-static stretching -30 sec. of stretching -5-10 minutes per week total stretching duration -(3 sets of 30 seconds for 6 days a week) / (or 3 session with 3 sets for 60 seconds) -total stretching duration is most important! -1-2 minutes rest between sets -gentle and control stretch = best results
@@toeknee888 think you didn't understand the question. I had the same one as him. Are the 3 sets of 30 sec used to train the whole muscle group or should we do 3 sets of 30 sec for each stretching exercise that we picked to train that muscle group?
I've been following this training schedule and within 6 weeks my splits have gone from very high above the ground to ALMOST A FULL SPLIT I've improved SO much!! Thank you so much for this I'm honestly amazed :))
@MegaSkilla thanks for the response I actually do use the sauna twice a week with immediate stretching right after.. honestly I think I push it too hard and while it’s counter intuitive i push it so far it’s causing me to regress. I’ve since lightened how hard I push it and I’ve made it past that plateau. I would stretch until it was painful and I’ve be sore from it as if I had done a vigorous workout. I can’t speak for everyone but in my case, less is more and more frequency has greatly benefited me! Thanks again!
As a dancer I've realized that I used most of these strategies to gain my flexibility, It´s nice to know the science behind it. Great video! Thank you!
What I learned about the optimal approach to stretching: - Don't worry about finding the "perfect" stretch - just use Google to find stretches for the muscle group you want to target - Static stretching is the best methodology (easier than PNF and more effective than dynamic or ballistic) - You should work to accumulate about 10 mins per stretch per week. E.g. 3 sets of 30 seconds 6x per week / 3 sets of 60 seconds 3x per week - Add 10-20 seconds at the beginning of your first set to ease into the stretch - Warm-up for 5 minutes using low-intensity cardio before stretching - Keep stretching at a low intensity; no straining - Keep your breathing slow and calm while stretching - Every 6-8 weeks, take 3-5 days off or take a de-load week (20% of normal volume)
Did it 3 times, put my hands flat on the floor and touched my knees with my head - and i am terribly stiff person. I will try the same routine for other body parts! What i always hated with stretching were excercises above my level too complex or uncomfortable to relax into - and this is just simple enough to start from any level of fitness.
Super impressed- Well organized, science based with references, explained clearly and logically- This video is AMAZING. Thank you for going through the effort to make such a well thought-out and helpful video, definitely a fan!!
This type of youtube video needs to become more common, especially in American society. I love how you cited all of your information with legitimate research. Thank you for putting this video together.
I have no affiliation or benefits from saying this, but I have used this protocol that Yiannis suggests consistently for a month now. I practice middle split and I measure progress by putting the toe of my back feet against a wall, with my front foot I push away a box and then I measure the distance between the box and the wall. The lower I manage to split, the further the box is from the wall. After doing the protocol Yiannis suggests, I measured my first month about a 5cm increase in the above described distance. What I'd like to suggest is that with fairly minimal effort, and a great deal of simplicity, this protocol works well for me... the thing I found the hardest to believe (and also feared the most) is that I now do *light* stretches in stead of pushing to to my usual intermediate stretch intensity. But I'm now confident it's just a more intelligent approach to do light stretches for the lower extremities (with 'light' I mean: I stretch until I feel a stretch in my hamstring for example, but I don't push past that. It's a stretch I could easily hold for 3 minutes or more, whereas I used to push to the point where I could just barely hold it for the minute I needed) I see programs that make you believe you have to go through an incredible amount of exercises or 'time per stretch', overly complicate things for no real added result or suggest you'd have to do hard stretches that not only will push your progress back, but might lead you to injury as well. I believe all those more complex regiments can have a use, but for most mortals, with limited time (as in not being a full-time athlete), the protocol Yiannis suggests, seems to strip it to the bare minimal that gets you maximum results with just enough effort and minimal risk of injuries... I have nothing to sell or gain from saying this, but since RUclips is filled with so many things, and I have been looking for a long time for decent stretch programs / theories / research myself, I like to speak up for this author who bring actual intelligent and efficient programs, one that proves to work for me. Just be consistent and don't violate the 'minutes per week'-principle: my roommate does it less consistent than I do and there is a pretty big difference in result. Commit and consistently do your exercises... I'm pretty sure this protocol will bring you similar results to what I'm experiencing. If you doubt: do the measurement I suggested, try the protocol for two weeks, do the measurement again and you should be able to see the difference already after two weeks. Starting from say a 90° split, getting your full split might still take you 7 to 12 months, but at least you know you're doing something that works and that you're reaching your goal in pretty much the least time you can, with just the right amount of effort. For those curious: I'm now about at the same split as this video at 0:25... I rest my hands on paralettes that are 15cm high and my legs go well below the paralettes, so my crutch is probably about 10 cm from the floor, so a decently far, but not yet a complete split. So I'm just continuing the exercises until full split. But from tracking my progress with the above described measurement, it's easy to state this protocol works... better than what I tried up till now. I'll probably report back in a month or two. Thank you Yiannis and best of luck to all the brave and dedicated souls who are training their splits.
Wow! Only ten minutes per week to get optimal results. That's very doable! I thought that you would need hours of stretching every week, but now I feel motivated enough to do this. Thanks!
bro, thank you so much for that info, I was stretching hard for 90 seconds. so glad to hear I can replace 90 seconds of agony with 30 seconds of mild tug.
Great video. It's amazing how in life we go around in circles before being able to remove all the chaff and coming back to the absolute basics.. what works! When I started martial arts 45yrs ago we'd alternate leg stretches for about 30s each side etc.. After years of trying all sorts including tortuous PNF stretching and holding static stretches for 5min+ (which totally screwed me up!) I'm back to restarting a bit of flexibility training and now because of this video going back to what worked in the absolute beginning.. and what felt right! What I never knew was that the consistency of time over the week was more important than long individual sessions.. 45yrs on and it finally makes sense! Thank you Yiannis for these videos.
This is amazing. It takes all my 6 months of researching flexibility through basic google search into a succinct 12 minute video. I just reached halfway through the video and it summarized all my efforts. I didn't even bother going into the scientific research papers so it's an added bonus. The graphs are also very helpful as it visualizes my week routine on paper. I just found you on RUclips and am wondering why I didn't get suggested this earlier! This is a wealth of information and you got my sub!
Ballistic stretching: for warming up joints Dynamic stretching: for practising range of motion before lifting Static stretching: for increasing mobility
I thought I had to do moderate to high intensity stretching for longer than one minute to see gains and results. I'm glad that the research shows I can realistically develop a habit of stretching just 9-minutes without being overwhelmed each time by putting myself through 30+ minutes of strenuous pain!
@Sero each muscle group that you want to stretch you can do 30 seconds then rest then again for 3 total sets. The goal is to stay consistent and not overdo it
Its crazy how you only have 18k subscribers, I read "the anatomy of stretching" and this is spot on science . 90% or other youtubers just talk about their experiences, started out young or did dancing or some sport where its required to be flexible so their advice is not good for begginers but this is great :)
From watching this video five months ago, I drafted a stretching routine and applied it three to five times a week, each session no more than about 9 minutes long. I went from having really bad flexibility to sitting on the front split (both legs) as of yesterday, and nearly there with my middle split. One thing to add: on the months when I didn't measure how far I was stretching, I didn't improve--but on the months when I measured, I improved. Also, always warm up: it makes a difference with your progress, and makes the process safer! Thanks for the very useful information.
I know a lot of people often neglect stretching when they go for weight training (me included), but I'm super encouraged to hear that it is not nearly as time consuming, difficult, or convoluted as I thought. If the science backs up a routine this simple to follow to get real results, there's no excuse for doing this now.
Damm this guy really takes this seriously . You can tell he really reads and study's all this stuff and has tried it out himself and seen the benefits from all versions of stretching exercises
I have watched hundreds of fitness and lifting related videos at this point, but this one stuck out as one of the most helpful in a niche subject to me. Thank you.
Despite being almost 2 years late, I would like to say that this was an amazing video. Really good split of the time: 5 minutes at the start to conclude to the optimal stretching type, and another 5 to go into more detail. Very easy to follow, backed up by scientific articles for those non-believers. I do brazilian jiu jitsu and I will incorporate what you said for some lower body flexibility that I need. Again, amazing video, really happy to see Greek channels with good content :) Regards!
I have 2 comments regarding the studies presented... First... You presented a lot of studies regarding the effectiveness of various types of stretching. Your conclusion was that static stretching and PNF seem to be roughly equal. However, one of the studies you presented was a meta review, which found static stretching to be more effective. Shouldn't the meta review carry more weight? (No pun intended.) Second, the study you were talking about in regards to results based on the intensity of the stretching had an N of 24... That is such a small sample size, that it does not seem any actual conclusion can be drawn from it. Interested to hear your thoughts on this. Also, I am enjoying your videos. Just found you today, and immediately subscribed! Love a science-based approach.
This is the type of RUclipsr I want around and that I need, someone who can back what he’s talking about by science and who based on that provides safe training. These days it’s,so hard to know who you can trust in that industry
hello giannis! Nice job and finally someone with legit scientific sources !! I would really like to see a video to regain muscle after muscular atrophy especially in the lower body and calves !! Much appreciated and keep going strong !!
Best stretching video by far. Clear, concise, science based explanations. Answers all your questions and doubts clearing misunderstandings from too much incorrect internet information overload. I even made notes so I can adhere to these protocols. Thank you Sir! 🙏
Great video! I just don't understand how many stretching exercises do you fit per single session? Is this partition (9mins/week) only for hamstrings? How should you organize a full body routine?
You just need to eat less calories than you burn...... A calorie defecit. Eat 25% less calories per day than your body needs....... It'll burn the fat ;) Keep Lifting weights..
Thank you thank you thank you for citing actual research! This is incredibly rare. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a RUclips video that actually shows screenshots of the studies referenced. This is so helpful.
Very informative video and great delivery and visuals 10 out of 10 for me lol. Im assuming English isn't your first language but you speak it very well and you are very intelligent gained a new sub👍
It really does work! I didn't expect that results would be so quick. I stretched using this technique only two times with two week interval, and still got great results. After doing dynamic stretches for couple of month with little to no result i tried holding my stretches for 30 seconds with rests and got better results in one day! Now i can efortlessly touch my toes, and just after stretching two times in two weeks!!! Thank you, Yiannis!!!!
1) 4 types of stretches, which is best for increasing ROM? dynamic, ballistic, static, proprioceptive(PNF). Static or PNF, diff studies say differently. 2) Optimal duration of stretch 30s. Total stretching duration per week is optimally more than 5min, anything more than 10min does not result in more gains. 3) Optimal strategy, 3 sets, 30s, 6 sessions/w (9min total/w) or 3 sets, 60s, 3sessions/w (9min total/w) 4) assumed rest is 1-2min same as most of the studies 5) Low intensity stretching(slow controlled) is better than moderate intensity(fast, jerky) better for lower limb ROM 6) try to warm up before stretch or do at end of workout, slow breathing during stretch 7) every 6-8 weeks, have a rest period of 3-5 days, doing 20% the amount of stretch
One thing that has worked for me, and is supported by studies is static stretching with the help of a massage gun. I get into a static stretch until I hit a point where I just can't go further and then with the massage gun find the "tight" spot and hold the gun over that point until it releases. Additionally I work on strenghthening those muscles as well with weighted exercises (often kettlebells). The massage gun stretching has been supported by a Korean study I found. Unfortunately there aren't many studies yet on this type of stretching, but for someone like me who always had tight knots and couldn't stretch much this has been a life changer.
Dude, you’re like a godsend! Just found you through your split video and you’re already easily one of my favorite creators to come across, especially in the fitness and health field. Thanks for the actually helpful and scientifically sound advice, tips, insight and guidance and for no BS filler that so many “gurus” give. Thanks for being awesome and hope to see you grow and continue to succeed in all of your endeavors man! :D
I must say that I clicked this video skeptical because the amount of "get better through science" which is bogus out there in RUclips is voluminous. Yet your video is actually deeply insightful and useful, and I've learnt quite a few new stuff that even after consuming much of Kit Laughlin's stuff I had no idea of. I'll be sure to apply some of the techniques found here in my stretching. Thank you!
@@samhowl1152 it was comment made on a lighter note. And yes, it is pertinent as a well maintained physique combined with a humble attitude is really attractive and there isn't any harm in appreciating that. Not every comment has to be read as a thirsty one...
@@aapka_Sutradhaar no, literally, that's a pretty universal concept, that physical beauty is shallow. Hence, terms like beauty is only skin deep. It's irrelevant to the video because he could be a fucking midget on stilts, as far as the information is concerned and it wouldn't make a difference.
This comment used to be me asking about the routine, but I watched your splits training video and I'm going to do that!! Thank you so much for these videos, new sub :-))
Mate you are a legend. I have been punishing myself with long stretching sessions 6 days per week to be able to do the splits. Great info will be watching more of your videos!
yikes! I'm a dancer and coach and I'd never even heard of Ballistic Stretching!! thank you for this video, I will arm my dancers with this information going forward!
So... if I want to apply 10 min/week streaching to get flexible... this 10 minutes per week should be apply to one muscle - for example left hamstring, am I correct? Put it differently - streaching glutes, hamstrings and quads makes it an hour per week, right?
very information-dense video - in a good way. Good job mate! You actually summarized what a usable protocol for stretching is. Not many videos do that.
Sorry, I'm confused. You said 30 seconds of stretching was optimal, while increasing to 60 seconds showed no increase in flexibility. But then later you said if you can't do 30 seconds 6 times a week, do 60 seconds 3 times a week. Is this information not in conflict? Other than that, thank you so much for this video. It's the most informative source I've found so far.
Personally I do 25 minutes of stretching after every single workout (4 times a week) and it lets me aim to an higher level of flexibility. I wouldn't imagine that 9 minutes per week could be enough, WOW! Thanks man, I love your style!
Well its 9 minutes per strechted muscels per week. Which means if you do for example 3 exercises and on both legs / arms you have either a total of 20 minutes / 3x a week or 11 minutes / 6x a week. Using the anderson method (prestrech ~15s) and pre strech everytime you can add additional 4,5 minutes. So if you train 4 times a week and do your streching right after - imagine you do streching just after 3 of your trainings - you still need 24,5 minutes of stretching instead of 25..
Well that's 9 minutes per each stretch so just for both hamstrings we're talking 18 minutes per week. Then the two lunges and the 2 front splits adds up to a total of 54 per week and I'm sure you'll have other stretches
Does the recommended stretching time apply to the whole stretching routine of all muscles combined oe does every single muscle has to be stretched for the recommende time?
I think also he ment the time (9min/week) is for one specific muscle stretch. In my gym routine I have easy 7 exercises what leads to way more than one hour if ofcause some of the muscles you have double. The best tip for stretching from me is; use a interval timer on your watch or phone. Forget the time and be in your muscles with your thinking. For me 45sec. And 2 reps was good but I will try 30sec and 3 reps. (10sec break between to change muscle and or positions). Yes corona and homeoffice no gym is the killer for the hamstrings, but I am on it ;)
5-10 min per muscle per week. For splits I do: 1 min hamstring stretch 1 min hip flexor stretch 1 min (attempted) splits And repeat on the other leg. I do this 5 times a week so in total its 10 min per muscle per week.
You have no idea how long I've been searching for a proper explanation of flexibility! Thank you so much for the amazing video, it really is the best there is on the topic. I was wondering If I want to stretch multiple muscle groups at once - for example if I want to get the split and the middle split should I just switch between exercises every day? Like do the splits on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the middle splits on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday? Do you think that's a good idea or should I just do one at a time?
Thank you Alexandra I really appreciate it! You can control your progress (and everything that could go wrong) by doing one at the time, so this is what I would suggest to you!
I was very stiff two years ago(I could barely touch my toes with strait legs). Then I started stretching every day, I achieved the front split in one year. And right after I did more middle split and back flexibility exercises. Since that, I am stretching each day for one hour after physical exercises. Currently, I can do a front spit with 30cm of elevation, a middle split after a lot of stretching, and I can touch my head with my feet on a back bend. I feel definitely much more healthier than before, and I encourage everyone to stretch(do not need to be too intense to feel good).
Wow! THIS is how it is done, bravo. Unopinionated, evidence-based, non dogmatic presentation of how good stretching is done. Wish you had more videos and that many more channels devoted to health science divulgation in any form followed your approach. Thank you.
Wait a second I have too many questions after watching this video xd Are these tips meant for a regular person who is not too serious with flexibility training? Like if I want to get the flexibility of a contortionist, there is no way that 10 minutes of stretching per week would do it ?? (I recently read the contortionist handbook and it said that beginners should start with 1 hour per day moving to 2/3 hours per day, 7 days a week)..... Or did u mean 10 min of stretching/week per 1 pose rather than total time? I guess that would make more sense ..... ? Im so confuuuuuseeeed I keep hearing different opinions :(
he doesn't really say it but when he's talking about 3x30" and 6 times a week he means that for every muscle group or movement you wanna stretch. So lets say you wanna get more flexibility in your hamstring then you can do a hamstring stretch for 3x30" and 6 times a week but you also want to do side splits. then you also can do this 3x30"x6. And so on and on. Besides that the thing with sience is that we don't have data on everything. Their are probably not many studies in the literature about something so extreme as contortionisme. So people who practice this art have probably alot of practicial knowdlege and protocols that are not being scientifically studied, but probably work. Last point i wanna explain is that what he's talking about is the most time and safety effcient way to gain flexibility. In general more is always better as long as you don't injure yourself. This guy maybe confused you, but he made an amazing video!
Hey ADELE hope you're doing fine. The 9' of total stretching duration per week, refers to each muscle group. So if you decide to stretch the main muscle groups of your legs (glutes, calves, quads, hamstrings, and adductors) with only one exercise, this equals almost 2 hours of stretching per week. These guidelines are not my opinion but the results of dozens of studies. Nevertheless, these studies didn't have as subjects contortionists and at these extreme levels, I totally agree with the reply of +jordeaman.
i am pretty sure you can stretch longer . one reason why the study did not show any improvements over 10min stretching per week could be that the nervous system opposing the stretch starts to take over. that means as long as you can avoid that ( by doing low intensity and truly and deeply relaxing into the stretch )you should be able to do more than that if you really want to . this is what i think at least .
2024 UPDATE → Flexibility Program here: www.yiannischristoulas.com/side-split-courses
-static stretching
-30 sec. of stretching
-5-10 minutes per week total stretching duration
-(3 sets of 30 seconds for 6 days a week) / (or 3 session with 3 sets for 60 seconds)
-total stretching duration is most important!
-1-2 minutes rest between sets
-gentle and control stretch = best results
The 3 sets of 30 seconds guideline, is that per muscle group or for each individual stretch?
@@Voltermort tbh i don't know, but i would assume per muscle group. no way 30 seconds for 1 muscle group a day is enough
did not see any results after 4 weeks.
@@hqcart1 4 weeks isn't enough. Most literature I've read suggests 3 months minimum.
@@toeknee888 think you didn't understand the question. I had the same one as him. Are the 3 sets of 30 sec used to train the whole muscle group or should we do 3 sets of 30 sec for each stretching exercise that we picked to train that muscle group?
This is the best video i've ever seen about flexibility. A very accurate job ! thanks
🙏🙏
mdr
Yeah, of all the videos I have seen on flexibility, this is the only one that includes a review of the scientific literature.
I was thinking the same thing. Best by far.
I've been following this training schedule and within 6 weeks my splits have gone from very high above the ground to ALMOST A FULL SPLIT I've improved SO much!! Thank you so much for this I'm honestly amazed :))
Any advice I’ve seemed to have plateaued and I’m so close to doing a full split but it’s been about 4 weeks without any improvement
@MegaSkilla thanks for the response I actually do use the sauna twice a week with immediate stretching right after.. honestly I think I push it too hard and while it’s counter intuitive i push it so far it’s causing me to regress. I’ve since lightened how hard I push it and I’ve made it past that plateau. I would stretch until it was painful and I’ve be sore from it as if I had done a vigorous workout. I can’t speak for everyone but in my case, less is more and more frequency has greatly benefited me! Thanks again!
@@weStayModest I’ve pushed too hard and destroyed my progress before
wow what incredible results. Same here x
@Sshheeyy can you give me some advice on how to do stretching because when I do it to the fullest it really hurts and the pain is just unbearable
As a dancer I've realized that I used most of these strategies to gain my flexibility, It´s nice to know the science behind it. Great video! Thank you!
What I learned about the optimal approach to stretching:
- Don't worry about finding the "perfect" stretch - just use Google to find stretches for the muscle group you want to target
- Static stretching is the best methodology (easier than PNF and more effective than dynamic or ballistic)
- You should work to accumulate about 10 mins per stretch per week. E.g. 3 sets of 30 seconds 6x per week / 3 sets of 60 seconds 3x per week
- Add 10-20 seconds at the beginning of your first set to ease into the stretch
- Warm-up for 5 minutes using low-intensity cardio before stretching
- Keep stretching at a low intensity; no straining
- Keep your breathing slow and calm while stretching
- Every 6-8 weeks, take 3-5 days off or take a de-load week (20% of normal volume)
Did it 3 times, put my hands flat on the floor and touched my knees with my head - and i am terribly stiff person. I will try the same routine for other body parts! What i always hated with stretching were excercises above my level too complex or uncomfortable to relax into - and this is just simple enough to start from any level of fitness.
Really happy to hear that, keep up the good work!
What excercises did you do?
@@Jessica-hk7pjon le saura jamais...
@@lavazza8031😂😂😂
@@lavazza8031Hahaha un mystère a vie
Super impressed- Well organized, science based with references, explained clearly and logically- This video is AMAZING. Thank you for going through the effort to make such a well thought-out and helpful video, definitely a fan!!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your kind words!
This type of youtube video needs to become more common, especially in American society. I love how you cited all of your information with legitimate research. Thank you for putting this video together.
I have no affiliation or benefits from saying this, but I have used this protocol that Yiannis suggests consistently for a month now.
I practice middle split and I measure progress by putting the toe of my back feet against a wall, with my front foot I push away a box and then I measure the distance between the box and the wall. The lower I manage to split, the further the box is from the wall.
After doing the protocol Yiannis suggests, I measured my first month about a 5cm increase in the above described distance.
What I'd like to suggest is that with fairly minimal effort, and a great deal of simplicity, this protocol works well for me... the thing I found the hardest to believe (and also feared the most) is that I now do *light* stretches in stead of pushing to to my usual intermediate stretch intensity. But I'm now confident it's just a more intelligent approach to do light stretches for the lower extremities (with 'light' I mean: I stretch until I feel a stretch in my hamstring for example, but I don't push past that. It's a stretch I could easily hold for 3 minutes or more, whereas I used to push to the point where I could just barely hold it for the minute I needed)
I see programs that make you believe you have to go through an incredible amount of exercises or 'time per stretch', overly complicate things for no real added result or suggest you'd have to do hard stretches that not only will push your progress back, but might lead you to injury as well.
I believe all those more complex regiments can have a use, but for most mortals, with limited time (as in not being a full-time athlete), the protocol Yiannis suggests, seems to strip it to the bare minimal that gets you maximum results with just enough effort and minimal risk of injuries... I have nothing to sell or gain from saying this, but since RUclips is filled with so many things, and I have been looking for a long time for decent stretch programs / theories / research myself, I like to speak up for this author who bring actual intelligent and efficient programs, one that proves to work for me.
Just be consistent and don't violate the 'minutes per week'-principle: my roommate does it less consistent than I do and there is a pretty big difference in result. Commit and consistently do your exercises... I'm pretty sure this protocol will bring you similar results to what I'm experiencing. If you doubt: do the measurement I suggested, try the protocol for two weeks, do the measurement again and you should be able to see the difference already after two weeks.
Starting from say a 90° split, getting your full split might still take you 7 to 12 months, but at least you know you're doing something that works and that you're reaching your goal in pretty much the least time you can, with just the right amount of effort.
For those curious: I'm now about at the same split as this video at 0:25... I rest my hands on paralettes that are 15cm high and my legs go well below the paralettes, so my crutch is probably about 10 cm from the floor, so a decently far, but not yet a complete split. So I'm just continuing the exercises until full split. But from tracking my progress with the above described measurement, it's easy to state this protocol works... better than what I tried up till now. I'll probably report back in a month or two.
Thank you Yiannis and best of luck to all the brave and dedicated souls who are training their splits.
How are you doing after 5 months?
How about 3 years?
This video was great! Much needed information me. Thank you!
Indeed. I subscribed just how much effort and research he puts into his videos. Truly a man of wisdom.
This is the stuff I wish my physiotherapist would have told me. So much detailed information.
🙏🙏
2023 UPDATE! New Side Split Flexibility Program (6 more methods added):
yiannischristoulas.teachable.com/p/my-downloadable-16290
Definitely would be interested in a real time splits routine!!
I'm so excited :)))))
Looking forward to it!
Sir...I was able to do middle split in 5-7 mins but now it takes about 20 mins .Why I loose my flexibility ?
I could not find that film yet. I'm interested in the middle split excercises. Any tips?
Wow! Only ten minutes per week to get optimal results. That's very doable! I thought that you would need hours of stretching every week, but now I feel motivated enough to do this. Thanks!
Yes but that's for one muscle only. So to do hamstrings on each leg, it would be double. And more if you add more body parts. Still doable though!
bro, thank you so much for that info, I was stretching hard for 90 seconds. so glad to hear I can replace 90 seconds of agony with 30 seconds of mild tug.
Great video.
It's amazing how in life we go around in circles before being able to remove all the chaff and coming back to the absolute basics.. what works!
When I started martial arts 45yrs ago we'd alternate leg stretches for about 30s each side etc.. After years of trying all sorts including tortuous PNF stretching and holding static stretches for 5min+ (which totally screwed me up!) I'm back to restarting a bit of flexibility training and now because of this video going back to what worked in the absolute beginning.. and what felt right!
What I never knew was that the consistency of time over the week was more important than long individual sessions.. 45yrs on and it finally makes sense!
Thank you Yiannis for these videos.
First minute and my first thought was "this guy rrrreally know what he's doing" thx!
@un lucky blessings my brother 😂
This is amazing. It takes all my 6 months of researching flexibility through basic google search into a succinct 12 minute video. I just reached halfway through the video and it summarized all my efforts. I didn't even bother going into the scientific research papers so it's an added bonus. The graphs are also very helpful as it visualizes my week routine on paper. I just found you on RUclips and am wondering why I didn't get suggested this earlier!
This is a wealth of information and you got my sub!
Thank you so much for your words Micah! I'll do my best in the future to continue this way!
Ballistic stretching: for warming up joints
Dynamic stretching: for practising range of motion before lifting
Static stretching: for increasing mobility
I thought I had to do moderate to high intensity stretching for longer than one minute to see gains and results. I'm glad that the research shows I can realistically develop a habit of stretching just 9-minutes without being overwhelmed each time by putting myself through 30+ minutes of strenuous pain!
@Sero each muscle group that you want to stretch you can do 30 seconds then rest then again for 3 total sets. The goal is to stay consistent and not overdo it
Its crazy how you only have 18k subscribers, I read "the anatomy of stretching" and this is spot on science . 90% or other youtubers just talk about their experiences, started out young or did dancing or some sport where its required to be flexible so their advice is not good for begginers but this is great :)
Thank you I appreciate your words!
I've been stretching for years and statics are the one that work for me the best
Great information. Data Scientific approach. I have been struggling with this stretching. I will put this into practice. Thank you
From watching this video five months ago, I drafted a stretching routine and applied it three to five times a week, each session no more than about 9 minutes long. I went from having really bad flexibility to sitting on the front split (both legs) as of yesterday, and nearly there with my middle split. One thing to add: on the months when I didn't measure how far I was stretching, I didn't improve--but on the months when I measured, I improved. Also, always warm up: it makes a difference with your progress, and makes the process safer! Thanks for the very useful information.
Congratulations Victor! Thanks for sharing your experience
I know a lot of people often neglect stretching when they go for weight training (me included), but I'm super encouraged to hear that it is not nearly as time consuming, difficult, or convoluted as I thought. If the science backs up a routine this simple to follow to get real results, there's no excuse for doing this now.
Exactly! Go for it!
Best video on flexibility ever. Thank you man.
Thank you Abner!
EASILY BY FAR the best video on stretchin on youtube. Awesome work man!!!
🙏🙏
I can’t get over how helpful this is! Thank you for being thorough and sciences-based❤️
Ive been stretching for 4 months and am already quite flexible
This is an awesome video!
Thank you I appreciate it!
Damm this guy really takes this seriously . You can tell he really reads and study's all this stuff and has tried it out himself and seen the benefits from all versions of stretching exercises
I can listen to him all day!
Bro is so so so underrated! I think he should invest more in advertising himself with other content creators.
What an amazing video, so sad to see such few views on this! Keep up this kind of quality and the views will for sure come!
Thank you and I will!
I have watched hundreds of fitness and lifting related videos at this point, but this one stuck out as one of the most helpful in a niche subject to me. Thank you.
I really appreciate this Jonathan, thank you!
Despite being almost 2 years late, I would like to say that this was an amazing video. Really good split of the time: 5 minutes at the start to conclude to the optimal stretching type, and another 5 to go into more detail. Very easy to follow, backed up by scientific articles for those non-believers.
I do brazilian jiu jitsu and I will incorporate what you said for some lower body flexibility that I need.
Again, amazing video, really happy to see Greek channels with good content :)
Regards!
Bonjour a ce jour ,c est positif
Ou pas ?
I have 2 comments regarding the studies presented...
First... You presented a lot of studies regarding the effectiveness of various types of stretching. Your conclusion was that static stretching and PNF seem to be roughly equal.
However, one of the studies you presented was a meta review, which found static stretching to be more effective.
Shouldn't the meta review carry more weight? (No pun intended.)
Second, the study you were talking about in regards to results based on the intensity of the stretching had an N of 24... That is such a small sample size, that it does not seem any actual conclusion can be drawn from it.
Interested to hear your thoughts on this.
Also, I am enjoying your videos.
Just found you today, and immediately subscribed!
Love a science-based approach.
1:49 as someone who cant touch his feet, that looks superhuman to me
This is the type of RUclipsr I want around and that I need, someone who can back what he’s talking about by science and who based on that provides safe training. These days it’s,so hard to know who you can trust in that industry
I don't think I have ever come across such a thoroughly researched content in any RUclips video ever. Terrific job there. 👏👏👏👍👍😊
Finally, not an exercicing video about streaching but the knowledge to build off streaching with analitical data
hello giannis! Nice job and finally someone with legit scientific sources !!
I would really like to see a video to regain muscle after muscular atrophy especially in the lower body and calves !!
Much appreciated and keep going strong !!
Thank you man I appreciate it! I'll definitely cover this topic someday but I don't know when.
Best stretching video by far. Clear, concise, science based explanations. Answers all your questions and doubts clearing misunderstandings from too much incorrect internet information overload. I even made notes so I can adhere to these protocols. Thank you Sir! 🙏
Thank you I really appreciate it!
Great video!
I just don't understand how many stretching exercises do you fit per single session?
Is this partition (9mins/week) only for hamstrings?
How should you organize a full body routine?
Please tell my you found out by now.. still wondering
@@milly2459 nope 😅
Still hanging
I think it's per muscle
Wooow ! Cool, Thanks for your work and sharing that !!
Keep going ! :)
Thank you!
Great video! Informative and well researched
I appreciate your feedback Mattias!
I have watched many follow along stretching and most videos are really boring and complicated. However, this makes so much sense.
Can you do a video on how to grow muscle best? Especially if you are trying to loose weight at the same time? Great video by the way
Check out Jeff Cavalier for that, he's a master
You just need to eat less calories than you burn......
A calorie defecit.
Eat 25% less calories per day than your body needs....... It'll burn the fat ;)
Keep Lifting weights..
Thank you thank you thank you for citing actual research! This is incredibly rare. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a RUclips video that actually shows screenshots of the studies referenced. This is so helpful.
Dang, this seems to be the way out of the plateau I reached at fexibility.🙌
This is exceptional content! I wish everything posted on the internet was as thoroughly researched, synthesized and presented in such a helpful way.
Excellent video Yiannis! I will put these simple formulas to the test starting now!
Thorough, seems comprehensive, thoughtful. Great job!
Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!
im following this method for a couple weeks now and it works very well. Especially the microstretching.
Congrats! Thanks for sharing your experience, I'll be happy to hear more about your progress in the future! Keep it up!
I love your content! It’s so thoughtfully put together and incredibly useful! Thank you 😊
Thank you!
Very informative video and great delivery and visuals 10 out of 10 for me lol. Im assuming English isn't your first language but you speak it very well and you are very intelligent gained a new sub👍
This man literally did not blink throughout the whole video 😳🤣
He is just stretching his eyes.
1:08
You must didn't watch the entire video lol.
0:50
0:33
It really does work! I didn't expect that results would be so quick. I stretched using this technique only two times with two week interval, and still got great results. After doing dynamic stretches for couple of month with little to no result i tried holding my stretches for 30 seconds with rests and got better results in one day! Now i can efortlessly touch my toes, and just after stretching two times in two weeks!!! Thank you, Yiannis!!!!
Holy crap, your video is excellent! Almost gives me goosebumps! You're way ahead of everything else on RUclips!
Thank you Martin for the support!
Holy crap! This is really comprehensive 😮
Thank you so much this is exactly what I was looking for!!
1) 4 types of stretches, which is best for increasing ROM?
dynamic, ballistic, static, proprioceptive(PNF). Static or PNF, diff studies say differently.
2) Optimal duration of stretch 30s. Total stretching duration per week is optimally more than 5min, anything more than 10min does not result in more gains.
3) Optimal strategy, 3 sets, 30s, 6 sessions/w (9min total/w) or 3 sets, 60s, 3sessions/w (9min total/w)
4) assumed rest is 1-2min same as most of the studies
5) Low intensity stretching(slow controlled) is better than moderate intensity(fast, jerky) better for lower limb ROM
6) try to warm up before stretch or do at end of workout, slow breathing during stretch
7) every 6-8 weeks, have a rest period of 3-5 days, doing 20% the amount of stretch
Liking, commenting, and subscribing because you deserve waaaay more viewership. Keep it up
Thank you Jonah for the support!
Amazing video, thank you so much!
Thank you. I'll give this a go. I have always had very poor flexibility.
This should be the most watched video under the 'Streching' category. You should be actually paid for it.
Really great information. Thank you for your time in researching and presenting this to all of us.
Thank you Erik!
One thing that has worked for me, and is supported by studies is static stretching with the help of a massage gun. I get into a static stretch until I hit a point where I just can't go further and then with the massage gun find the "tight" spot and hold the gun over that point until it releases. Additionally I work on strenghthening those muscles as well with weighted exercises (often kettlebells).
The massage gun stretching has been supported by a Korean study I found. Unfortunately there aren't many studies yet on this type of stretching, but for someone like me who always had tight knots and couldn't stretch much this has been a life changer.
Great video and great job, thanks! for sharing all this knowledge in such an easy to understand and accurate way
Thank you Henry!
Not sure how people can give this a thumbs down. Great information and critique its like going to a university lecture on flexibility. Great work
Dude, you’re like a godsend! Just found you through your split video and you’re already easily one of my favorite creators to come across, especially in the fitness and health field. Thanks for the actually helpful and scientifically sound advice, tips, insight and guidance and for no BS filler that so many “gurus” give. Thanks for being awesome and hope to see you grow and continue to succeed in all of your endeavors man! :D
Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm doing my best to keep this channel like this!
I must say that I clicked this video skeptical because the amount of "get better through science" which is bogus out there in RUclips is voluminous. Yet your video is actually deeply insightful and useful, and I've learnt quite a few new stuff that even after consuming much of Kit Laughlin's stuff I had no idea of. I'll be sure to apply some of the techniques found here in my stretching. Thank you!
Can we just take a moment to acknowledge how cute the trainer is? His accent makes him even more adorable ❤️
No, because how is that pertinent in any way?
@@samhowl1152 it was comment made on a lighter note. And yes, it is pertinent as a well maintained physique combined with a humble attitude is really attractive and there isn't any harm in appreciating that. Not every comment has to be read as a thirsty one...
@@aapka_Sutradhaar it's completely irrelevant to the video and a shallow observation.
And that's how you see it..
@@aapka_Sutradhaar no, literally, that's a pretty universal concept, that physical beauty is shallow. Hence, terms like beauty is only skin deep.
It's irrelevant to the video because he could be a fucking midget on stilts, as far as the information is concerned and it wouldn't make a difference.
Love that you include research studies in your videos in order to support the things that your saying. Awesome work and very convincing.
I’m really glad that you found it helpful! 🙏
This comment used to be me asking about the routine, but I watched your splits training video and I'm going to do that!! Thank you so much for these videos, new sub :-))
Glad to hear that, keep it up!
Mate you are a legend. I have been punishing myself with long stretching sessions 6 days per week to be able to do the splits. Great info will be watching more of your videos!
Επιτέλους ένα βίντεο βασισμένο σε επιστημονικές μελέτες. Πολλά συγχαρητήρια! :)
Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!
yikes! I'm a dancer and coach and I'd never even heard of Ballistic Stretching!! thank you for this video, I will arm my dancers with this information going forward!
So... if I want to apply 10 min/week streaching to get flexible... this 10 minutes per week should be apply to one muscle - for example left hamstring, am I correct? Put it differently - streaching glutes, hamstrings and quads makes it an hour per week, right?
Yes it is 10’ per muscle!
@@YiannisChristoulas Thanks a lot! 🙂
This the absolute best video on giving people the necessary knowledge about effective stretching. Great job!!!
Thanks a lot! I appreciate it!
Wow, thank you for this. I just subscribed.
Thank you James!
very information-dense video - in a good way. Good job mate! You actually summarized what a usable protocol for stretching is. Not many videos do that.
Sorry, I'm confused. You said 30 seconds of stretching was optimal, while increasing to 60 seconds showed no increase in flexibility. But then later you said if you can't do 30 seconds 6 times a week, do 60 seconds 3 times a week. Is this information not in conflict?
Other than that, thank you so much for this video. It's the most informative source I've found so far.
Thank you! Please watch again from 06:00 to 07:30
It's about getting the 9 minutes a week though I wonder if doing all 9 minutes in just one day would also work
@@arihaviv8510 We need more research to find out :)
Woow. Amazing... Congrats! Really nice video.
Personally I do 25 minutes of stretching after every single workout (4 times a week) and it lets me aim to an higher level of flexibility. I wouldn't imagine that 9 minutes per week could be enough, WOW!
Thanks man, I love your style!
Well its 9 minutes per strechted muscels per week. Which means if you do for example 3 exercises and on both legs / arms you have either a total of 20 minutes / 3x a week or 11 minutes / 6x a week. Using the anderson method (prestrech ~15s) and pre strech everytime you can add additional 4,5 minutes.
So if you train 4 times a week and do your streching right after - imagine you do streching just after 3 of your trainings - you still need 24,5 minutes of stretching instead of 25..
Well that's 9 minutes per each stretch so just for both hamstrings we're talking 18 minutes per week. Then the two lunges and the 2 front splits adds up to a total of 54 per week and I'm sure you'll have other stretches
After all the videos I've seen on the topic, you give what I was looking for. Thanks a bunch!
🙏
Does the recommended stretching time apply to the whole stretching routine of all muscles combined oe does every single muscle has to be stretched for the recommende time?
I think it applies to each stretch - but I was wondering the same.
I think every muscle should be stretched for the recommended time
I think also he ment the time (9min/week) is for one specific muscle stretch. In my gym routine I have easy 7 exercises what leads to way more than one hour if ofcause some of the muscles you have double. The best tip for stretching from me is; use a interval timer on your watch or phone. Forget the time and be in your muscles with your thinking. For me 45sec. And 2 reps was good but I will try 30sec and 3 reps. (10sec break between to change muscle and or positions). Yes corona and homeoffice no gym is the killer for the hamstrings, but I am on it ;)
5-10 min per muscle per week.
For splits I do:
1 min hamstring stretch
1 min hip flexor stretch
1 min (attempted) splits
And repeat on the other leg.
I do this 5 times a week so in total its
10 min per muscle per week.
Great video... just found it. Thanks Yiannis!
my cat stretches the second she wakes up, I am convinced that stretching when you wake up is the way to go.
I thought I was the only one that thought this
Dogs and cats-they stretch after being in a sedentary position
And which method does she use? Ballistic?
If you’re going to static stretch you should warm up first, not right out of bed bad idea get the blood flowing first.
And before you sleep
This is so incredibly well made. Thank you so much for the effort you put into this video! It is very helpful.
Thanks you! I’m glad you found it helpful 🙏
You have no idea how long I've been searching for a proper explanation of flexibility! Thank you so much for the amazing video, it really is the best there is on the topic. I was wondering If I want to stretch multiple muscle groups at once - for example if I want to get the split and the middle split should I just switch between exercises every day? Like do the splits on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the middle splits on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday? Do you think that's a good idea or should I just do one at a time?
Thank you Alexandra I really appreciate it! You can control your progress (and everything that could go wrong) by doing one at the time, so this is what I would suggest to you!
@@YiannisChristoulas Thank you!
This is the best and most complete video on flexibility I've found on youtube.
I was very stiff two years ago(I could barely touch my toes with strait legs). Then I started stretching every day, I achieved the front split in one year. And right after I did more middle split and back flexibility exercises. Since that, I am stretching each day for one hour after physical exercises. Currently, I can do a front spit with 30cm of elevation, a middle split after a lot of stretching, and I can touch my head with my feet on a back bend. I feel definitely much more healthier than before, and I encourage everyone to stretch(do not need to be too intense to feel good).
nice to see someone actually pulling up studies
His accent sounded a lot like spanish, and when I saw that he had a greek name a understood
Spanish and Greek accents are quite similar.
Very high quality and informative. Thank you
🙏
is the 10 minutes a week per muscle group?
Wow! THIS is how it is done, bravo. Unopinionated, evidence-based, non dogmatic presentation of how good stretching is done. Wish you had more videos and that many more channels devoted to health science divulgation in any form followed your approach. Thank you.
Wait a second I have too many questions after watching this video xd
Are these tips meant for a regular person who is not too serious with flexibility training? Like if I want to get the flexibility of a contortionist, there is no way that 10 minutes of stretching per week would do it ?? (I recently read the contortionist handbook and it said that beginners should start with 1 hour per day moving to 2/3 hours per day, 7 days a week).....
Or did u mean 10 min of stretching/week per 1 pose rather than total time? I guess that would make more sense ..... ?
Im so confuuuuuseeeed I keep hearing different opinions :(
he doesn't really say it but when he's talking about 3x30" and 6 times a week he means that for every muscle group or movement you wanna stretch. So lets say you wanna get more flexibility in your hamstring then you can do a hamstring stretch for 3x30" and 6 times a week but you also want to do side splits. then you also can do this 3x30"x6. And so on and on.
Besides that the thing with sience is that we don't have data on everything. Their are probably not many studies in the literature about something so extreme as contortionisme. So people who practice this art have probably alot of practicial knowdlege and protocols that are not being scientifically studied, but probably work.
Last point i wanna explain is that what he's talking about is the most time and safety effcient way to gain flexibility. In general more is always better as long as you don't injure yourself. This guy maybe confused you, but he made an amazing video!
Hey ADELE hope you're doing fine. The 9' of total stretching duration per week, refers to each muscle group. So if you decide to stretch the main muscle groups of your legs (glutes, calves, quads, hamstrings, and adductors) with only one exercise, this equals almost 2 hours of stretching per week. These guidelines are not my opinion but the results of dozens of studies. Nevertheless, these studies didn't have as subjects contortionists and at these extreme levels, I totally agree with the reply of +jordeaman.
i am pretty sure you can stretch longer . one reason why the study did not show any improvements over 10min stretching per week could be that the nervous system opposing the stretch starts to take over. that means as long as you can avoid that ( by doing low intensity and truly and deeply relaxing into the stretch )you should be able to do more than that if you really want to . this is what i think at least .
This video is the best I’ve seen on stretching. Thanks.