Tightest hamstrings ever!

Practical Goat

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Hi guys,

Any ideas how long it takes before I start noticing a difference in flexibility? Hamstrings are mega tight, probably from years of road cycling which I no longer do. I've got some decent stretches to do but they're so tight. Is this going to be a long process?
 
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It might takes weeks, to months.

I suggest short sessions multiple times a day focusing on hip flexion with a straight and bent leg.
 
Some people just have notoriously tight hamstring (soccer players and cyclists tends to have this problem). If you're doing static stretching be ready to do it several times a day for a while to actually (temporarily) lengthen the tissue.

Other good modalities are dynamic stretching of course, when you're warm. You can do that before your regular workouts.

Weighted stretching is pretty solid. Light-moderate weight on the bar and control the eccentric and slowly work into a greater range of motion through the reps. Something like the romanian deadlift is pretty wells suited for that. Don't make it heavy for this purpose, you shouldn't be sore.

Massage can help as well if they're tight because they are over active. A lot of tightness and shortness of muscles have neurologcal components and in that regard it can lower some of the muscle tone.

And generally just moving through the tight range throughout the day as you go about. Learning to relax more in it and making it more natural.
 
I have tight hamstrings and foam rolling helped me a lot.

I have this type of foam roller.
24_1_fd514e5b-8c56-4e1f-af38-9ef0bed39682_grande.jpg
 
I have tight hamstrings and foam rolling helped me a lot.

I have this type of foam roller.
24_1_fd514e5b-8c56-4e1f-af38-9ef0bed39682_grande.jpg
Foam rolling never did a thing for me. I know some people swear by it and say it works. Not for me though.
 
Foam rolling never did a thing for me. I know some people swear by it and say it works. Not for me though.

Maybe you needed the foam roller like I had and that suck that it didn't do much for you.
 
It takes as long as it takes.

Does it really matter?
 
I don't think you got my point.

Whether it takes one day or one year, he's going to need to keep stretching.
Might have been looking for a definite answer.

4 months and 15 days
 
Not sure I'd ever trade cycling for grappling just because of tight hammies.
 
Not sure I'd ever trade cycling for grappling just because of tight hammies.

I haven't stopped because of that, fell out of love with it a few years back and wasn't sure if that contributed to the tightness or not.
 
It takes as long as it takes.

Does it really matter?

Well kinda.. It limits my movement.. For someone who is new to the sport it would be nice to see what sort of timescale I'd expect before improvements are seen.
 
Well kinda.. It limits my movement.. For someone who is new to the sport it would be nice to see what sort of timescale I'd expect before improvements are seen.
What will you do differently if it takes 1 year to see results?
 
It takes awhile bro. I like to do Hockey goalie saves and practice wheel kicks no matter how bad they make look right now. These two stretches have helped me tremendously.
 
I have tight hamstrings and foam rolling helped me a lot.

I have this type of foam roller.
24_1_fd514e5b-8c56-4e1f-af38-9ef0bed39682_grande.jpg

I tried this once to get a stretch on my very stiff legs. It was painful as fuck so I stopped thinking I was doing more harm than good.

Is it normal for people with tight muscles that try foam rolling to feel a lot of pain?
 
I tried this once to get a stretch on my very stiff legs. It was painful as fuck so I stopped thinking I was doing more harm than good.

Is it normal for people with tight muscles that try foam rolling to feel a lot of pain?
I tried it on my IT band. It was extremely painful but I blocked it out and did it anyway. I did it for a week without results. And quit when it when I realized I was getting nothing from it.

There is an exercise that stretches it and I actually get results.
 
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