Modified stretch???

[patrick_brooks]

Hi again! I could maybe use some other people's imagination... I can't do the stiff-legged side split stretches due to pain in my knees, so I've been doing them with bent knees. I can't seem to get low enough in this position, even with my wife pulling my knee to the side to try to spread my legs more at the end of my pnf contractions. She doesn't really weigh enough to push my legs down decently when I lay on the ground, and I don't have a stretching partner that weighs more than her (she's about 115 lbs/52 kgs). Any ideas on what I could do?

Thanks,

Patrick

[patrick_brooks]

Nevermind, once I warmed up the pinching pain in my hips and knees subsided, and I was able to do these with my legs straight. I actually got about 10-11 inches from the ground, so after warmup, I'm almost as flexible as I once was, not bad for a several year hiatus.... why would this initial slow warmup be? It isn't present for the side splits with my legs bent... strange.

[dragon]

I wouldn't use anyone to push my legs(or any other part of my body) down.
If you wish to gain flexibility/conditioning of your adductors perform the horse stance as the start position for your isometric stretches:-

http://www.stretching.info/column_stretch2.html


As for why it's quicker to warm up during a bent leg side split than a straight leg one-The bent leg version is easier and so not putting as much strain on your connective tissues.

Dragon.

[patrick_brooks]

As usual, thanks for the answers, Dragon!

[patrick_brooks]

As I progress, will my body warm up quicker? I don't seem to remember having this pinching pain/stiffness initially before, but I was also younger then...

[dragon]

As you get stronger and more conditioned your start position to your stretches will be deeper.

Dragon.