Back flexibility

[KBT]

Quote:
Originally Posted by gym-monkey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1B80H1j1yQ- this iis me attempting backwalkovers if anyone can see anything im doing wrong and can improve on PLZ TELL ME via the commenting system r by quoting this etc.... thanks gym-monkey

You need to start moving your weight in the direction you are kicking over just before you kick off the floor. Right now you kick off the floor but do not start transferring your weight so you end up right where you started. While you're in a bridge try rocking your weight over your shoulders. Kick off the floor as your weight is rocking over the shoulders.

[BlairBob]

lunge on knee stretch.

seated heel lifts in pike and straddle. reach beyond your knees, lean your chest over your hips and lift. Do them both for holds ( isometrics ) as well as moving ( isokinetics )

stand and simply hold the leg up with good posture. work on holding for time as well as lifting without opening the hip angle ( once this is done and it becomes a kick-swing, it's very easy to get it high ). Leg swings should be in your flexibility routines somewhere.

The only other hip flexor drills I can think of are L sits and L hangs and straddle L sits and hangs.

[Valentin]

Quote:
Have you got any hip flexor stretches that you do in your gym, I have a few but it remains the one area we struggle with, also the upper hamstrings over the butt!

We personaly don't do specific hip flexor stretches aside from one girl who has very tight hip flexors which is effecting her pelvic posture.
For her we do a modified thomas test stretch. The Thomas test in a measure for Iliopsoas flexibility, so what i do i tell the gymnast to hug one knee, while with one hand i stabilise their opposite hip, and with the other hand i gently press down on the knee. as in the picture.

We also a quad specific stretch against a wall (not a swiss ball but that work too haha

Or kids have to do splits with as square hips as possible, and we tend to push on their back hip down which inselft really stretches the hip flexors.

There is no way to stretch a particular region of a muscle, so "upper hamstrings over the butt" is not possible. You would probably want some glutteal medius, maximus and minimus as well.
These stretches will help with that region


http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/images...step3.gif'
http://www.fitnessgenerator.com/imag...%20Stretch.gif - but keep the shoulder up as high as you can. and if the stretch to easy decrease the angle of the knee flexion so from like 45deg to like 90deg and you will definitely feel it. Also keep hips leveled.

You might be already doing these.
And sorry for the cheese pics. Hope that helps.. There aren't really any really fancy stretches for this area.

[LasswadeCoach]

Don't worry about the cheesy pictures

Ive done all of those stretches apart from square splits & pushing the back hip, i shall try that next time we are in the gym, so thank you very much!

Rachael

[BlairBob]

Single leg squats aka " pistols " will work the upper hamstring area though I often consider them more of a strength exercise.

Simple pike stretch with a straight not rounded back will stretch those hammies.