arts Training Discussion

Cindy: Yeah, the Yoga thing does influence me a lot, but not so much that I can't see the value in other systems. I mostly works splits in cycles doing left-front, right-front and side splits in one cycle, so I never really stop and rest. If I stop for too long I feel like I need to warm up again. :...

If you ever become a detective it's going to look a bit weird if you have to sit in the splits to solve a case.

Cheers

Tim...

Hi.

When I first did the front split test I was not able to get a 180 line. Now I can. If you work at it you will be able to stretch your hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors more than enough to get a front split. It's just going to take longer on your tight side.

Keep the faith.

Tim...

Hi.

I find multiple angles very useful. If I focus on too few stretches my joints feel mangled. The more variation I use, the better my joints feel.

I tend to cycle between several stretches with no rest. It works for me and keeps me warm.

Cheers

Tim...

Hi. I think you are missing my point. What I'm saying is that everything is a metter of intensity. Sure, if you do a gut-busting session of PNF every day you are likely to get injured. The same way if you do heavy bench press every day you will get overtrained and injured. On the other had, if you d...

Hi. I think that is a little unfair. The books say a similar thing, but take a slightly different approach. ElasticSteel is much more prescriptive in it's approach, but doesn't spend much time going into the science. I've experienced both systems and think both have their plus points. The type of st...

Hi. I believe intensity does have an impact on how often you can do isometrics. I've had physiotherapy before which involved mild PNF. This was done every day. If the intensity of the contraction is small enough, relative to your level of strength you should be able to do isometrics many times a day...

Hi. In my opinion, 3 weeks is a very short time. It's easy to plateau for that length of time even if you are doing everything right. Stick with it and concentrate on your form and strength increases. If you are doing everything correctly, you will start to improve again. Flexibility progression is ...

Hi. Long periods of inactivity, or repeated small movements of the limbs encourage stiffness. Think about the last time you did a long car journey or got off a plane. My guess is you didn't feel much like doing the splits. :) The best counter for this is to move around. Once an hour stand up and get...

Hi.

You should align your body in exactly the same way, so they should look exactly the same, but lower. There is no reason to alter these moves due to lower flexibility.

Cheers

Tim...

Hi. I don't have the 4th edition, but there are no specific weight training exercises in my book. The DVD has them listed. The sort of thing recommended is: - Squats: As a general leg strengthener. - Stiff Legged Deadlifts: To strengthen the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. - Adductor Flies: To ta...

Cool!

Regarding side leg swings, make sure your pelvis is tilted properly. Normally, when you feel tightness on the outside of the hips it's because you've not tilted your pelvis forwards. Make sure the alignment is correct or you will injure yourself.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers

Tim...

Hi. Do a warm-up and dynamic stretching every morning. Do some relaxed stretching every day. Do isometrics 2-4 days per week. As far as the isometrics are concerned, start off with less and build up gradually over time. There's no point rushing in and burning yourself out. The leg swings are a good ...

Hi. Just to make this clear, I'm not suggesting you copy my routine. I've read loads of different books on flexibility over the years and none of them suit me completely. I adapt everything to suit me, and even then modify my own thoughts daily. I'm just making a point. :) Regarding reps and sets, t...

Hi. High kicks come mostly from the dynamic work. You need to improve your static flexibility, but the dynamic work translates this into being able to kick fast and high. The great thing about doing the stretching after weight training is you are already really warm, so you'll feel more flexible. It...