Light Stretching Wins

Over the last week I've been doing light stretching every day and not really pushing a deep stretch (or at least not being concerned about doing a deep stretch). Last night I tested my flex in side splits and half front splits and it seems that light stretching has helped make gains in my splits progress.

I use, pretty much, the light stretch routine from PZ's book and a few extra spinal twists. I use the leg mobility swings and I do joint mobility exercises too. Joint mobility training around the hips is key, I think, to improving your splits. i.e. you could be stretching and stretching but you won't improve your splits unless you have better hip mobility.

It's all good. (said in a cheesey way)

James.

And we're back

I did some light stretches then had a good session with a tennis ball, my back and my right glute and hip. The tennis ball massage is wonderful, I feel great afterwards and it really irons out little cramps and tension.

Then I had a good front splits session on both sides and certainly made some progress on the left side, the right side is still a little tight at the moment.

I am not pushing stretching hard anymore, I am going for the little and often approach and have been seeing better gains. I still have a deep stretch a couple of times a week but I'm careful not to overdo that anymore, otherwise I can't train the following day.

Stretching Silly

I did my first big stretch in a while last night. I have definitely lost some mobility but that should come back pretty quite, I hope. I have to say though that damn injury I got in January in my right hip has only recently subsided, my hips are feeling good enough to go at it proper again. 

I remember one of PZ's lines of advice to me earlier in this thread, about November I think: he basically said, don't push this final bit too hard or you'll get injured and have to start back near the beginning after a lengthy period out of stretching. Well, Paul, I did push it and I did get hurt and I am now only able to get back to it. 

Training tonight

Tonight I trained at home happily working on Gravity Advantage by Paul Zaichik (but I am still interested to know the score with him, so if anyone has any history or opinions of his methods then please let me know) - plus I add in lower body stuff too.

(all exercises are bodyweight unless stated)

joint rotation warmup

general warmup

Trisets as per:

1a) 8 x weaving press ups
1b) 8 x bulgarian split squats with Power Bands
1c) 8 x Horizontal rows
rest and do 3 times round

2a) 8 x diverbombers
2b) 10 x single leg half bridge elevated hip raise things
2c) 8 x Narrow horizontal rows
rest and do 3 times round

3a) 8 x Hammer Press
3b) 8 x pistol squat to bench each leg (legs where gone by this time so I only did one round of these)
3c) 8 x bridge and curl (my grip and forearms give out before anything else)

All good and still very much looking forward to receiving my kettlebells.

James.

Training Tonight

After a great day with the children and after we had managed to get them in to bed and before I cooked dinner for us both I fitted in some training. Continuing along the Gravity Advantage route but, generally, I need to add in lower body stuff so that all over is getting trained in one session, so I did this:

Joint warmup + a few squats and press ups

1a) 10 x step ups + power bands
1b) 10 x weaving pressups
3 times round

2a) 8 x pistol squats to bench each leg
2b) 8 x wide horizontal rows
3 times round

3a) 8 x diver bombers
3b) 8 x bulgarian split squats each leg
3c) 8 x narrow horizontal rows
3 times round

4a) 8 x bridge and curl
4b) 8 x hammer press
3 times round

Wine and chicken

I am going to try to speed this up by doing tri-sets all round for this month. See what happens.

James.

The Gravity Advantage

Last night I got back in to training after a week off. I needed a break after all the training time I put in building up to my 3rd Degree TKD grading - the break has benefited me and my family of course meaning that I have been able to spend more time with them.

Anyway, I am a bodyweight exercise fanatic but I do understand that extra load is needed sometimes even just for variety. I’m always mega interested in different bodyweight exercises that might tax the body in new ways - for example, normal press ups and elevated spiderman press ups (you now which one is harder, yeh)

So I did a short routine made up of exercises from Paul Zaichik’s Gravity Advantage manual.

1a 8 x weaving pressups
1b 8 x horizontal rows
repeat

2a 8 x dive bomber pressups
2b 8 x narrow horizontal rows
repeat

3a 8 x bridge and curl
3b 8 x diamond hand pressups
3c 8 x hammer press
repeat

stretch

rest

all good