Question for flexible grapplers

dontreallycare

dontreallycare

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How long did it take for you to become really flexible?

Like the Lotus position for example. Or being able to pull your feet in toward your crotch and touch both knees on the ground. (sorry don't know the name)

Also, How were you able to obtain this flexibility and do you have any suggestions or tips??
 
Last edited:
dontreallycare said:
How long did it take for you to be able to accomplish these positions?
Click to expand...

Everyone has different capabilities when it comes to flexibility.

Stretch, try yoga and see how far you can go yourself.

There's no simple answer unfortunately.
 
Mistabutts said:
Everyone has different capabilities when it comes to flexibility.

Stretch, try yoga and see how far you can go yourself.

There's no simple answer unfortunately.
Click to expand...

This.

Everyone has natural "tight/tense" spots and its depends on many things. Partly just genetics and your body, partly your habits (the way you sit, the way your wear your pants etc) and partly where you hold "psychological tension", ie where you tense up when you're stressed.

An easy stretch for one person is a hard one for someone else and vice versa.

There is no "stretch for 6 months and you'll be able to do full lotus". I've been doing yoga for years and have only just recently been able to do full lotus... and it still hurts after a few seconds, so I'm barely there, really.

The only definite answer is that if you stretch/do yoga then you'll gain flexibility a lot faster than if you don't stretch/do yoga.
 
DeFranco's Limber Eleven will rock your hips



Do it at least once/day until your hips feel good and then keep doing it once/day.
 
pretty much came out of the womb being able to do a lotus, butterfly, sphinx stretch with full arm extension, pidgeon, etc.

still can't touch my toes

don't know why that is...
 
I think it would be important to note that dynamic stretching and static stretching can often be mistaken as interchangeable. Just because you can do a split in the static position doesn't necessarily mean you can even kick above your head (safely). Please use your stretched positions with caution.

That being said, I would approach it like a squat... and try to build it with the exercises themselves. Find a partner who's willing to work with you and try to do some controlled rolling, pushing for your desired position over time.
 
I was just flexible when I started BJJ and Muay Thai. Not sure why as previously I played soccer, rugby and hockey and I work as a welder.
 
dontreallycare said:
How long did it take for you to become really flexible?

Like the Lotus position for example. Or being able to pull your feet in toward your crotch and touch both knees on the ground. (sorry don't know the name)

Also, How were you able to obtain this flexibility and do you have any suggestions or tips??
Click to expand...

I was a child (as in, maybe had just started school) and was able to touch my knees to the floor. I could perform a full split in both directions before I was out of grade school. I have never been able to achieve the lotus position despite more than 40 years of stretching.

So not to put too fine a point on it, everyone is different. See previous posts that refer to this.
 
Flexibility was always my one natural advantage over everyone else. I'm not that strong or fast and I have to work a lot harder than others to get my cardio to a decent level but I've always been flexible as hell. When I realized this, I decided that I wanted to improve it even more and work on building my game around it.

The first thing I did was start stretching thoroughly after every training session when my body was warmed up and it was easy, you'd be surprised how much progress you can make just by taking 10 minutes to stretch as soon as you finish rolling. There were also times when if I couldn't make it into the gym or just wanted to do a recovery workout, I'd jump rope for 10-15 minutes and then stretch for another 15 minutes or so.

After that, I got into Ashtanga Yoga. That was when I started making real progress and I went from just being known as the flexible guy in BJJ to people commenting on it literally every time I rolled. People couldn't pass my guard for shit (especially no-gi, the lack of grips makes flexibility an even more valuable commodity) and they'd gas themselves out trying.

The thing about flexibility is that I think gains come more easily in it than in other areas. If I had to rank it then I'd say flexibility improves the easiest, cardio after that and then strength is the hardest. I'm pretty sure most would agree with me there. You can take an interest in improving your flexibility and your game will literally be better next week for it. It honestly kind of shocks me when I see guys training for years and they still can't touch their fucking toes.
 
I would actually rank flexibility as the hardest to improve compared to cardio and strength. (for myself, I don't know how it works for other people)
The weird thing about this is that I've read that when you are unconscious you're super flexible. This would mean that flexibility is just limited by our nervous system.
 
I can split both directions (laterally is poor but acceptable), lotus position no problem, and touch my knees flat on the ground with my heals a few inches from touching my ass (with some help pushing down my legs knees). I just started yoga in December before this I had wrestled and done some form of M.A. off and on for 10+ years.
In sparring and rolling everyone made comments about my hips as being deceivingly powerful, flexible, difficult to pass, difficult to get me out of top control etc. I do NOT have strong legs in the traditional sense, the most I have ever squatted is 330lbs. My ROM is huge compared with most athletes but I feel there is a trade-off with strength and flexibility, especially the way most people measure strength. I have recently leaned out and my back, shoulders, and hips are more flexible than they have ever been but I noticed even with regular strength training I have struggled to keep my dead lift and squat stable, let alone gain.
As far as how long it took: I think my hamstring flexibility came in the first 3 months of Karate training. Just taking the time to do the stretches(heat is your friend) will pay dividends quickly. Hot Yoga is the real deal to really lean out and lengthen your bodies limits.
 
I'm a senior purple belt, I stretch nearly every day, and I can't do anything resembling flexible.
 
Varies for everyone. I guess it got lucky with my genetics. When I was younger I could put both legs behind my head, and roll over to walk on my knees. Still extremly flexible although I only stretch once or twice a week. I recently found out that my mother is the same way. I had her doing simple stretches because her back was hurting, and she can touch her head to her knee and grab her ankles. This is without stretching for 20+ years

Just keep trying. It's possible for everyone. Length of time is a whole different ballgame
 
By the way, flexabity training will NOT hinder strength gains. This is a myth that has caused many of injuries in people over the years. If done correctly, stretching/yoga should improve rom, and restore muscle length which will improve recovery times. If working out for size or strength, do a light cardio warm up, then lift heavy, followed by a deep stretching routine. When I was at my strongest, I was also at my most flexible. That being said, injury prevention is the key above any strength gains, and increasing your rom will decrease the likelyhood of injuries.
 
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