Flexibility Sessions

[maclrc]

Hello All,

As a brief introduction. I am 25, 5'9", 75kg and in reasonable condition...

However, I've recently had various problems (pain when running and skiing, bad cramps, etc.), which ultimately come down, at least in part, to the fact that my flexibility is very poor. With this in mind I've purchased a book full of stretches and am going to put together some flexibility routines over the weekend (combination of static, passive, and isometric). I have a couple of questions/ideas that I thought I'd run past you all.

I intend to start with 30 min sessions and build up from there, but when should these be done? Note: these sessions would be separate from 5-10min stretching done before and after workouts/runs as part of the warm-up. My current thinking (including existing training) is:

Mon: Gym - Chest and shoulders
Tue: Rugby training or run & Flexibility session
Wed: Gym - Back and Legs
Thu: Rugby training or run & Flexibility session
Fri: Gym - Arms (no major muscle groups here as match the following day)
Sat: Rugby match
Sun: Run & Flexibility session

Ideally I would have 2 of these flexibility sessions a week. This now looks like a pretty full week. Is there a better order to do things in and/or should some sessions be cut?

Any feedback welcome including any tips on improving flexibility..

Thanks

[dope540]

check out trickstutorials.com for a good flexibility article.

flexibility cannot be rushed, no matter how fast you want to get to your goals.

[Luffers]

Do unwind floor stretches before your workouts and deep stretches inbetween every set.

After a few weeks you should see improvements provided you doing them correctly.

Its difficult to know if you are doing them correctly from following pictures in a book, ideally you should be taught them by some one in the know.

[rbutt88]

it seems to me you have the right idea as the best stretching programs utilise a combination of techniques. You may want to consider adding in some more dynamic stretching exercises such as lunges, where you hold the bottom position for a 10 count for example. all the research has shown that combinations of stretches are better than one technique in isolation