Dan's Hamstrings

Dan’s Astonishing Hamstrings!

DAN’S STORY This is the story of Dan, a client that I’ve been teaching for just 3 weeks in our men’s only “Stiffies” program. Dan comes along twice per week for two 75-minute classes.

In each class, he spends around 15 to 20 minutes stretching the posterior side of his legs and thighs. The rest of the time he stretches other muscle compartments.

Dan has suffered chronic pain for years and tried everything, from medication to mindfulness and everything in between. His pain got so consistently bad that he developed tinnitus as a secondary complaint. Despite his medical journey, Dan had never tried a precise, consistent, stretching regimen. Dan has four sons, aged between 7 and 12, and told me he was close to having a total breakdown.

When Dan started, I promised only one thingthat he would become more flexible. That I can guarantee. The extent to which this would reduce his chronic pain I could not predict, or make

any promises about, because pain is a multifactorial problem in most cases.

In three weeks of work, I am astonished at Dan’s progress. I have never seen such tremendous gains in flexibility. How can I explain it? The truth is, I can’t. If I could guarantee progress like this on every occasion, I’d be teaching stretches on Oprah!

What I can tell you is that a truly thorough and effective program must address the entirety of the posterior leg and thigh. This includes the calf group, the posterior of the knee, the middle and upper portion of the thigh which contain the hamstrings and adductor magnus, and the top of the thigh, where the lower fibers of the gluteus maximus insert. See image below.

Dan’s program So, Dan’s program below consisted of individual stretches for each of the regions described above. At the bottom, you see Dan at his first session, and three weeks later, after 6 sessions.

All of the stretches were held for 2 to 3 minutes.

B

Stretch A. The soleus and deep fascial compartment of the leg.

Stretch B. The Gastrocnemius, soleus and deep compartment of the leg.

C

Stretch C. The gastrocnemius is stretched over both the ankle and knee joint. The hamstrings are also stretched.

This image, taken from Anatomy Trains, shows the effect of stretching the hamstrings on the tendons and upper portions of the gastrocnemius.

Connected by deep fascia, the hamstrings will tug on the gastroc. in a cephalic (upward/toward the head) direction. If the foot is dorsiflexed at the same time, the effect is intense.

D

Stretch D. The belly of the hamstrings and Adductor Magnus, and some fibers of glutes maximus also. With the ankle somewhat dorsiflexed, the stretch usually disappears from the calf muscles.

E

Stretch E. A bent leg approach. With the hips as low as possible, the stretch is felt in the gluteus maximus and adductor magnus of the front leg, as well as the hip flexors of the back leg. As Dan then tries to straighten his front leg without lifting his hips, (see second image) the aforementioned muscles and the hamstrings are all stretched. The experience is qualitatively different to the straight leg stretches. It is experienced much higher in the thigh.

Note the adductor magnus and lower fibers of gluteus maximus in this image with the leg in a high degree of hip flexion. It is experienced much higher in the thigh. On the rear leg, you can see illiopsoas and rectus femoris stretching across the front of the hip joint.

DAN WEEK ONE

DAN WEEK THREE

The Moral of the Story?

A casual “hammy” stretch probably won’t do the trick. Take some time to investigate and consider the stiff region. Address the entire region in your program. Stretch consistently, for sustained periods, with precision, and a sense of gentle discipline. You might just get some astonishing results!

Anthony Lett

www.stretchfit.studio