Muscle tightness post-cycle

[zs15]

Never been the most flexible guy but I dedicate time every day for some stretching and mobility/plyo work.

But recently after a 3 month building cycle I’m losing a lot of ground in flexibility. Extreme hip and inner leg tightness that sometimes cramps while laying down. Hamstrings and adductors are rock hard.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[buck]

Stretching a muscle is about learning how to relax a muscle from my experience. Allowing it to elongate. Trying to force it can make the body thence up which is the opposite of what i want. I find controlled breathing helps put the mind in a more relaxed state.

 

[level3]

Find some hip focused yin yoga classes on YouTube. This is the style where you hold poses for 3-5 minutes at a time. Its not super challenging but its not maxin relaxin either. I classify it as a recovery activity and will frequently do it on my one off day per week. I sometimes find it so therapeutic after a heavy leg day that I'm grunting like I'm having sex for half the session.

This shouldn't be the only tool in your toolbox, you definitely want some dynamic stretching in there too. Its just a good, comprehensive system for dealing with hip and torso tightness.