Leg stretching in the doorway ^_^

Can be used in barricade entry or exit too, I have learned.

♥ Bambi

Some fundamentals on stretching.

Once in a while I get asked what are appropriate stretching techniques someone should do for so-and-so reason or how stretching, in general, should be done. Since beneficial stretches vary from person to person, there is no fundamental one-guide-fits-all answer or routine. We all have our own strengths, our own weaknesses, and our own priorities on what needs improvement.

There are, however, general rules of thumb on stretching that every one can understand and potentially use.

- Do dynamic stretching or warm-up stretching first. People familiar with dynamic stretching know that these stretches stay within a person's normal range-of-motion. They do not go beyond what their body and muscles are accustomed to. So dynamic stretches are good AND recommended for warming-up before a workout or more vigorous stretching, but they have little to no effect on increasing flexibility or range-of-motion. For that reason, they should be held for short periods, 15-30 seconds, and generally should start at the head, working downward toward the legs.

- Follow up with static stretching, especially if you do aspire to increase your flexibility and range-of-motion. Even if you are satisfied with your range-of-motion, you can still benefit from specific static stretches that may help make certain exercises easier (i.e. stretching hip flexors for squats). They stretch muscles beyond what the body is accustomed to, which gives way for improved flexibility and also relief for muscle soreness after a workout. They are held for longer periods, 30 seconds - 5 minutes, depending on what is being stretched and why. Stretches held for 2+ minutes are mostly exceptional cases (i.e. advanced yoga, contortionism). You typically hold for shorter periods and build up tolerance for longer periods as your flexibility improves.

- Larger muscle groups can usually be held longer than smaller muscle groups. Calves require less stretching than back muscles, for example.

- Always know exactly what you are stretching and why you are doing it.

So, to summarize:

Dynamic stretching
- Warms-up the body and muscles before a workout.
- Maintains their range-of-motion.
- Does not increase flexibility nor range-of-motion.
- Holds for 15-30 seconds.

Static stretching
- Can be done before or after a workout, but after dynamic stretching.
- Increases flexibility and range-of-motion.
- Relieves muscle soreness.
- Holds for 30 seconds - 2 minutes, depending on muscle group.

♥ Bambi

My war with middle splits...

... continues.

I have not been putting in as much time as I had wanted in the (first two months of) Summer... and as the rule of thumb goes, you get what you put in. So my progress has not been too noteworthy, BUT it is not stagnant, and I am moving along at a tortoise pace.

A few people have mentioned that gender and body shape potentially do play a factor in how well particular stretches can be learned. Side splits came easily for me. Middle splits, on the other hand, continue to test me and my hips. My thighs are not too happy either -.-!

But to hell with it all. I am getting closer.

♥ Bambi

Stretchy update.

Contortion progress has been slow, so I have not been blogging too much about it. Well, I hit another milestone this week. Can finally do a standing scorpion at ease! (Starting with both feet on the floor, and slowly lifting one leg up from behind till my foot is level with my head.)

I am still managing an hour-a-day of stretching. It is slower pace than my workouts earlier in the year, but I am still getting results. I am fine with that.

♥ Bambi

Contortion update: Ankle-grabbing... getting there... sorta!

So... we are officially entering Autumn tomorrow! With the changing of the seasons, my stretching practice times have shrunk considerably with school and work :/. I have not lost any of my newly acquired (ninja) skills over the Summer, but I have been doing just enough to maintain them and to progress at a snail's pace... which is still progress, but very frustrating!

I have been practicing doing oversplits and needle scales over and over and over, in addition to basic stretches. All of this just to gain more flexibility in my back. Like I said in a previous post, when it comes to flexibility, there just seems to be no end in sight! So now that I can get into a chest-stand, next up is being able to grab my legs while back-bending. Starting at the ankles, and then working my way up.

I will be going on vacation soon (will still be stretching every day, of course!), but hopefully I can twist and mangle my schedule enough to allow for those long serious stretching sessions of Summertime when I get back.

♥ Bambi

Leg over head stretching video.

From yesterday's afternoon workout. Although the chest stand is my main goal, I am also working on other forms, such as oversplits.

And there is nothing like a comfty book read right after a workout. (Pictured: Human knot pose)

♥ Bambi

Stretching only requires Time.

When it comes to stretching, you never abandon the basics. You build on them. There is no finish line that lets you know whether or not you have mastered something. There is always room for improvement. There is always that extra inch you can squeeze in (and boy do us us ladies know this)! So, essentially, the only main difference between a beginner and someone doing more advanced techniques is the *time* that has been put into stretching. If you would have asked me to do a back bend exactly a year ago, I would have just laid on the floor flat as a board. I have been training for ~9 months now, and I am still stretching all that has been accumulated since Day 1.

Such as the Cobra pose (pictured) to loosen up the back muscles. For me, this along with a few others I mentioned before is awesome for gaining flexibility in the lower back. It is a basic yoga pose, but an essential one, especially for those starting and those with back pain. There is not one session that I do without it. Basic stretches like the Cobra made something seemingly difficult like the back bend possible; and they are now helping in reaching my next goal: the chest stand.

My hamstrings stretching was not always this linear. It took *time* to get to where it is now. Flexibility does not happen overnight, so do not become discouraged if you find yourself incapable of pulling something you see in a picture or a video. Results can come in days, weeks and even months, depending on the pose and difficulty. And like I mentioned in the beginning, there is always room for growth for any pose.

The only true "hard" part is setting aside at least 15 minutes a day for stretching.

♥ Bambi

Cobra stretching for the lower back.

♥ Bambi

When you do not have a training partner...

... you improvise.

By tumbling against walls.

By getting into awkward "eek!-back-spasm!-how-am-I-going-to-get-out-of-this?!" situations on a weekly basis. (Pictured: Yoga Scorpion pose)

But I would not have it any other way.

Yes, having someone around with similar interests to help motivate and push me would probably not be so bad. And yes, I have lost count of the amount of times I thought "screw-this-I'm-having-ice-cream-LOTS-N-LOTS-of-it" when I was not getting the results I wanted. BUT through the thick of it, I have learned some valuable personal perseverance and self-discipline, that go beyond these workouts and these pink walls. Standing on my own two feet (or having my feet in the air :D), and not having to rely on someone as a crutch is a wonderful thing.

♥ Bambi

4th of July shenanigans!

Hey everyone.

Hope you had a pleasant 4th! And if it was not a holiday for you, hope it was still a good Monday!

I spent the whole day out at the beach, the park, then back to the beach, from noon till 10. Silly me did not think about waking up early on a HOLIDAY to do some exercises beforehand, so I ended up improvising. On the bright side, I finally got to work on my nonexistent tan... one month into Summer, ha!

I brought along some work-out clothes and hula hoops last minute. Managed to do some cardio running and hula-hooping, with some basic stretches, but no serious exercises at all. Would be uncomfortable doing them around family and friends, let alone in a public area with strangers around! (... which is a little ironic, since I have no problem sharing them with thousands of anonymous people online apparently LOL.)

So, if you ever see a twenty-something girl awkwardly doing hula-hoops out in the open somewhere...

♥ Bambi

Chest-stand update and progress pictures!

Currently stuck at the elbows. Can I has more upper back flexibility right away, please?! I am determined to get this done before the end of Summer...

And is any one getting tired of seeing pink leotards yet lol?

The Splits

♥ Bambi

My stretching routine.

I have been getting asked what I do for my stretches, so I figure I will explain it in detail here, as opposed to trying to explain it individually.

First off, I am no expert. What I do know is from what I have read, learned, and experienced first-hand. We are all individuals with different fitness goals and different starting flexibility, so you may find other stretching techniques to be more appropriate for you. It all comes down to what your body feels comfortably doing, i.e. stretching should never be painful!

There are a handful of different "kinds" of stretching, but the main two are static and dynamic stretching. I do both, with static being the most prominent in my routine. There are people who believe that it is better to do dynamic only, and they may be right... for some people. My focus is on increasing my flexibility substantially, and static stretching is better suited for that. If you are looking to just maintain your flexibility or to increase it enough for a full range-of-motion in your exercises, just dynamic stretching should be fine. It all goes back to what I said before: different things work for different people.

A significant difference between static and dynamic stretching is when to do them. You can do dynamic stretches as a warm-up or before a work-out. Static stretches, on the other hand, should be done only after a warm-up or a work-out. Put them all together and this is how a simple stretching routine would look: dynamic stretching, warm-up/work-out, static/dynamic stretching.

What I do:

- A few minutes of dynamic stretching (back, chest stretches and small lunges) to prevent stiffness in the warm-ups.

- 30 minutes of warm-ups (running, jogging and, yes, hula hooping :p) to warm up the core. Body temperature plays a HUGE role when it comes to stretching and flexibility. There is a reason why there is such a thing as "hot yoga", where people practice in rooms of 100+ degree heat. Higher body temp = more loosened muscles = more stretching. So with that in mind, do some serious stretching indoors if it is a cold day out!

- 1.5-2 hours of static stretching (40 min for splits, 40 min for back bends and 40 min for handstand/forearm-stand/conditioning). The emphasis of these stretches is on back flexibility, which is what I am getting asked about most. Obviously the general person is not going to need to stretch for this long lol, but the more time you put into it, the more flexibility you will maintain and gain. In general though, 10-15 min of simple static stretching should be fine.

For back flexibility, the best ways to increase it are:

The Cobra Pose

The Bow Pose

And the Bridge Pose

- I stretch every day. The general person can get by doing it maybe 3 times a week, although I would say that you should do it every day that you work out! It is good for your muscles. And you have to stretch on a regular basis to maintain whatever flexibility you gain. There have been a few times where I did not stretch for 3-4 days or even a whole week, and you bet I lost some flexibility in just that short span of time! Just like any other aspect of fitness, good flexibility requires commitment.

One other thing that can affect stretching and flexibility is eating food high in potassium (my favorite being bananas). They will help prevent muscle cramping.

So... I think that about sums it up. Hope this answered some questions and won some people over to do stretching exercises!

♥ Bambi

Back-bend progress.

Hey everyone.

I am going to use this a photo blog as I progress along in gaining more flexibility. Strength training is not my primary fitness goal as it is with many of you, however, I am testing out some exercises to strengthen my core and back. It will be a little added diversity beyond just doing crunches and ball exercises.

Some background: Although I have been a "flexible" person for most of my life, I have actually started contortion training only just late last Fall (~6 months ago). It is a late start, (especially when you compare it to people who have been training since they were 6!!!) and the chances of getting to do this on stage is much slimmer... but you know what? I love it. I love reaping the benefits from the progress I have made, and I want to see how far I can push myself and excel in. But it really comes down to this: it is never too late to try something!

So... I feel I have made some good progress in the past month. The momentum has definitely picked up considerably compared to the slow start of the first few months! As of now, I can do a back bend / bridge, comfortably, from standing posture, although there is room for improvement to make it tighter and more graceful.

And now some stretching poses, with a few unflattering ones...

♥ Bambi

Spot Hello Kitty.

♥ Bambi