If youve been followingmy stretching journey, this is the part where it starts to get interesting.

Recently, I tried some new techniques.

And there are alotof gurus in the stretching world.

But there are, in fact, manyand the proponents of each will argue that their way is best.

The definitions of each arent always agreed upon, which makes for yet more arguments.

Static stretchingis when you hold a stretch for a while (say, 10 seconds or more).

This is done as an active stretch; for example, kicking or raising your leg as you run.

Passive stretchingis when you place your body part into the position where youd like to stretch.

Active stretchingis when you use your own muscles to get into position to stretch.

Youre contracting the muscles opposite the ones you are trying to stretch.

Isometric stretchingis when you contract the same muscles you are trying to stretch.

It explains an advanced pop in of stretching called PNF, for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation.

This is one Ive often read about, but never seen in the wild.

The technique I tried is the one thats supposed to be the most effective but also not for beginners.

(Did I let that stop me?

Its called hold-relax with agonist contraction.

And man, it fucking works.

This was also 10 seconds.

Whaddaya know, now I could touch my entire fingers to the floor instead of my fingertips.

The results were very similar to the toe-touching video we discussed inan earlier post.

I then did the same thing with a front split/kneeling lunge stretch.

I am, you may recall, nowhere near being able to do a split.

Then for the final step I used my leg muscles to pull myself deeper into the stretch.

This one was strange: my hip flexors relaxed as expected, but my hamstrings justhurt.

It was like they were saying weve done enough already!

Go easy on us!

So I eased up.

Last one: a standing quad/hip flexor stretch.

First you stretch passively, then you do a PAIL contraction, then you do a RAIL contraction.

Does that extra stuff help?

But the basic principles seem to be the same as in my standing stretch.

Stretching techniques like PNF address the nervous-system factor.

The first body system were taking advantage of here is called autogenic inhibition.

Within this tendon are microscopic sensors called Golgi tendon organs.

But thats why PNF has you contract the muscle youre about to stretch.

This makes your body want to relax that muscle.

So you immediately go back into the stretch, and boom, youre able to relax that muscle more.

The second step takes advantage of a different mechanism, called reciprocal inhibition.

Here, contracting one muscle tends to make the opposite muscle relax.

So I now have PNF stretches in my routine.