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Hamstring Help

GUARDIAN

High End Bro
Platinum
For the past several months (seems like 6) my hamstrings have been incredibly tight. I have concentrated more on them. I used to only do standing leg curls and whatever work they got from squats. I noticed how bad they were lagging and hit up stiff leg deadlifts and/or weighted hypers. For awhile when I was dieting I was also walking briskly on at an incline for 5-7 times a week. My hamstrings are getting more well developed and are finally up to my quads.

I get the usual soreness the next day or so. Even after the soreness went away they were really tight. At first I thought it was all the walking. But I haven't done any cardio in 2 months. I think I am thoroughly stretching before and after leg workouts. I got a desk job and try to stretch them. I usually extend my leg out and put my heel up on my desk while standing and grab my foot with my alternate arm and stretch. I try to do this once an hour. At home I like to do a lunging type stretch on the stairs. I keep one leg down at the bottom of the steps and bend my other leg and place it several steps up. I feel it streching the quad in my one leg and the hamstring in another.

My wife teaches pilates on the side and I use several of those techniques. My favorite is using a bath towel and laying flat on my back on the floor with the towel around the one foot and pulling it back toward my head with the other leg bent and foot flat on the floor. There are some special contraptions called reformers that I use as well but it is hard to describe those stretches.

Even with doing this all the time they are always tight. Here lately it is causing lower back soreness/pain.

Questions: 1) Is this something I am going to just have to deal with as my hamstrings get bigger & bigger & more developed?

2) Suggestions on what to do to get them loose and keep them that way?

3) Anyone experience this dilema? What did you do?

4) Perhaps I am overstreching? But when I limit my stretching to doesn't seem to help? Maybe I am not doing the "right" kind of streching?
 
It sounds like you are doing everything right bro.

Your right, tight hams and glutes will affect the lower back.

I’m in the same situation. I was very flexible from martial arts as a kid but when I started pounding my legs hard with weights, I lost a lot of my flexibility.

I was told I was actually overstretching (since your hamstrings actually contract when you stretch them, causing them to tighten up even more).

The only suggestion I would make is to stretch for 10-20 seconds often throughout the day instead of stretching for 30 mins once a day. You seem to already be doing this.

You could also go for a regular massage treatment. Have the therapist work your hams, adductors, glutes and low back. That helps me a bit.

To me, the right kind of stretching is dynamic pre workout and static post workout. Squat deep to stretch the hams and try the overhead squat for an entire body stretch.

Also check this link: http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/stretching.pdf
 
Hmmm this is a tricky one because you are stretching after the workout..

Have you lost any range of motion as a result of this tightness?

Do you see a sports massage therapist ever who does REAL DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE. Get the therapist to go at the hamstrings aggressively. (this stuff can be extremely painful if done aggressively and right. But it is an effective way at "separating" or "loosening up" a lot of bunched up muscle/scar fibers..)

This is all I can think of bro...
 
thebadguy54 said:
It sounds like you are doing everything right bro.

Your right, tight hams and glutes will affect the lower back.

I’m in the same situation. I was very flexible from martial arts as a kid but when I started pounding my legs hard with weights, I lost a lot of my flexibility.

I was told I was actually overstretching (since your hamstrings actually contract when you stretch them, causing them to tighten up even more).

The only suggestion I would make is to stretch for 10-20 seconds often throughout the day instead of stretching for 30 mins once a day. You seem to already be doing this.

You could also go for a regular massage treatment. Have the therapist work your hams, adductors, glutes and low back. That helps me a bit.

To me, the right kind of stretching is dynamic pre workout and static post workout. Squat deep to stretch the hams and try the overhead squat for an entire body stretch.

Also check this link: http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/stretching.pdf

Thx for the link bro!

I had thought about the massage treatment. I always thought it might be a waste of money (that i could be spending on gear :) ). But the more and more i read about it the more i hear bb's praising the benefits of breaking up the fascia. Maybe I should give it a try. Unfortunately my schedule is kinda tight (along with the hammies) and I might not be able to make regular appointments. Perhaps I could get my wife to supplement.

Do you think I am overstretching with as often as I do it?
 
bluejay said:
Hmmm this is a tricky one because you are stretching after the workout..

Have you lost any range of motion as a result of this tightness? A little. It is only noticeable when I do stretching on a flat bench. I will put one leg on the floor and the other laid out flat. I used to easily be able to touch my forehead to my knee. Not it takes more effort and more tries.

Do you see a sports massage therapist ever who does REAL DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE. Get the therapist to go at the hamstrings aggressively. (this stuff can be extremely painful if done aggressively and right. But it is an effective way at "separating" or "loosening up" a lot of bunched up muscle/scar fibers..) I have never had a professional massage. I just responded to the badguy's post about this. So I have to find someone who specializes in this or specific training?

This is all I can think of bro...


^^^
 
YES!!! Get a proper SPORTS massage therapist who is a specialist in A.R.T. & Cross Friction techniques. This will probably feel VERY unpleasant/painful. (like a medieval torture session) I hate every second of it, but it works wonders... I went yesterday for my shoulder and she went so hard I was sweating buckets and almost threw up from the pain... haha. But already, I have a better range of motion. She also does my legs and it is no picnic.

It is tough love! :heart:
 
bluejay said:
YES!!! Get a proper SPORTS massage therapist who is a specialist in A.R.T. & Cross Friction techniques. This will probably feel VERY unpleasant/painful. (like a medieval torture session) I hate every second of it, but it works wonders... I went yesterday for my shoulder and she went so hard I was sweating buckets and almost threw up from the pain... haha. But already, I have a better range of motion. She also does my legs and it is no picnic.

It is tough love! :heart:

I think Cutler had this done on one of his DVDs. It looked like she was pulling the muscle off the bone like a drumstick!

If u dont mind how much should something like this run?
 
Sometimes you can overstretch the muscle and it responds by rebounding tightness.

I don't know the sight but the Wharton's are renowned for their stretching techniques and advise many major elite runners on proper stretching.

If you can track down their site, you should be able to find some good advice there.

Also if you sit in your chair at work, do you curl your legs back underneath the chair. If so stop doing that. Also you can set a timer for every fifteen minutes to either stand up or just change positions a little. That is a big factor for athletes that work desk jobs. They say the best position you should be in is a different one than you are currently in. Meaning, keep moving.
 
That's not something that you should just have to deal with as they get bigger.
ever considered a deep tissue massage? I heard they worked wonders but never believed it, but after my knee surgery my quads were always really tight. Whenever they get to bad I get a deep tissue massage and it works wonders.
 
Well a typical 1 hour session can cost about $70 or so....

My workplace benefits cover me up to $500/year if I can get a doctor's script saying I need the therapy (which is easy as pie to get)

Even if I wasn't covered, I would pay for these sessions... I really think they aid recovery and healing... not to mention sort out issues such as these...
 
My gym has a medical spa with full service PT & OT as well as deep tissue massage. I talked to one of my friends that works there and he gave me the name of a person that used to work with our NBA team. They should know their shit. I am hoping I can get it scheduled for Saturday right after my leg workout. It would be a perfect time.

I am still open to any and all other suggestions.
 
I've been having these exact same issues - a tense almost agrivating feeling like I want to run sprints to get more extension. It's good to hear that deep tissue seems to help - that was my next step.

Sprints do help a little by the way.
 
rudy76 said:
I've been having these exact same issues - a tense almost agrivating feeling like I want to run sprints to get more extension. It's good to hear that deep tissue seems to help - that was my next step.

Sprints do help a little by the way.

I aint about to run it is 17 degrees F here....lol. Plus I dont want to burn the unecessary calories (on heavy cycle - saving it for the muscle).

It feels so good to just do standing stiff legged stretches but it only lasts for a couple of minutes and its like a rubber band and snaps back at me
 
I don't like the sprints much either. It' -10 deg C or 14 deg F here today.

I try to run some sprints once a week about and hour after my post workout carbs.

Hell, maybe that's what caused my tension.
 
rudy76 said:
I don't like the sprints much either. It' -10 deg C or 14 deg F here today.

I try to run some sprints once a week about and hour after my post workout carbs.

Hell, maybe that's what caused my tension.

its very fucking agrivating like ya said. i dont think sitting at my desk all day helps either. maybe i should walk around more at work? make sure once an hour i go for a little stroll.
 
8and20 said:
maybe i am having a stupid moment right now so whats the foam roller?


go to youtube.com and search for foam roller

oh, and if you sit at the desk all day, the foam roller is great for the IT band!
 
The thing with hams is that they're stabilizing muscxles and were never intended to be worked directly. Where in nature do you use hamstrings against resistance? It's also why they take forever to heal.

ART is essentially the same as deep massage .

Try supersetting compressed motions with stretching i.e. curl and stiff leg deadlifts. That keeps them loose and works them hard.
 
8and20 said:
good read. i am going to stop by my local sports store to see if they got one. sounds like this would be a great idea for regular maintenance once i get them worked on.

It hurts like hell at first, especially on the IT band! But it's good pain bro… and much, much cheaper than a rub down.

The biggest thing for me was not over stretching because of the "martial arts mentality". A Sensei will tell you to push through the pain like when Van Damme was tied to those trees in Kickboxer... but stretching isn't supposed to hurt… (your foam roller is tho!)
 
Nelson Montana said:
The thing with hams is that they're stabilizing muscxles and were never intended to be worked directly. Where in nature do you use hamstrings against resistance? It's also why they take forever to heal.

ART is essentially the same as deep massage .

Try supersetting compressed motions with stretching i.e. curl and stiff leg deadlifts. That keeps them loose and works them hard.

This is all true shit right here.

The only thing I would say is you may want to stop doing leg curls at all. Squats, deads, running and jumping are all you need for great legs. IMO leg curls are junk.
 
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