Stretching Those Hamstrings

Everyone’s hamstrings are tight. At least that’s what 9 out of 10 people tell me when doing an initial consultation at the gym. I’ve come to expect it from everyone, and they all have tried the same solution: stretching. There’s a couple issues with this. The main one being that they don’t actually stretch, or they do what many people call stretching, and that’s holding a position for about 4 seconds before moving on. Of course you didn’t make any change! There was no time spent in the position you’re trying to improve.

Stretching protocols aside, maybe tugging on the tissues trying to make them longer isn’t what we need to release our hamstrings. If you came to the gym today, you know what I’m talking about - hamstrings flossing.

The idea is that we’re tricking the nervous system, our brain, into releasing some of the tension we feel. So sure, it looks like stretching, and even feels like stretching. But we aren’t trying to make longer muscles, we’re trying to disarm the tension by showing our brains it’s going to be okay, that nothing bad is going to happen if we have more range of motion.

So instead of holding an uncomfortable position for a long time. Let's find a position of maximum tension near the end-range of motion we have, and keep moving in and out of that space. Try to squeeze your quads when you do this - turning on the opposite muscles can help too. Every rep when you lock your knee into place should get a little easier, a little less tension.

Do this instead of stretching your hamstrings. I’m always a fan of adding in more movement and control. Let’s be active and engaged when we stretch.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain