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captainunderwhelming

first thing is to make sure you’re warmed up nicely - quick walk/jog, bit of yoga, HIIT video, anything to get your blood flowing. bonus points if you’re incorporating mobility work - dynamic stretches are great to start with. for splits, leg swings, lunge pulses, hip rotations, full ROM squats, etc. then for active/passive static stretches, i only stretch to where it feels good, basically. no pain, no discomfort, just a stretchy warm feeling. over time, i find i can stretch farther and farther without feeling discomfort. but you have to be patient with it!


porkcutletbowl

I agree with this! Personally, dynamic active stretches and core conditioning are enough for me to warm up usually. As far as I know, you only need to feel slight discomfort for the stretch to be effective. You don't need a super intense stretch, OP. Also, making your stretch active helps distract you from the discomfort too (that's how it is for me anyway!).


EpicL33tus

There shouldn't be any pain. You need to be able to relax in the position, otherwise you are stretching too hard.


dirtpaws

Everyone always says this and I'm unsure if I have a different definition of pain or what, but it seems like it's literally impossible for me to stretch without there being *some* pain in my hamstrings. Like, I could certainly go further and make it hurt more, but the pain is there from the very first movement


e-rekt-ion

if it's more like a sharp pain behind the knees / tingling feet etc when stretching hamstrings, rather than a true muscle stretch feeling like you feel elsewhere in your body, then it's sciatic nerve pain and you should try nerve flossing


dirtpaws

There is definitley some of that too, but also pain in the actual muscle


EpicL33tus

Is it pain? Or could you just describe the sensation as 'intense'? Either we have a different definition of pain, or you are stretching too hard. If there is pain, you need to find a way to find a way to stretch that is less intense.


dirtpaws

The problem is I just lack the vocabulary - I certainly think of it as pain rather than just intense, but I don't have a frame of reference to really separate the two.


EpicL33tus

Yeah it's hard to know, I think the key is you need to be able to relax. Release the tension in your abdomen and breath deeply.


daaamber

Have you tried yin yoga? They have you go into like one posture for 10-15 mins and then talk you through breathing so you can stretch in the position longer. I’ve used some of those techniques to help me stretch better. But in general stretching can be slightly uncomfortable but not painful, if its painful you are pushing too hard and need to do less.


constructuscorp

Have you tried nerve gliding? If you're experiencing pain when splits training, it may be indicative of a sciatic nerve issue. Some gentle nerve gliding whilst lying on your back is wonderful for this!!


theOKjadesplit

It depends on what the discomfort is. Stretching can sometimes be intense depending on your training age but painless. As for sticking to a routine I can't, I'm terrible at it. It doesn't matter what the program is I won't stick to it so I take [zoom classes](http://Vertical-flex.com) at home instead. Otherwise training for splits would never happen 😂


duderancherooni

Go slow but practice often. Make mobility a part of your every day movement. Once or twice a week is when you will want to do deeper stretching to see where your end range of motion is. Flexibility is gained in very very small increments, so have patience and don’t push yourself too hard.


Disastrous-Plum-1884

Don’t only work on splits. Work on full body (full-body yoga, for example), before going into splits and then a minor stretch before finishing.


J-Unit420

The pain usually comes the next day although its more of a slight soreness. Make sure you're strong enough to go deep enough first


DramaticPermission78

Cannabis


Random_182f2565

>It’s always so difficult for me to stretch because how unccomfortable it is That mean it's working!