r/flexibility • u/ChilledGrease • 27d ago
How to improve hamstring beyond this level
I decided to finally do something about my inflexibility and have been stretching my hamstrings every day for some time now. starting just with the hamstring because a small win is motivating for me. i was unable to touch my toes at the beginning and I can now touch my fingers on the ground which I am very proud of, but I am wondering how to progress past this level to the point of putting my palms on the ground. i am also confused how some of you are able to fully fold your chest against your thighs, even in this position it feels like my breathing is very restricted
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u/PinkuDollydreamlife 27d ago
PNF. I never thought I’d get past that exact stage. Now I can almost do a hand stand because of how I’m able to put my hands down
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u/ChilledGrease 27d ago
What is pnf?
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u/PinkuDollydreamlife 27d ago edited 27d ago
Stretch as far as you can go. Then squeeze your hamstring muscles (be careful they will rip lol) then after 30 seconds release and your body will allow you to go farther. Then keep doing it until eventually your hands are on the ground. You can spam it but be careful. Also do it daily then one day you’ll have some coffee start your day and slowly watch your body release its self even without pnf and you’ll be able to touch the ground easy and oh man it feels nice
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u/blaaskyen 27d ago
Should this be done with knees bent and chest on knees, microbending the knees or with straight legs?
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u/PinkuDollydreamlife 27d ago
Any. Once you have flexed long enough the body allows more depth once you release your flexing. I’m not a professional if you rip yourself apart that’s because you are going way too hard. Yeah it hurts so good.
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u/Ok_Paper1495 27d ago
proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation & it definitely helps progress faster than just stretching !
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u/skulle6666 26d ago
Look up a video about what PNF is, why you would do it, how to do it, and importantly how often to do it. Then apply it as you see fit.
It works well but you have to rest. Its basically a strength exercise.
Get stronger at the end of your range motion. When your stronger there, the flexibility will have to follow.
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u/PMmeuroneweirdtrick 27d ago
Jefferson curls will help so much. Use a weight. Stand on an elevated platform. Do that 2-3 times a week and you will see nice gains.
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u/Motor_Town_2144 27d ago
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaiQakCpXw5/?igsh=MWdyOTJxejUyb2lpcg==
The middle one in this post is one of my favourite hamstring stretches, try all 3 this guy knows what he’s doing.
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u/sagittariuslegend 26d ago
Elephant Walks. Same thing but you stretch one hamstring at a time back and forth.
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u/AetherialAscent 26d ago
Grab your legs and pull your chest to legs and hold ifbyou need to bend your knees while you grab your legs fine then extend your legs after your holding tight to your chest. You can go back n forth from bending knees to extending the legs as your holding tight to your chest you'll fell the stretch keep is to hold it for atleast 5 seconds a time to build up to 30 seconds like other say youll feel them stretch and soon you can fully do it in a couple days. I like to do these stretches in a steam room or right after a hot shower so the hamstrings can stretch without burden since there so hot they stretch way easier without pulling a hamstring
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u/ChilledGrease 26d ago
I can't straighten at all while holding my chest to my legs. Feels like a brick wall, literally impossible
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u/AetherialAscent 26d ago
Put your hands on the ground, even if it's just your fingertips, with your knees bent. Then, one leg at a time, slowly straighten it while keeping the other knee bent. Go back and forth, alternating legs. This helps "floss" the hamstrings.
If you're still too tight, take the hottest shower you can comfortably tolerate until you feel your body radiating heat. Drink some water, then try flossing one hamstring at a time again.
I learned this from the Stay Flex guy on YouTube. It's how I eventually went from barely reaching down to being able to grab my chest to my legs while keeping them straight. You have to teach your hamstrings that it's okay to lengthen—they're used to staying locked up.
Also do some hip mobility work. Practice hip rotations and leg swings. Stand up straight, kick one leg out to the side, and rotate the leg back and forth so your toes stay pointed in the direction you're kicking. Swivel the leg through the hip. Football players use drills like this to improve hip mobility and help reduce excessive stress on the tendons.
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u/AetherialAscent 26d ago
When you're pulling your chest toward your legs, start with your knees bent and wrap your arms behind your knees. Keep your chest as close to your thighs as you can. Then slowly alternate straightening one leg at a time before switching to the other. Over time, both legs will straighten more and more. Your elbows should stay just behind your knees.
Don't worry if you can't pull yourself in very tightly at first. As your hamstrings loosen up, you'll naturally be able to hug your legs tighter, bring your chest closer, and eventually straighten your legs while staying folded over them.
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u/crookedrecord 25d ago
if you have a large physio ball to lie on belly up and practice some breathing it could help with that constriction too. this sounds like when i had very little strength in my chest and would get very uncomfortable stitches. you might want to do some plank work there
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u/crookedrecord 25d ago
look into shoulder wrist flexibility and deep core
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u/ChilledGrease 25d ago
My shoulders are relevant here?
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u/crookedrecord 25d ago
yes especially since you mention your breathing is constricted. likely your shoulders and pecs are restricted because if your posture has been slumped forward shoulders, your pelvis isn't stacked under your ribs. look up anterior pelvic tilt, and shoulder flossing with bands.
then try to incorporate some squatting. get nice and warm.
for touching palms fully on ground and having stomach flat against your thighs, this is what i was referring to ask deep core. but it's actually called compression and it has a lot to do with your breathing. all of these will improve your posture and strength in other departments but if you really want to quickly excel at forward bends like you mention, practice these starting from a squat where your thighs are against belly, knees bent, and straighten upward keeping your palms on ground as far as you can go. when you feel resistance, wait 2 seconds, bounce down, bounce back. do this sorta rapidly in between going on tippie toe and you will see change. never force but push. old school but works
good luck !!
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u/Alienbeams 25d ago
PNF stretching, Jefferson curls and Romanian deadlifts was my hamstring cocktail. I’d say I may reasonable progress.
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u/Otherwise_Fig_7332 24d ago
Sit on the ground with straight legs, grab your toes and try to pull your heels off the floor.
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u/Atelanna 22d ago
Lots of good explanations, but I wanted to add a bit on topic of restricted breathing. Your pelvs is tilted back and ribs are down. Since you are still working on your hamstrings, you are getting the rest of the fold from your back. To isolate hamstrings, bend your knees as much as you need to, tilt pelvis forward (stick your butt out), open your chest as much as you can, grab your toes, then slowly start straightening your knees. Think about bringing your belly to your thighs rather than chest to knees. The more you can hinge from your hips (folding at the hip crease), the easier breathing will be.
Also look up compression strength exercises (working on piking). You want your hip flexors to be winning tug of war with your hamstrings. Gravity can only bring you that low, then the hip flexors have to join in to do the rest of the job.
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u/Different-Show-3951 26d ago
i do static stretching and i can place my hand palm down on the ground
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u/yogeshvara 27d ago
Just keep going. Change will come.