Starting a Stretching Routine

[Chris Nagel]

I've started a stretching routine earlier this week. As I add more stretches, this will become a power stretching program that I'd like to do 3 times a week.

Outline of Stretches 11/25/08:
-Chicken Stretch (See Scrap's Stretch Program)
-Waist Twists
-Side Bends
-Arm Circles (aka windmills: Swinging the arms in circles)
-Shoulder Circles (shrugging your shoulders in a circular movement)
-Ball Arm Stretch (From Scrap's Stretch Program)
-Shoulder Stretch-
-Triceps Stretch (The common variety)
Stick Stretches: (See Scrap's Stretches, stickstretch)
-Scrap's Stick Stretch- Chest and Shoulders
-Posterior Shoulder Stretch
-Triceps Stretch
-Rotator Cuff Stretch (Similar but not identical to: )

-Spinal Twists
-Side Hip Stretch- From the cross-legged position of the previous stretch, pull your bent leg towards the opposite side.
-Groin Stretch
-Groin/Lower Back Stretch (See Scrap's Stretch Program, Bits 1:20)
-Standing Quad Stretch
-Hamstring Stretch (See Scrap's Stretches)
-Hurdler Stretch
-Standing Calve Stretch, Standing Soleus Stretch


This is still a work in progress. I still need to add a stretch for my hip flexors and ankles/feet, and perhaps add some more stretches to stretch the same muscle groups in different ways. I'd like to have a separate session to do some of Scrap's Ball stretches. Getting the muscle control down is the before I can do them.

Worth noting is that, I'm currently weight training about 3 days a week alongside with my boxing. That's a big reason why I want a stretching routine. I've began doing some stretches for my rotator cuff muscles, as well as a couple of exercises to condition that muscle group. I want to make sure that my strength is pretty balanced on both sides of my body.

I'll always be looking out for ways to revise my program. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my routine, I'd like to hear your thoughts.

[RDJ]

Spine stretch:


Abdominal stretch:

[Chris Nagel]

Thanks RDJ. That fills the gap of what I've been missing. The second stretch is also a good way to decompress the back.

[RDJ]

Indeed. It's one of my favorite stretches.

For the back these are also very nice.





If you have a cat, observe him when he wakes up. Cats are fantastic stretchers

[RDJ]

Does your stretching routine also include limb rotating btw?

[Chris Nagel]

Does your stretching routine also include limb rotating btw?

What do you mean by limb rotations? I've been doing arm circles (swinging). At my boxing gym after we warmed our arms up we hold our arms to the sides, in front and over head while turning our arms.