This may be a dumb question. Most of the clients at the gym I frequent have trainers. Some people do active stretching exercises, others are passively stretched, that is the trainers do most of the work. I've always done the active kind, but recently my trainer was out of town and his substitute, who just got his doctorate in PT and leaves soon to set up a program in a major university, did my stretching for me. He offered the verdict that my hamstrings were too tense, too short, or too something or other. He also said that I really needed to work therapeutically at this point more on increased flexibility than on increased strength. My trainer agrees--and in fact he had suggested the passive stretching exercise while he was gone.
I suspect there's a whole lot here that I know nothing about. I've worked for three years now on improving strength, stamina, and to some extent balance. But what about flexibility.
JP, if this is a stupid question, please delete it?":
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"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument." William Gibbs McAdoo. US Vice-President under Woodrow Wilson.
Your approach to any form of training is dependent on your goals and your needs.
My question is why do you NEED more hamstring flexibility? Based on what form of testing was this determined. Flexibility during static testing and dynamic activities is different.
If the above is true, your method for acquiring more flexibility depends on the activity in which a lack of hamstring flexibility is a limiting factor.
By the way, there is a distinct difference between flexibility training and stretching. Stretching is a form of flexibility training, but not all flexibility training is stretching. That means that depending on your needs and goals, passive stretching may not be the best choice.
It could simply be an issue of program design. There are many strength training exercises which will increase hamstring flexibility faster than passive stretches.
If you provide more information as to your goals, we may be able to provide more specific info.
My goals?
First, since I'm in my late 60s, here's where I've been. From age 25 or 30, my life was in steady physical decline, with a multitude of horrible habits. I avoided exercise whenever possible. I stuffed myself with starches and sugars. I was almost a professional smoker. Eventually it all caught up with me. I escaped a stroke or heart attack, but I did come down with lung cancer. I finally got smart, and never smoked another cigarette. Last spring my pulmonary doctor said I could now skip the six-monthly chest x-rays and office visits. There's been no sign of further malignancy and the touch of emphysema I had had has now disappeared.
Three years ago, however, I was still a couch potato when suddenly it came into my head that hey, exercise might be a good thing. I've been working out for the past three years, the last year with a trainer. Strength, stamina, appearance, posture, everything else has improved enormously.
My only specialized activities are kayaking and walking, especially on the beaches near my home. I also garden, often in a fairly strenuous way. (This weekend I used loppers and saw to remove 85 old, dried up, 30-foot, 2-inch in diameter, canes of bamboo, which is a terrific workout for chest, shoulders, and upper arms.)
I don't bicyle much. I don't swim. I don't climb mountains, and anyway there aren't any in the NJ coastal plain. I leave running to my sons, who are good at it and have kept it up right into their 40s.
I want to spend my next two decades in as good a shape as effort and commitment can achieve. I do not want to go gentle into that good night, but I don't want to rage against the dying light, either. I want to continue to lift my grandkids until they're old enough to lift me instead. I don't want to slouch or stoop. I want to be able to go to Wal-Mart, watch everyone else my age, and say honestly, well, finally, I'm in a high percentile of fitness among my contemporaries.
And when I'm 90 and I'm asked at the grocery store checkout if I need help getting everything to the car I want to say, thank you kindly, but I'll tend to it myself.
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"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument." William Gibbs McAdoo. US Vice-President under Woodrow Wilson.
That may be the best post I've ever read. You have it figured out my friend. You really do. I bow in your presence. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Dynamic flexibility is infinitely more important from the standpoint of function.
If your hamstrings do not interfere with your activities or compromise your posture in any way, stick with your dynamic program. Only if passive flexibility, as when you are in static postures, prevents comfort of position or movement or places your posture in "risky" positions should you be terribly concerned about static flexibility.
Perhaps you could simply add a variation of deadlift, hyperextension, cable pullthrough, or something along those lines and gain strength as you gain flexibility?
Congrats on taking control of your health! Jack Lalanne (one of my idols)would be proud of you.
Bill Hartman, HARTMAN certified and newly inspired
Bill, thank you! Your response was wonderfully encouraging and heartwarming, and I'll follow your advice.
As far as Jack Lalanne is concerned, about thirty years ago when he had an exercise show on TV I wondered why on earth would anybody bother with THAT, and then I'd light a cigarette and open another Heinekens.
But learning late is better than never learning at all, and Lalanne is now one of my heroes, too.
About goals, they do change with the changing stages on life's way. For 17-year-olds, it's often work out to look good on the beach and maybe get laid. At 30, it's being able to carry your kids on your shoulders when they get tired or when they just want a dad's attention. At 50....and so it goes.
Now, a grandfatherly question. One of my grandchildren, an 11-year-old, has been playing on a local girls' softball team the past two summers, mostly first and third base, with the occasional inning as a pitcher. Now she wants to aim next summer to be a pitcher, period (except for hitting, which she's good at). She wants to take lessons. (Didn't know there were such things!) The local style is something called fast windmill, something like that. My son and his wife are reluctant, since my daughter-in-law pitched all through high school and has knee problems to show for it. I'm sure you have an authoritative answer to the question should a 11-year-old smallish but determined girl aspire to pitch softball? And if so, what should she avoid in order not to have problems in later life?
Again, you made my day!
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"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument." William Gibbs McAdoo. US Vice-President under Woodrow Wilson.
First thing I would do is buy Brian Grasso's book Complete Functional Conditioning. It's perfect for younger athletic development.
One thing you want to avoid with kids is early specialized development. They peak too soon and end up beat-up, battered, and broken down. They also never achieve their ultimate potential. Make sure she participates in varied activities. Introduce her to pitching, but make sure she does a lot of other sport skills as well.
The other thing is learning proper technique from the best coach you can find. Most throwing-related injuries come from crappy throwing technique (even in the Major Leagues).
Rather than get too far into this, I would contact Brian Grasso directly. He has the youth athletic forum on this site or better yet send him an email. He is one of if not the best in country as far as youth development goes. He's also a very nice guy. He'd be happy to make some recommendations.
Bill Hartman, President, Brian Grasso Fan Club, HARTMAN certified.
Originally posted by Bill Hartman: Jack Lalanne (one of my idols)would be proud of you.
Did you know you can get a signed picture of JL still? I found the address online and sent off for it. It has a prominent place on my book shelves! He's my idol, too, and I'm actually old enough to have watched his program. [img]smile.gif[/img]
He's my idol, too, and I'm actually old enough 
to have watched his program. [img]smile.gif[/img]
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