What is the best way to start stretching leg muscles ?

[William Gaatjes]

I hope some of you sport stars out there have some good advice for me.
I have a history of back pain and i am doing exercises but i feel i come to a dead end every time. This dead end is that the muscles in my legs won't stretch. When i do exercises for my back, i noticed i get hindered in movement and proper execution of the exercise because of my buttocks, hamstrings and calves are too short.
I stretch my hamstring and calves muscles but these muscles just will not become more flexible over time. At least that is how i experience it.

My physiotherapist has sad that i am quit flexible in all my limbs and even my spine except for the muscles on the back side of my legs.

Does anybody have some good advice ?

 

[Zivic]

Watch the beginning stretching in this vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvkX_FVaq2w

might be a good start for you

 

[Carson Dyle]

http://www.amazon.com/Stretching-Ann.../dp/0936070463

 

[repoman0]

My hamstrings have gotten significantly more flexible with one stretch which I'll try to describe below. Maybe someone else can chime in with what it's actually called...

Lie on your back, keeping your back arched throughout. Put an exercise band around your foot and keeping your leg straight, pull back until your leg muscles are reasonably stretched, ie it shouldn't hurt. Hold for 6ish seconds, give a slight extra tug at the end, and release -- then repeat five more times. Then obviously repeat for the other leg. Supposedly with "correct" length hamstrings you should be able to hit 90 degrees with straight legs and arched back. I can now, it took around a month to get there, but probably started closer to 60-70 degrees.

This helps a LOT with keeping a straight back at the bottom of back squats as well.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Watch the beginning stretching in this vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvkX_FVaq2w

might be a good start for you

If a man like Dorian Yates can be that flexible while having huge muscles, those exercises must be good for me.

At the gym as well, i see these guys flexing and bending like a yoga practitioner and i am amazed.

Thank you. I had several physiotherapists but never seen those before.
I do know and do the stretch exercises for the SI joints.

 

[William Gaatjes]

http://www.amazon.com/Stretching-Ann.../dp/0936070463

I should get such a book.

 

[William Gaatjes]

My hamstrings have gotten significantly more flexible with one stretch which I'll try to describe below. Maybe someone else can chime in with what it's actually called...

Lie on your back, keeping your back arched throughout. Put an exercise band around your foot and keeping your leg straight, pull back until your leg muscles are reasonably stretched, ie it shouldn't hurt. Hold for 6ish seconds, give a slight extra tug at the end, and release -- then repeat five more times. Then obviously repeat for the other leg. Supposedly with "correct" length hamstrings you should be able to hit 90 degrees with straight legs and arched back. I can now, it took around a month to get there, but probably started closer to 60-70 degrees.

This helps a LOT with keeping a straight back at the bottom of back squats as well.

I always had a problem when i was younger doing squats.

 

[pauldun170]

I hope some of you sport stars out there have some good advice for me.
I have a history of back pain and i am doing exercises but i feel i come to a dead end every time. This dead end is that the muscles in my legs won't stretch. When i do exercises for my back, i noticed i get hindered in movement and proper execution of the exercise because of my buttocks, hamstrings and calves are too short.
I stretch my hamstring and calves muscles but these muscles just will not become more flexible over time. At least that is how i experience it.

My physiotherapist has sad that i am quit flexible in all my limbs and even my spine except for the muscles on the back side of my legs.

Does anybody have some good advice ?

Try this

If you are at the gym:
Prior to any stretching
Walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes increasing pace by .5 every minute until you are at a comfortable but brisk pace.
At the five minute mark pick "hills" setting and slow down pace slightly.
do this for another 5 minutes.
After 10 minutes on the treadmill, go do your stretches.
Drink a lot of water and then go do your exercises.
Make sure you are doing warmup sets for EVERYTHING you do.