Leg stretching

[WarriorPL]

Alright well i always have a nice stretch before my leg exercises for a good 10-15 minutes. Well my quads and calves stretch well, but my hams hurt sooo much. My left leg feels like my there is a whole bunch of muscles knotted together. No matter how much i stretch it, it won't go away.

First did squats, those went well. Then i went to alternating leg curls, and my left leg couldn't go all the way! No matter how much i tried it just wouldn't go past 90 degrees. How can i get rid of this? Someone told me to set a bag of ice on it, another said rub flexall. What should i do?

 

[TheOak84]

Try takin about 2 weeks off of legs....it might work

 

[T-Rage]

A couple things might help. I am recovering from a lower back injury so I've learned quite a bit in the last few months regarding stretching and flexibility.

First, you should never stretch a cold muscle. You should do some kind of low impact warm up such as walking or a bike for at least 15 minutes prior to any stretching or training of any kind. It warms the core temperature of the body, allows more blood which ultimately increases flexibility. Then do some light stretching on your hams. Never bounce when stretching. Apply continuous tension for around 20-40 seconds and do this three times before training. Then try stretching in between every set. My back tightens up like a rubber band and I'm forced to do this all the time. Also, you should consider stretching your hams everyday. Stretching them only during your leg day will not yield the results you are looking for in terms of flexibility. I learned the hard way (out for 3 months because of lower back) how important stretching is in preventing injury, aiding in recovery and enhancing how I feel overall. I had to stretch upwards of 5 times a day for my back and sure enough in as little as a few weeks my flexibility had tripled.

 

[Mindwraith]

Here's what I heard about stretching from a few sources. You should put stretching at the very end of your work out. Do your warm up with a 1/4 mile run or whatever it takes to get your heart pumping some, go do your squats, deadlifts and whatever and when you're all done then do your stretching. From what I was told, stretching prior to resistance training can inhibit your ability to contract muscles properly and can actually increase injury risk. It's the oposite for cardio though, but T-Rage is right, never stretch a cold muscle.

 

[Y_lifter]

I also Stretch at the end of my W/O...
Only if I have been off for a week or more will I do a light stretch
after the cadio warmup before lifting.

Stretching last gives me a good chance to wind down and Cool down before showering.