Introduction

• This paper is concerned with both the 'why' and the 'how' quality stretching can be achieved. I want you to consider a car: it is not sensible to tinker with a car unless you know what you are doing. A trained mechanic can turn a machine in poor condition into a highly tuned car with an excellent performance, but someone with no knowledge of cars is likely to cause damage. It is the same with the body. Great care must be exercised in training the body. With good knowledge, experimentation can lead to an individual's enhancement. The information presented here does not provide you with the level of detail to tinker around.

Close attention must be given to the detail of instruction as failure to do this will at the least not produce the desired results, but worse, may cause injury

It is important to get in touch with your body and feel by actually touching or simply sensing the muscles (kinesthenics) as they tighten or relax. It is also important to know which muscles are involved in any action. By knowing this it is possible to deliberately relax a muscle through mental control where the natural reaction is for the muscle to tighten especially when being stretched. This is a natural protection mechanism and must be offset by training. It is fundamental to stretching and improved flexibility.

The difference between an isometric stretch of 5-30 seconds and a static passive stretch (sustained and relaxed) of 15-30 seconds or more must be understood. The former is a deliberate and hard contraction at the full muscle length. The muscle cannot shorten under this contraction as the limb is prevented from moving. The latter is a completely relaxed muscle but at full length working against the natural tendency to contract. It is not easy to learn this control, but is the key to effective stretching.

Consider the waking involuntary stretch: it is just the body mechanism by which muscle length is reset after an overnight general shortening. Just like effective strength training, a muscle should be used in different positions affecting angles, then stretched at all these different angles. Very few movements involve straight extension/flexion along the axis of stretch and involve only those two muscles (groups) and nearly all are executed by transferring load from one or several muscles onto other groups or additionally involving others. The importance of hitting the muscles at all angles cannot be over emphasised. Too little stretching will almost certainly produce an avoidable injury.

Any muscle action involves contraction (or shortening) and stretching (or lengthening). The force of contraction is a measure of the strength and the ability to extend a limb beyond the normal range of movement and is an indication of flexibility or stretching ability. Strength and flexibility cannot be separated in any context where complete control of muscle movement is necessary. Muscles are controlled by the brain directly but indirect pathways also exist. When muscles are tired all sorts of involuntary reflex effects can occur, similarly when emotionally upset - it is difficult to control all muscles in unison. Generally, when muscle is lengthened then it is also weakened. It is absolutely essential to undertake some sort of strengthening of muscles which have been stretched. If this is not done then an injury will occur at some stage. It cannot be predicted when only that it will happen. This paper will not deal comprehensively with strengthening. Many books exist which are better suited for teaching this aspect of training.

It really is crucial that the muscles involved in all aspects of flexibility training are clearly understood. If the correct image is not pictured in the mind then it is difficult and probably impossible to reach full stretching potential using the methods described here. It is necessary to get in touch with your body (kinesthenics) to know which muscle is being stretched and if it should be under tension or not. Some muscles should be relaxed and conscious control is needed to do this. A muscle under tension cannot usually be stretched, but sometimes a deliberate tension and stretch is actually necessary. You need to know what you are doing.

Literally weeks are all that are needed to achieve dramatic flexibility improvements if done correctly rather than months or even years, if ever, using incorrect methods and incorrect body positions.

Many muscles must be stretched in each leg. Moving from the lower body upwards: the two calf muscles operate on the foot mostly but are tied in with the upper leg movement to a small extent. The four quadricep muscles of the front upper thigh control the straightening of the lower leg (tibia) in relation to the upper leg (femur), or extension, by increasing the angle. The sartorius muscle is also involved. The three hamstrings at the back of the upper thigh do likewise but in the reverse action by decreasing the angle (flexion): the lower leg is raised towards the thigh. The two abductors move the leg outwards to the side and three adductor muscles bring the leg back in to the centre. Two hip flexor muscles raise the upper leg towards the pelvis and the hip extensor straightens the leg in relation to the pelvis. Obliques down the side of the trunk allow lateral or sideways movement relative to the lower body. The several serratus anterior muscles are small but important and pull the shoulder down towards the pelvis. They are tied in with the obliques and abdominal muscles which pull the upper body in line towards pelvis. It is important to realise that reducing the angle between the trunk and the top of the thigh (as in situps) actually uses the hip flexor muscles which connect the lower spine and pelvis to the top of the upper thigh bone (femur).

Dynamic flexibility is the ability to perform dynamic movements within the full range of motion of the joints and is best developed by dynamic stretching. This affects the speed receptors in the muscle spindles. This flexibility is the combination of relaxation of antagonist muscles and contraction of the agonist muscles and an example is striking a ball as in football where the quads (quadricep) muscles are contracted to extend the knee and hamstrings are lengthened (stretched out). In conditioning the length of all these muscles the stretching action should not only stretch the quads but also increase the range of movement. This improves the elasticity of muscles and ligaments and co-ordination between the muscles. Further gains in bone and ligaments require long term body changes and requires regular loading over a long period. Joint surfaces change in the long term with this type of stretching.

Flexibility is reduced by fatigue so limit the number of exercises at any one time and increase the frequency of stretching sessions. Experimentation has shown that 30 repetitions (reps) every day twice daily over a 5 day period had twice the gains of the same numbers, but every other day (10 day period). Eight to ten weeks should be enough to achieve muscle elasticity improvements. Perform in 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps each but gradually increasing the amplitude of movement, switching legs after each rep or set. If the range of movement decreases by fatigue then stop. Only do your maximum for full range movements.

Early morning is a good time to do this but without "throwing" the leg up. Use "lifting" or "leading" movements but under full control for the entire movement over its range. Leg movements involve raising to the front and side. Speed training is important for full range movements and overcomes the reflexive muscle protection mechanism that slows a muscle stretch if the muscle spindle detects a movement which is too rapid.

The side leg raise can be with the trunk turned towards the side which also stretches the standing leg adductors or abduction of the raised leg to the side with the trunk fully facing the front. The same muscles are stretched but from a different angle. Remember this is an important element in stretching as much as in strengthening. You should develop your kinesthenic sense generally to feel the muscle involvment and the stretch.

Stretching the trunk must not be neglected. Twisting, bending and rotating movements with a large amplitude can only be performed safely if you are supple.

Always ensure a full warm up before stretching muscle

The joints in the spinal column can be made more flexible with 25-30 reps of an appropriate execercise. Standing or sitting position can both be done, but sitting is better to isolate the trunk and avoid ballistic movements. Move the trunk from side to side keeping the legs and hips immobile. Side bends either from a standing or seated position, but not leaning forward, are both performed with the hands clasped behind neck. Forward bends (seated) should only be done allowing the back to bend properly otherwise thc hamstrings are stretched. This is a different exercise. Back bends (hyperflex) are from the stomach and should raise the trunk upward. Use the arm and back muscles.

Stretching is about permanent changes in muscle. Forcefully moving a limb against a tight muscle will rupture that muscle or its tendon. Any ability in sport that requires leg movement can benefit from stretching. It is essential that every major muscle around the hip area and downwards through the legs is permanently modified by stretching. It is impossible to maximise potential in terms of speed without proper conditioning and this starts with flexibility.

Stretching is a science. It must be done correctly or you will NOT get the results you want. Literally weeks are all that are needed to achieve dramatic flexibility improvements if done correctly rather than months or years, if ever. The use of incorrect methods and incorrect body positions will never get results.

There are nearly twenty (20) major muscles in each half of the body that must be worked and a total of over fifty (50). In each half of the lower body.

Two calf muscles operate mostly on the foot, but are tied in with the upper leg movement to a small extent. The four quadriceps muscles of the front upper thigh control the straightening (extension) of the lower leg in relation to the upper leg by increasing the angle. The sartorius muscle is also involved. The three hamstrings at the back of the upper thigh do likewise but in the reverse way by decreasing the angle (flexion): the lower leg is raised towards the thigh. The two abductors at the side of the hip move the leg outwards and three adductor muscles of the inner thigh bring the leg back in towards the centre. Two hip flexor muscles raise the upper leg towards the pelvis and the hip extensor straightens the leg in relation to the pelvis.

Obliques down the side of the trunk allow lateral (sideways) movement relative to the lower body and although the several serratus anterior muscles are small, they are important and pull the shoulder down towards the pelvis. They are involved with twisting movements of the upper body relative to the waist and are tied in with the obliques. The abdominal muscles pull the upper body in line towards the pelvis.

It is important to realise that reducing the angle between the trunk and the top of the thigh as in sit-ups actually uses the hip flexor muscles which connect the lower spine and pelvis to the top of the upper thigh bone. Too many sit-ups can cause low back pain. You should roll forwards by leading with you head and MUST NOT keep your back straight to really hit the abs - to no more than 45° angle.