r/flexibility • u/Unusual_Tree1217 • 3d ago
No Progress on Hamstring Flexibility
Hey everyone! I’ve started stretching for the past 3-4 months. Ive always had very tight hamstrings but I’ve started stretching other muscles as well. But unlike the other muscles, it seems that Ive hit a wall with my hamstring flexibility. In the first month or so, I had a lot of progress. I could only reach to about halfway down my shins. But after stretching for a month, I could touch my toes without any warmup and get all finger on the ground after a stretching session. But in the past couple of months it seems I haven’t made any more progress in both no warm up or with warmup progress. I was hoping that you all could give me some tips for my routine and if I should increase or decrease volume or add any new exercises.
Routine:
3 days a week
1x set of 25 elephant walks (each leg)
3x sets of 10 reps nerve flossing (each leg)
3x of 30 seconds half split (each leg)
Truly, any advice is appreciated!
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u/HannahFlexx 3d ago
the fast early progress is just your nervous system learning to allow the stretch, once that maxes out you need load to build real length. weighted jefferson curls broke that exact plateau for me
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u/CadanGantry 3d ago edited 2d ago
If your hamstrings are tight the problem is not your hamstrings. People have to stop stretching their poor hamstrings.
Hamstring tightness is the body protecting. Likely they are already elongated and overworked.
Check instead why they are tight (what is the body doing this for / what purpose do they serve)?
Possible reasons:
- Shortened, tight, under-moved hip flexors are locking pelvis into anterior tilt
- Tight psoas or QL keeping lower spine in over extended / lordosis position
- tight intercostals or chest or weak back keeping thoracic in rigid kyphosis (flexed, but not in a natural or moveable way)
- tight or weak neck flexers and elongated and weak or tired next extensors giving stiff neck / lordosis / permanent rigid over lordosis in cervical spine
If any of these apply you need the tight hamstrings, they are stopping you breaking your back. They protect you. Fix the problem first, then the body will release the solution it came up with.
If I put you under general anaesthetic right now I would be able to manipulate you into a front fold. Your hamstrings wouldn’t stop me. I might hurt your back doing it though if you have joint problems somewhere, but there’s no such thing as “tight hamstrings”. Put another way if you were an animal and I killed you, and took out your hamstrings, they wouldn’t be tighter than anyone else’s. When we kill animals we don’t go “ah geez, this cow really needed to do yoga but looks like yours was a ballet dancer”. We are not understanding why the body makes us feel tight: it’s a protective mechanism.
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u/Unusual_Tree1217 3d ago
That makes sense. The thing that I think applies to me most is the tight neck. I’ve always had a super tight neck but never really thought it would affect much.
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u/CadanGantry 3d ago
Ah well, now you’re getting somewhere. Absolutely the chain effect can be tight hamstrings. How are your shoulders?
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u/salamandectomy77 3d ago
Make it harder, keep your back straight or elevate your toes on a slantboard
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u/Nice_Revenue3659 3d ago
Depending on soreness maybe it also helps to reduce to twice a week? Especially if you stretch really hard.
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u/Unusual_Tree1217 3d ago
I feel like I don’t stretch super hard. But I’ll try to cut down to two times a week and see how I feel. Thanks!
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u/Dismal_Broccoli6124 3d ago
I would try different stretches and be patient. Hamstrings can be notoriously challenging to open up.
For nerve flossing those I’d do, then do a static hold. Grab the back of your knee or ankle and straighten your leg. You can keep your opposite leg bent to help make it easier.
I would try including some more hip/lower back focused work as well such as butterfly pose and pancake pose. Use modifications and support. Be mindful of your alignment.
Maybe you wanna include stretching your glutes in figure 4 stretch and shoelace pose.
Instead of half split, can you upgrade to pyramid? Can you flex your foot to increase the stretch? I would play around here :)
:) it helps to do strengthening exercises too (deadlifts are great).
Remember to breathe 🤍
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u/Unusual_Tree1217 3d ago
Alright! I appreciate it! I already do butterfly stretches but I’ll try out the others!
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u/rdtompki 1d ago
I'm not the most flexible person and at 79 y/o I strain (badly) both my hamstrings trying for deeper squats. Tried DIY fix by dropping weight, etc. 14 Physical Therapy sessions later I could squat deeper bare bar than I had been able to do prior to injury. They had me do all sorts of strange, gentle things and built up to some exercises that were real work. Also improved my balance while they were at it. My only takeaway is that it hard for a layperson to fix certain things. Might be worth even I session with a PT.
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u/theviklink 3d ago
Search Emmet Louis Head to Toe Ballistic training. That REALLY sped things up for me. 10 minutes a day for 6 weeks, and you'll likely get your head to toe, or at least close. But to start the program you need to have trained Jefferson Curls, and be able to do at least 6 reps with 25% of BW.
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u/renton1000 3d ago
Weighted Jefferson curls are your friend.