Flexibility training for boys

Let me tell you the truth first for all the boys who are confused about whether to practice flexibility - this thing is neither "girly" nor will it use up the muscles you have worked so hard to build. On the contrary, it can help you avoid 80% of sports injuries. You will gain strength faster by doing full range of motions with irons. Most of the back pain caused by sitting for a long time can be eliminated. Even if you are born so hard that you can't touch your ankles by bending forward, you can touch the ground in 3 months with the right method. There is no need to force yourself to compete with dancers in doing splits.

In the past two years, I played with a little basketball player. He was 187cm tall and could touch the basket when dunking. He never stretched. Every time he squatted down after playing, he said his knees hurt. Then he sprained his foot when he landed after grabbing a rebound, tearing less than half of the ligament. The doctor said that his Achilles tendon was so tight that it was 30% harder than the average boy. There was not enough cushioning when he landed. It would be weird if he didn't sprain his foot. When he was recuperating, he practiced stretching with me blindly. After each strength training, he spent 20 minutes stretching his legs and shoulders. Not only did he no longer sprain his feet, but his squat weight also increased by 40 kilograms. In the past, his waist hurt when he squatted down to the bottom. Now he can easily squat until his thighs are parallel to the ground, and his core is stable.

I know that many people say that boys will lose strength when practicing flexibility. I have specifically checked papers on sports medicine and talked with friends who are doctors of the provincial team. Indeed, if you do static stretching for more than 90 seconds during warm-up, your vertical jump height will drop by two or three centimeters when measured on the spot, and your muscle explosive power will temporarily decrease. However, as long as you arrange static stretching after strength training or exercise, or practice alone before going to bed, not only will you not lose strength, but it will also allow the muscles to contract to a greater extent and exert force more smoothly. In the past two years of my own flexibility training, the three major items have increased from 480 to 550, without losing any strength.

Nowadays, there are actually two ways to practice flexibility. No one is right or wrong, it all depends on your needs. If you are an ordinary fitness and basketball enthusiast, just choose the combination of dynamic stretching + PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) commonly used in the fitness circle. Do dynamic stretching before exercise, such as leg raises, walking lunges, and arm circles to open the joints and exercise. Use PN method after movement. For example, when pressing the legs, first resist and exert force for 5 seconds, then relax and press down for 10 seconds. The efficiency is much higher than hard pressing. There is no need to pursue the opening. As long as you squat without slumping your waist, pull the back without shrugging, and the knees are not stuck when playing the ball, it is enough. If you practice jujitsu, hip-hop, or fighting and need higher joint openings, you can refer to the practice of yoga and fighting circles. Take 15 minutes a day to do static maintenance, and use the foam roller to roll the fascia. If you persist for a long time, the opening of the shoulders and hips will be enough, and the movements will not be easily restricted. I know a brother who practices jujitsu. He weighs 200 pounds and can easily put his legs on his shoulders to do cross bars. He can also bench press 180 pounds. He is not "soft" at all.

Don’t believe the nonsense that “you have to tolerate the pain if you want to stretch.” When I was doing shoulder training two years ago, a personal trainer forced me to push down. The pain made me sweat. As a result, my rotator cuff was damaged and it hurt to lift my arm for almost half a month. Later I learned that stretching only needs an obvious pulling sensation. If it hurts so much that you can’t help but frown and gasp, it’s too much, which will cause contracture of ligaments and muscles, making the stretch harder and harder. Some people say that boys are naturally less flexible than girls. That is even more nonsense. Physically, boys just have higher muscle mass and tendon density. They are not born with poor flexibility. Most of them have not had this habit since childhood. When they were in school, bending forward was just a fool's errand. They have been sitting for more than ten years. The hip flexors are as tight as steel bars and naturally cannot bend. I once met a 190-meter strong man in the gym. He is in his 30s. He stretched three times a week for 20 minutes each time. He did the splits in half a year. He can also deadlift 260 pounds, which is stronger than anyone else.

In fact, you really don’t need to spend a lot of time practicing. When you are sitting there watching TV series or playing games, you can put one leg on top of the other and press the hip. After finishing an episode, both legs have been pressed. At night before going to bed, hug your knees and pull them toward your chest for 10 seconds to loosen your hip flexors. Your waist will not be sore when you wake up the next day. I am currently on a business trip and staying in a hotel. I lean against the wall and press my shoulders while waiting for takeout. Nothing is wasted. After half a year of bending forward, I can only touch my ankles. Now I can easily put my palms to the ground, and most of my rounded shoulders have been cured.

To put it bluntly, boys' prejudice against flexibility training is mostly due to the stereotype that "flexibility is only for girls". This thing is essentially the same basic physical fitness as strength training and cardiopulmonary training. You don't need to practice to become mushy, as long as your joint movements are not restricted, exercise is not injured, and you are comfortable at ordinary times. Once you try it, you will know that it is really good.