LASTICS OR STRETCH MAX
- Thread starter lulu68
- Start date
Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
I agree with Repo.
I think I am still looking for that perfect stretch program where the stretches are held long enough that I feel I have increased my flexibility but a program that is motivating to do again and again. But instead of one perfect program, I switch it up to target different muscles on different days and to accommodate different time frames I have to work within. So I vary it up - some days I do the extended stretch at the end of the STS programs (a favourite, especially when I want to stretch for about 20 mins.), some days I'll do Yoga Max or Yoga Relax (typically a time saving 30 min premix), some days one of the Stretch Max programs (relaxing and varied - great value for your money), occasionally Travis Eliot's one hour yin yoga class on youtube, or sometimes I'll just do my own thing on the carpet while I'm watching TV - utilising the ideas I've learned from Lastics and incorporating moves my body needs that day. And sometimes, when I can't sleep in the middle of the night I just get down on the floor of my bedroom and do stretches that calm my nervous system (lots for the back) and then I fall right back to sleep!
I found Lastics good for instructional purposes - it taught me a few important dos and don'ts. But I keep coming back to Cathe as, for me, she is the most motivating instructor out there. If I find that Cathe does not hold the stretch as long as I need on a particular day, then I just hit rewind and make the stretch deeper.
Good luck, lulu68, with increasing your flexibility. Great that you acknowledge that it is affecting your workouts. So many underestimate the power of flexibility work as part of an overall health and wellness program!
I think I am still looking for that perfect stretch program where the stretches are held long enough that I feel I have increased my flexibility but a program that is motivating to do again and again. But instead of one perfect program, I switch it up to target different muscles on different days and to accommodate different time frames I have to work within. So I vary it up - some days I do the extended stretch at the end of the STS programs (a favourite, especially when I want to stretch for about 20 mins.), some days I'll do Yoga Max or Yoga Relax (typically a time saving 30 min premix), some days one of the Stretch Max programs (relaxing and varied - great value for your money), occasionally Travis Eliot's one hour yin yoga class on youtube, or sometimes I'll just do my own thing on the carpet while I'm watching TV - utilising the ideas I've learned from Lastics and incorporating moves my body needs that day. And sometimes, when I can't sleep in the middle of the night I just get down on the floor of my bedroom and do stretches that calm my nervous system (lots for the back) and then I fall right back to sleep!
I found Lastics good for instructional purposes - it taught me a few important dos and don'ts. But I keep coming back to Cathe as, for me, she is the most motivating instructor out there. If I find that Cathe does not hold the stretch as long as I need on a particular day, then I just hit rewind and make the stretch deeper.
Good luck, lulu68, with increasing your flexibility. Great that you acknowledge that it is affecting your workouts. So many underestimate the power of flexibility work as part of an overall health and wellness program!
Between the two, I vote for LASTICS (regular workout and then the advanced workout). I found that Lastics really helps with actual flexibility and did make a difference in my workouts and help with the fact I sit at a computer 10 hours a day. It is long, but I don't find it boring or too long. In fact, there are three exercises I wish she held a bit longer, so instead I take those three exercises and do them myself throughout the day. The instructor has pointers at the beginning of the video, which I listen to about once a month to reinforce form (the poster above noted the instructor has good pointers, and I totally agree.) I know the workout is broken up into sections (not sure if they are chaptered), but I do the entire workout at once for a full body stretch.
Note that my guy, who doesn't even have the flexibility of a steel pole, did Lastics with me every day for about 2 months and he hated/loved it. He would shake, sweat, be very uncomfortable and curse...but then he started noticing he had a bit of range. He stopped doing it, not sure why, but once in awhile brings up that he needs to start stretching again. When he did it with me, he noticed that his hamstrings and quads were much looser and didn't hurt after work or waking up.
I would also recommend Gravity Yoga (Lucas Rockwood). Each 15-20 minute video has about 3-4 moves and you hold each move for 3-5 minutes. This is the kind of stretch that helps my body. I personally do not like Yoga/pilates moves - I like deep stretches that hold for a long time. I subscribe to FMTV.com and that is where I found Gravity Yoga and Sandra Doubell (also recommended).
Note that my guy, who doesn't even have the flexibility of a steel pole, did Lastics with me every day for about 2 months and he hated/loved it. He would shake, sweat, be very uncomfortable and curse...but then he started noticing he had a bit of range. He stopped doing it, not sure why, but once in awhile brings up that he needs to start stretching again. When he did it with me, he noticed that his hamstrings and quads were much looser and didn't hurt after work or waking up.
I would also recommend Gravity Yoga (Lucas Rockwood). Each 15-20 minute video has about 3-4 moves and you hold each move for 3-5 minutes. This is the kind of stretch that helps my body. I personally do not like Yoga/pilates moves - I like deep stretches that hold for a long time. I subscribe to FMTV.com and that is where I found Gravity Yoga and Sandra Doubell (also recommended).
Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
Yes, Lastics is chaptered so there are several shorter options.
Very interesting post, Gobias. Thanks.
Very interesting post, Gobias. Thanks.