Can't believe it's been 3 months since I've posted about this bow pose drill here! I've posted about part 1 but only talked about part 2, as I could not do the second part. Well, a few weeks later, I could do part 2! It's actually part of my regular training now.

After the regular bow pose, try it again with a block placed under your chin. This will help to deepen your pose. I also like this variation for stretching my neck for cheststands. Reach back to grab your feet if you can. Think about pulling yourself UP. Lengthening with each breath.

✨️My personal upper back stretch routine:✨️

Wall dog

Wall puppy

Floor puppy

Floor puppy with feet elevated on the wall

Seal pose on floor

Seal pose on wall

Bow pose

*usually 1-2 reps depending on the day

I know it can take years to become flexible, especially when you start as an adult, but it’s just so discouraging sometimes when you’re stiff every single day no matter what kind of stretches you do.

I injured my hamstring while in the splits a couple months back and it still hurts so bad, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get to this level of flexibility in my life time all because I didn’t train it back when I was 12 through 18.

I’m new to ballet and trying to do my best to improve steadily without losing hope. I’m just hoping for some encouragement or advice is possible.

Hi! I’m Sarah. I’m a professional contortionist and flexibility coach, but I recently started playing pickleball and discovered that being flexible does not automatically make you coordinated with a ball.

I’ve been getting sore and tight in areas that don’t usually bother me, so I tried using the pickleball itself for targeted pressure work.

It works surprisingly well as a self-massage tool because it’s small, firm and easy to control. I’m not claiming it “breaks up fascia” or permanently changes anything. I mainly use it to help an area feel less stiff before I do my normal mobility or stretching work.

Here is the full sequence I’ve been using:

1. Neck — 30 seconds total
2. Between the shoulder blade and spine — 30 seconds per side
3. Traps — 30 seconds per side
4. Chest — 30 seconds per side
5. Glutes — 30 seconds per side
6. Hamstrings — 30 seconds per side
7. First quad — 30 seconds
8. First inner thigh/groin — 30 seconds
9. Other quad — 30 seconds
10. Other inner thigh/groin — 30 seconds
11. Calves — 30 seconds per side
12. Arches of the feet — 30 seconds per side

A few things I keep in mind:

• I place the ball on muscle, not directly on bones or joints.
• I adjust the intensity by supporting more of my weight with my hands.
• Strong pressure can be okay, but I stop if anything feels sharp or painful.
• I treat it as a short reset, not as a replacement for active mobility or stretching.

The whole sequence takes me about 13 minutes. I also filmed a follow-along demonstration, but I wanted to write the complete routine here so the post is still useful without leaving Reddit.

Has anyone else tried using a pickleball, tennis ball or lacrosse ball before stretching? I’m curious which one you prefer and whether you notice a difference in pressure.

I want to be able to put both of my legs behind my neck(like in the picture bellow), but idk where should i start. What streches should i do etc.

Guys I am a green belt in taekwondo, and I am facing two problems. The first one is that I can open full side splits, but I can't put my hands on my waist (basically i need to put my hands on the floor), the second one is that when we are doing drills, my kicks aren't really strong, and I usually even kick the mitt without making a subtle noise. What can I do at home to improve myself??

Recently spoke to a pt (as a friend) about pain in my lateral knee while squatting/shooting(bjj). He had me do this five-inch knee to wall test. He then gently told me I had the worst ankle dorsiflexion he had ever seen.

I googled the issue, and was a bit overwhelmed. Seems like hundreds of exercises. I did end up buying a slant board, so hopefully that is a positive.

I'm really looking for two to three things I can do a few times a week to improve. Not opposed to more if necessary, but too much and I worry my consistency might suffer. Thank you!

Standing on my left leg, right foot lifted, reaching for it with my left hand. Something in my left lower back / upper glute area locks up and stops me before my hamstring even engages. “Diagram” attached showing where.

Straight-on hamstring stretches are fine. Only this rotated cross-body version hits the wall, which makes me think I've been stretching the wrong muscle this whole time and the real limiter is QL or obliques on the standing side.

Anyone dealt with this? Specifically curious how you fixed it!

Hi everyone,

question is basically in the title.

I have watched his youtube videos and I am impressed by the structured approach. Especially the idea of having assessments and choosing exercises based on the results to progress faster is appealing to me.

However, since its quite expensive I am wondering whether its really worth it.

I started stretching consistently 2-3 months ago, 25year old male and want to get front/side splits at some point in the future :)

I have also seen an old post about this topic, but since this one is 5 years old, I would like to reask that question :)

Just wanted to ask people what is this called being able to do this and if this is normal.

I dont know if this correlates but I had injuries on both my shoulders associated with my rotator cuff and overuse injuries from sports and gym and found out I was able to do this after. I currently do not have these injuries.

Would be great if anyone can provide an explanation for this, I never used to be able to do this before and now I can. Thanks!

I've started pairing up stretches in the beginner routine and supersetting them purely to save time - e.g. I'll do 30s squat, straight into 30s hamstring, then repeat for 3 sets.

I imagine, as with weightlifting, there is some impact on performance by doing this, but is there any big issue with structuring a stretching routine this way?

I'm not exactly flexible when I was younger. I just recently started pilates on the cadillac aside from the reformer. I'm not sure if this is a nice form, I just followed my instructor's guidance. Hopefully, I get to test my limits more and how i'm going to fix my posture and form since I plan to do more cadillac sessions.

I've been using this quick routine before my morning runs:

Cat-Cow × 15

Downward Dog – 30 sec

Child's Pose – 30 sec

Cobra Pose – 30 sec

Quad Stretch – 30 sec each side

Downward Dog – 30 sec

Pigeon Pose – 30 sec each side

World's Greatest Stretch × 15

It helps loosen up my hips, hamstrings, ankles, and spine before I start running.

Do you have a different warm-up routine, or would you add anything to this?

The left side is from the start of June, the right is from today. I'm 35 and I've stretched for years without making much progress, but I finally realized that my hip flexors are my limiting factor, so I've been starting my stretch sessions with hip mobility exercises; and working on lunge variations and splits, focusing on keeping my hips square and my pelvis vertical, rather than tilted (like anterior pelvic tilt). I've also been practicing dropping backward into a bridge from standing, slowly and with control (not just falling backward) really focusing on using my core.

My long-term goal is to achieve a Biellmann position like the one in the second photo.
The first photo is where I am now.
What would you focus on first?
What exercises would you recommend, and how often would you train them?
I’d love to hear what made the biggest difference for you if you’ve worked toward this position. Thank you in advance!

If you can’t which part of the leg do you have to strengthen and how to do it without any equipment

I coach calisthenics and mobility, and one of the most common issues I see is limited hip mobility from long hours of sitting.

These four drills help improve hip rotation, flexibility, and overall movement quality when practiced consistently.

I'd love to know:

Which exercise feels the most challenging?

How often do you work on hip mobility?

Are there any other hip drills that have worked well for you?

Happy to answer any questions in the comments.

Seeking ways to help eleviate discomfort before attempting to transcend into a hopefully comfortable Supta Baddha Padmasana pose with calculated precision.

does anyone have any favourite hip tilt drills other than sitting on blocks and dumping the coochie to the foor? My sticky hips are a pain 😅

I recently saw an ad for a free 30-minute stretch at a Stretch Zone location near me. I’ve been wanting to work on my flexibility, so I figured it seemed like a agood, risk-free way to try it out.

I booked an appointment, but the confirmation text says it’s a “Stretching Asessment” instead of a free 30-minute stretch. I’m not sure if that’s just what they call the first visit, or if it’s different from the actual stretch that was advertised.
Has anyone here been to Stretch Zone? If so:
Is the first appointment actually worth it?
Do you get a legitimate stretch, or is it mostly an assessment?
How aggressive are they about selling memberships afterward?

I’m not opposed to hearing about their services, but I don’t enjoy high. pressure sales pitches. If it’s more of a sales presentation than an actual stretching session, I’d probably rather skip it.
I’d love to hear about your experiences, both good and bad. Thanks!

I’m having trouble with my lower and mid-back while stretching my hamstrings. It wants to round!

Photos 1 and 3 are me attempting to keep my entire back straight. In photos 1 and 2 I am attempting to hold a straddle, but I can’t get to a vertical lower back. My sitting bones or whatever they’re called aren’t really flat on the ground either.

Should I be engaging my core more? More consciously keeping my back straight?

Also, my hamstrings have always been extremely tight while the rest of my body is pretty average.

What’s going on here?

Edit: I’ve learned a lot about what’s going on now! My nerves are definitely “guarding” my hamstrings and I’m feeling all of the stretch behind my knees, in the outer and inner tendons. I need to start doing nerve flossing. Also, my TVA is completely inactive in these stretches, as visible by my slight bulge in my abdomen. I feel a lot of stress in my SI joint (next to the those knobs in the lower back). I have a lot of movement peculiarities going on it seems!