Thursday, 26 March 2009
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
PNF to Front and Side Splits
***Warning ** I'm no doctor, follow these guidelines at your own risk, PNF is not suitable for anyone with a medical condition, or under 18yrs old, in fact it is potentially very dangerous to do any form of physical activity without the all clear from your doctor.. I will accept no liability for anyone who injures themselves following the material here. **Warning**
Get Side and Front Splits
PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) Stretching
PNF stretching is a combination of isometic and passive stretching. 1st you passively extend the muscle to the point where you start to feel a point of resistance, once reached the muscle is contracted. This introduced tension to a passively lengthened muscle allows the muscle to a) maintain its longer length and b) increases strength at this longer length. After the isometric, the muscle is relaxed and the muscle is allowed to stretch further into the passive stretch. Regular, continued practice of PNF stretching produces the fastest and most dramatic results for the flexibility you need to practice the high kicks of Taekwondo. We all have to live within our own limitations. Be kind to your body and relax into these stretches. Do not be vain, in trying to compare your stretch to someone elses. With perseverance and patience you will see a noticeable improvement in leg flexibility using the PNF method.
Etiquette: keep good form whilst in the stretch, otherwise you are only cheating yourself.
Perseverance: success is 1% skill, 99% hard work. (If you are willing to do the hard work, the 1% skill probably won't be needed)
Two Easy Stretching Exercises
Side Splits
Begin in a traditional horse stance. Keep your toes pointing straight ahead. Tilt your pelvis forward a little and keep your back upright. Tilting the pelvis allows the muscles to stretch without the hip joint locking and blocking the stretch. You try to keep your thighs as parallel to the ground as as possible during this stretch. The knees are not locked straight as this would encourage hyperextension of the ligaments which will inhibit your flexibility. Work your way down until you start to feel pain, and no further. Now tense your leg muscles for 3 to 5 seconds, then relax. If you are able, go down a little bit more. Tense and relax the muscles again. Do this four times. 2 is too few, 6 is right out!. On the fourth time, try to tense and hold for 30 seconds.
Repeat this whole sequence 3 to 5 times. You should not do this before you are warmed up. The best time for the Isometric stretches is during or near the end of your regular workout, then do passive stretching at the very end.
Front Splits
As great as it is to be able to do the Side Splits, Front Splits is probably even better for Taekwondo. If you consider the position of your body when doing a round or front kick to the head, the Front Splits more closely resembles that position than Side Splits. A high side kick position is also very close to a front split stretch when the hip of the kicking leg is aligned properly with the heel of the standing foot pointing towards the target, as in a full "attitude" pose.
Start by extending one leg straight out in front of you. Position your rear leg so that it lines up with the front. It helps if you support your weight with a chair off to one side. Be very careful how far you stretch the hamstring of the front leg. The ability to perform this splits isn't only in having a limber hamstring, but also requires good flexibility of the front thigh muscles (psoas, quadriceps). For the isometric part of this exercise, tense both the hamstring of the front leg and the thigh muscles of the rear leg at the same time, as if you're trying to pinch the floor with your front heel and back knee. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
Relax...go a little further if you can. Tense and hold again. On the fourth time, try to tense and hold for 30 seconds.
As with the Side Split exercise, repeat this sequence 3 to 5 times. Remembering not to lock the knee joints and tilting the pelvis so that neither hip joints are directly impeding the bones of the leg. Any joint (as apposed to muscle soreness is a huge red flag to cease this stretch). Be kind to your body. Stay relaxed. Mental tension translates into muscle tension deep and slow breathing is very useful (argubly completely necessary) in order to improve flexibility.
These exercises should hopefully help you on your journey to amazing flexibility for Taekwondo. Soon,you will be able to kick targets at your own head level with ease and power.
Tog bogadh e...
hisgavness
Get Side and Front Splits
PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) Stretching
PNF stretching is a combination of isometic and passive stretching. 1st you passively extend the muscle to the point where you start to feel a point of resistance, once reached the muscle is contracted. This introduced tension to a passively lengthened muscle allows the muscle to a) maintain its longer length and b) increases strength at this longer length. After the isometric, the muscle is relaxed and the muscle is allowed to stretch further into the passive stretch. Regular, continued practice of PNF stretching produces the fastest and most dramatic results for the flexibility you need to practice the high kicks of Taekwondo. We all have to live within our own limitations. Be kind to your body and relax into these stretches. Do not be vain, in trying to compare your stretch to someone elses. With perseverance and patience you will see a noticeable improvement in leg flexibility using the PNF method.
Etiquette: keep good form whilst in the stretch, otherwise you are only cheating yourself.
Perseverance: success is 1% skill, 99% hard work. (If you are willing to do the hard work, the 1% skill probably won't be needed)
Two Easy Stretching Exercises
Side Splits
Begin in a traditional horse stance. Keep your toes pointing straight ahead. Tilt your pelvis forward a little and keep your back upright. Tilting the pelvis allows the muscles to stretch without the hip joint locking and blocking the stretch. You try to keep your thighs as parallel to the ground as as possible during this stretch. The knees are not locked straight as this would encourage hyperextension of the ligaments which will inhibit your flexibility. Work your way down until you start to feel pain, and no further. Now tense your leg muscles for 3 to 5 seconds, then relax. If you are able, go down a little bit more. Tense and relax the muscles again. Do this four times. 2 is too few, 6 is right out!. On the fourth time, try to tense and hold for 30 seconds.
Repeat this whole sequence 3 to 5 times. You should not do this before you are warmed up. The best time for the Isometric stretches is during or near the end of your regular workout, then do passive stretching at the very end.
Front Splits
As great as it is to be able to do the Side Splits, Front Splits is probably even better for Taekwondo. If you consider the position of your body when doing a round or front kick to the head, the Front Splits more closely resembles that position than Side Splits. A high side kick position is also very close to a front split stretch when the hip of the kicking leg is aligned properly with the heel of the standing foot pointing towards the target, as in a full "attitude" pose.
Start by extending one leg straight out in front of you. Position your rear leg so that it lines up with the front. It helps if you support your weight with a chair off to one side. Be very careful how far you stretch the hamstring of the front leg. The ability to perform this splits isn't only in having a limber hamstring, but also requires good flexibility of the front thigh muscles (psoas, quadriceps). For the isometric part of this exercise, tense both the hamstring of the front leg and the thigh muscles of the rear leg at the same time, as if you're trying to pinch the floor with your front heel and back knee. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
Relax...go a little further if you can. Tense and hold again. On the fourth time, try to tense and hold for 30 seconds.
As with the Side Split exercise, repeat this sequence 3 to 5 times. Remembering not to lock the knee joints and tilting the pelvis so that neither hip joints are directly impeding the bones of the leg. Any joint (as apposed to muscle soreness is a huge red flag to cease this stretch). Be kind to your body. Stay relaxed. Mental tension translates into muscle tension deep and slow breathing is very useful (argubly completely necessary) in order to improve flexibility.
These exercises should hopefully help you on your journey to amazing flexibility for Taekwondo. Soon,you will be able to kick targets at your own head level with ease and power.
This yoga video is also quite good...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79v9ZL70mKgTog bogadh e...
hisgavness
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