Hamstring flexibility....Halp!!!

[calveless wonder]

plz

i have the most unflexible hamstrings in the world. doesn't help that i've been neglecting legs recently.

i been trying to go lower on my squats but it's impossible. i literally feel like my hamstring is about to be torn off(lots of tension where the ham and glute meet) when i go anything under parallel.
even parallel hurts like a bitch. it's not the weight, it's just the lack of flexibility

i went super light today and just focused on getting low with relatively low weight and trying to stretch it out. it hurt like a bitch
i also stretched after my sets by putting my legs over a high barbell and trying to straighten it

i can't even come close to touching my toes

 

[calveless wonder]

die

 

[AztecWarrior]

Don't trip. You have to work at it. Baby step's. Strech everyday and often. You'll get there.

 

[ponyfitness]

Start stretching and use a foam roller for trigger points around your butt and knees. It helped me a lot. My chiro told me to get my hammies back to normal length it would take 6 months stretching 3x per day and she was pretty much right. Also make sure you stretch everything else, calves, glutes, hip flexors, piriformis, etc. Takes you less than 10 mins and you can hit everything.

 

[WhistleBritches]

~Warm Up 5 Minutes On Recumbent Bike
~Basic Light Stretching for 1-2 minutes
~2 Sets Hyper Extensions
~3 Sets of from the floor Light Dead lifts

done

 

[ceo]

weren't you in that thread on fascia stretching where I put up all those stretches?

 

[calveless wonder]

weren't you in that thread on fascia stretching where I put up all those stretches?

i've been doing fascia stretching w my entire body.

but i need extra help with the hams. its really bad

 

[ceo]

i've been doing fascia stretching w my entire body.

but i need extra help with the hams. its really bad

just gotta keep pressing through. A little further each time. It will be painful. You will hate it and want to quit, but you need to hold it for the full 60 seconds.

Make sure you do some warmups too before you work them. I like to ride the bike for a bit, then go into my leg workout. Usually do like 2-4 warmup sets and maybe some short dynamic (not even close to painful) stretches between sets before my main working set.

When are you doing hams? Might want to put them at the end of your workout so your legs are already good and warm before you work them and stretch them. What exercises are you doing for hams? Stiff leg deads can help stretch them pretty well too.

 

[Lestat]

My physical therapist says I have the tightest hamstrings she's ever seen. I can't seem to get them to losen up man, I just try to stetch out a lot before working them and it seems to help me to avoid injury. I've torn a hamstring 3 times now and it fucking sucks.

 

[bran987]

How far apart are your feet? I find the closer my feet are to shoulder width or a bit narrower the lower I can get. Wider stance I can't even get close to ass to heel but narrower stance no problems whatsoever. Don't know where you are on that, but just in case.

 

[calveless wonder]

just gotta keep pressing through. A little further each time. It will be painful. You will hate it and want to quit, but you need to hold it for the full 60 seconds.

Make sure you do some warmups too before you work them. I like to ride the bike for a bit, then go into my leg workout. Usually do like 2-4 warmup sets and maybe some short dynamic (not even close to painful) stretches between sets before my main working set.

When are you doing hams? Might want to put them at the end of your workout so your legs are already good and warm before you work them and stretch them. What exercises are you doing for hams? Stiff leg deads can help stretch them pretty well too.

I do hams on a separate day when i deadlift. they don't affect my deadlifting since i don't really do SLDL's.

the real issue is when i'm squating more than anything. they prevent me from squatting properly.

and yeah bran, i tried different footing as well. still painful as hell either way.

but anyways, lots of useful info in this thread. thanks guys. just gonna work at it