Flexibility training for boys

Boys do not have the physiological disadvantage of "naturally poor flexibility". Most of them can reach the practical level of "no pulling sensation in daily activities and less prone to strain during exercise" in 3 months as long as they spend 30-45 minutes a week on targeted training. There is no need to pursue the extreme softness of dancers and rhythmic gymnasts. It is enough to adapt to their own sports and life needs.

The first prejudice that many people have about this matter is that "it's normal for men to be hard, and soft things are for girls." How can such a thing happen? My brother who practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with me last time is 185cm and 90kg. He used to deadlift and bend over and he couldn’t touch his ankles. He always said that he was born with strong muscles. However, after practicing with the team’s twice-weekly stretching class for two months, his crotch silk is now very smooth when doing lower crosses. Even the knee soreness caused by squatting for a long time is gone. To put it bluntly, 90% of "hardness" is caused by sitting still for a long time and never actively moving the joints. It has nothing to do with gender.

There are quite a lot of controversies about stretching in the fitness circle right now, and it happens to be quite common. One school of thought says that you should never do static stretching before strength training, as it will reduce muscle explosiveness and make you prone to injury. ； The other school says that no matter what you do, you must stretch your muscles first, otherwise it will be risky to move. In fact, both sides are correct. It all depends on your training goals for the day: If you plan to hit the 1RM deadlift limit today, do more dynamic stretching during the warm-up, swing your legs, and rotate your hips. Don’t do static hamstring stretching for more than 30 seconds, which will indeed reduce the muscle strength output. ； But if you want to practice light weight muscle endurance today, or go out for a run, it’s absolutely fine to do static exercises for two minutes in advance, and it can also reduce muscle soreness the next day. I used to have a problem with my shoulders snapping when I was bench pressing heavy weights. I thought it was due to insufficient rotator cuff strength. After a long time of strengthening the strength, the snapping still persisted. Later, I added 10 minutes of dynamic shoulder-opening stretching before each push. Now I no longer make any noise when I press 80kg.

If we really want to talk about practicality, there is really no need for complicated tutorials on flexibility training, and there is no need to sign up for a yoga class. I know a brother who practices powerlifting. He practices yin yoga for one hour a week to stretch the deep fascia. At first, he was embarrassed, saying that it was only for girls. However, after practicing for two months, his deadlift weight increased by 20kg. I used to be sore for three days after heavy weights, but now I can train normally the next day, and everyone says it is great. When you are watching short videos at home, sit down on the ground, spread your legs and lie in front of you. You don’t need to press hard. Just feel a pulling sensation on your inner thighs. In just two videos, your hips will be stretched. ； When waiting for the subway, stand on one foot and pull the front of your thigh back with the other foot. No one will look at you twice. It is much more efficient than if you take half an hour to go to the gym.

By the way, don’t believe the nonsense that “the more painful it is, the more effective it will be.” I once met a young man who tore his hamstring muscle in order to practice high-whip kicks by pressing his crotch hard. It took him three months to recover, but the gain outweighed the loss. Whether it is the "soreness increases, pain decreases, numbness stops" taught in traditional martial arts, or the current PNF stretching logic in sports science, the core is to stay in the range of "obvious pulling sensation but no pain at all". Holding back the pressure is tantamount to self-harm. There are also people who always ask whether they should practice Yizima. It really depends on the demand: if you want to practice Sanda or Taekwondo and want to play high-level kicks, then you really need to work hard to practice. ； If you just go for a run or play a game of ball, if you can touch your toes, bend down to pick up things without bending your legs, and look up at the sky without any effort, then it is enough, and you won't suffer that crime.

Let me talk about a point that many people overlook: Don’t just think about your legs when you stretch your legs. The flexibility of your upper body is much more important. Nowadays, everyone is looking down at their phones every day, sitting in the office and typing on the keyboard, and the thoracic spine is as stiff as a stone. I once had a colleague who had to lean his entire upper body back even to look up at the ceiling. Later, he always had headaches and went to the rehabilitation department. The doctor said that the mobility of the thoracic spine was too poor and the nerves were being compressed. If you have nothing to do, just cross your hands behind your back and slowly lift it up. If you feel a pulling sensation in your chest and shoulders, stop for 15 seconds. Do it five or six times. After a week, your shoulders and neck will be much looser, which is more effective than applying any amount of plaster.

To put it bluntly, this thing is essentially to relax the body. It is the same as stretching when you are tired. Don't put any gender filters on it, and don't make any fancy rituals. Just pull it twice when you think of it, and it will naturally have an effect over time. Everyone who has tried it knows how comfortable it is without feeling tight on the body and without getting stuck when moving.