Tight Hamstrings

[The Durk]

Hey guys! I have a question for some of you that have had super tight hamstrings in the past. My mobility has always been an issue. I'm lucky to get down to parallel on squats. This has gotten worse over the years, when I started lifting.

I'm starting to work on my positional offhand shooting, and I can't get low enough to sit on my heel, for kneeling rifle shots. I just started a regiment of stretching multiple times during the week, before and after squats, as well as multiple evenings on my off days.

Do you guys ever see any increase in mobility from a steady regiment of stretching?

 

[diverdon]

Stretch while you are in the bath tub with hot water. Do it long and slow----no bouncing.

Don't forget to deadlift.

 

[The Durk]

Ohhhh I deadlift. I deadlift lots. I’ll start doing stretches in the tub.

 

[Sethshaun]

Try a romanian deadlift with light weight for range of motion. Start at the top with a nice lower back arch and see how low you can go. I dont like streching cold. Seems to just make me ache later.

 

[shields shtr]

Have you watched any Mobility WOD stuff from Kelly Starrett? I too suffer from terrible mobility and I can say his stuff definitely works. He is kind of a nerd, so if you don't like him there are a ton of other mobility guru's out there. The Barbell Shrugged guy (Doug I think?) is pretty good too. It's all the same stuff, but the progress is tangible if not agonizingly slow. I've gone from having really shitty mobility, to only partially shitty mobility. Better than I was though.

 

[molzarella]

www.romwod.com This is the best there is.....

 

[shields shtr]

www.romwod.com This is the best there is.....

Yep. That one is really good too!

 

[G-Dog]

I have very tight hamstrings as well, and have had great improvements with daily stretching. Yoga has also helped, and I like the Down Dog app.

The second thing I noticed helping my stretching routine sounds crazy, but *for me* noticeably helped. I’ve had very good luck with Plum Dragons Flexibili-tea: https://plumdragonherbs.com/product/flexibility-decoction/ follow the brewing directions. Your mileage may vary.

 

[240nmc]

Have you watched any Mobility WOD stuff from Kelly Starrett? I too suffer from terrible mobility and I can say his stuff definitely works. He is kind of a nerd, so if you don't like him there are a ton of other mobility guru's out there. The Barbell Shrugged guy (Doug I think?) is pretty good too. It's all the same stuff, but the progress is tangible if not agonizingly slow. I've gone from having really shitty mobility, to only partially shitty mobility. Better than I was though.

Get his book “Becoming A Supple Leopard “. It’s great reference material and breaks down excercises target muscle groups.

KB goblet squats, slow and low work for me.

 

[Only Shooters]

I have had good luck with the foam rollers post workout.

 

[The Durk]

Well, after doing two weeks of stretching, I can definitely make depth on squats. I still can’t sit on my heel but this is a lot better.

 

[Maxduty]

On a side note, from your pic, you have no ankle mobility either. Stretch them calves and work on ankle mobility.

 

[_Windrider_]

Acupuncture.

 

[NineHotel]

Not being able to sit on your heels is not from the hamstrings. It's from the quads. Ask this cyclist of 33 years.

I strongly suggest you find a studio that has Bikram hot yoga classes and attending 3 times a week. It will address this issue as well as many others and promote excellent health for you.

Fixed Firm has been a 3 year journey for me, but I am able to do it now.

 

[StealthOwl]

One possibility...look into "anterior pelvic tilt." Sometimes tight hips/quads can tilt the pelvis forward and pull on the hamstrings so they feel tight, but stretching them doesn't really help since it's an alignment issue. I'm currently fixing this myself and hope to be able to shoot prone for longer without my back killing me.

 

[The Durk]

On a positive note, I am getting my depth back.

 

[Blaster7Romeo]

Sometimes the tight hams and lower back is from tight quads pulling on the hamstring. Don't forget to stretch the front of your legs too!

AND use a foam roller... make it your new best friend... as soon as I started doing that my legs days where a night and day difference

 

[07jkjeeper]

If I had to choose between tighter hamstrings or tighter quads I would pick tighter hamstrings. I've seen lots of research that claims the bulk of those who train have tighter quads. I bring this up because I thought I had mobility restrictions in my hamstrings but turned out to be in my quads, calves and ankles. For hamstrings the best I've found has been active stretching. Single leg stretches where your hands reach out in front of you like superman and your free leg is extended out behind you, while doing these try to keep your shoulders and hips square to the floor. In my warmup I usually do 7 reps per side with a 3-5 second hold on each. I also get really good mobility response for squatting by using bands to do hip circles. Sorry for the long post but been there and done that, hopefully its helpful.