The Hamstring

Active Hamstring Stretch

Position 1	Position 2

This stretch is performed lying flat on your back with one leg elevated against a column, doorway, a corner of a wall, or (ideally) a stertching partner. The other leg is held straight away from your body on the ground. To begin, find a height of elevation for the elevated leg that gives a comfortable stretch with that leg held straight. Scoot closer to the surface you're pressing agianst to increase the intensity of stretch, or scoot away to lessen the intensity. If our female model in Position 1 were to move closer to our male model, she would intensify the stretch in her right leg. If she were to move farther away, she would make the stretch lighter. 

Begin this stretch from Position 1 by pressing against your stretching partner or the surface your elevated leg is resting against, activating your hamstring. Hold this pressure for seven seconds. After seven seconds, pull back in the other direction, lifting your eleevated leg away from the surface you were pressing it against, stretching your hamstring (Position 2). After 5 to 7 seconds of lifting your leg away from the surface, take a deep breath in, and as you let it out, let your leg fall down against the surface again, relaxing completely. You can scoot forward a bit at this point, increasing the stretch, but don’t increase the stretch to the point where it is too uncomfortable. Repeat two or three times for each leg.       

The Glutes

The 90/90 Stretch

Position 1	Position 2

This stretch begins with creating three 90 degree angles with your legs. Bend both legs into a perfect “L” forming 90 degree angles between your upper and lower legs. Then position your legs to create a 90 degree angle between your two upper legs as well (see Position 1). From this position, bend forward from the waist, lowering your torso down to the ground. Try to bring your opposite shoulder down towards your front knee, meaning that if your left leg is forward, try to touch your left knee with your right shoulder. If you can do this by bending forward from the waist while keeping your spine straight (not curling your torso forward with your abs contracted) you’ll get a better stretch. The idea isn’t to go all the way down, but to move as far into the stretch as is comfortable (position 2).

Once you reach this point, press down into the mat with your front leg (left leg as pictured) for 7 seconds by activating your glutes. Press down with your forward knee as though you were trying to push up off of the mat with that knee, but keep the pressure light. After seven seconds, reverse this motion, and try to raise your front knee up towards your chest off of the mat. After 5 to 7 seconds of trying to raise your front knee up, take a deep breath in, and as you breathe out, relax completely, letting your leg rest against the mat, and your torso fall forwards, deepening the stretch further into Position 2. Repeat this stretch two or three times on each side.    

The Lats and Obliques

Active Side Stretch

Pisition 1	Position 2

Your lats (the big, broad msucles on the side of the back)  and your obliques (the muscles running up and down the sides of yoru torso) can both be targeted with the same active stretch. This stretch is a bit strange, but it's highly effective, so it's worth learning. To begin an active back and side stretch, assume Position 1. Put your weight in your left leg, and reach up in the air with your right arm, bending your torso towards the left to extend the right side of your body. Keeping your weight in your left leg, raise your right heel off of the ground and bend your right leg. From this position,  try to actually drop your right hip down towards the floor (Position 1). The idea is to move your right hip away from your right shoulder, extending the lats and obliques on your right side. Actively reach up with your right arm, concentrating on moving your right shoulder up and away from your hip while still trying to bend to the left. At the same time, keep trying to actively drop your right hip down towards the floor. This isn't a motion most people normally perform, and it may take you a little while to get the hang of it.

After 5-7 seconds of actively extending your right side by moving your right shoulder and right hip in opposite directions, switch directions, and contract your right side, pulling your right shoulder and right hip back in towards one another a little bit (We've exaggerated the motion a great deal to illustrate it in Position 2 above). Pause in Position 2 for a half second, then proceed back to Position 1, and try to extend your right side for another 5-7 seconds. If you bend forward a little, this stretch will target the lats more. Stanidng up straight targets the obliques more. If you lean back, this stretch will also extend yoru abs. Try to do this stretch all three ways, and concentrate on the position where you feel the most resistance. Perform this stretch two or three times on both sides.