How long until I become more flexible? Touch toes, etc...

[180degreechange]

When I sit on the floor, with my legs spread in a V shape, I can touch my shins, I'm about 10 inches or so short of touching my toes. If I did daily stretching, how long will it take before I can touch my toes.

Just curious..

Thanks

[TimMason91]

When I sit on the floor, with my legs spread in a V shape, I can touch my shins, I'm about 10 inches or so short of touching my toes. If I did daily stretching, how long will it take before I can touch my toes.

Just curious..

Thanks

eh, took me about 3-4 weeks if I remember correctly. Stretch daily, hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds

[Galapp]

eh, took me about 3-4 weeks if I remember correctly. Stretch daily, hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds

Jeez... that long?! fml.

[Kentisc]

3-4 weeks is not that long, you're going to need the flexibility if you want to squat properly

[Christaras9]

What do you need to stretch for that?I'm curious

[vampborn]

It took me a month of yoga to reach toes. I did a modified version of Bikram Yoga and The Five Tibetan Rites (there's a sixth hidden rite I perform too) on a daily basis. If you decide to do yoga, I recommend contracting all of your muscles in every position (asana).

[Kentisc]

What do you need to stretch for that?I'm curious

If you mean what you have to stretch for squatting it would be:
The shoulders to be able to retract the shoulder blades far enough to place the bar
Hip and groin are to be able to hit parallel
Hamstrings to be able to hit parallel
Ankle area to be able to hit parallel

[Mr.PissShivers]

It took me a month of yoga to reach toes. I did a modified version of Bikram Yoga and The Five Tibetan Rites (there's a sixth hidden rite I perform too) on a daily basis. If you decide to do yoga, I recommend contracting all of your muscles in every position (asana).

So you're celibate?

[vampborn]

So you're celibate?

I am not celibate. I assume you're referencing the 6th rite. I haven't been doing the rites with any consistency for a while, but I may start up again. The 6th rite is said to be only useful if you abstain, but I've found otherwise. I can help explain it further if you want. It's a breathing technique that recirculates energy throughout the body, making that person a super man or a super woman.

[BrassMonkey98]

Yeah, I'd say minimum 3 weeks.

[sgttom]

Do stiff leg deadlifts off the floor. Increased my flexibility as far as touching toes go. I can touch my palms to the floor while keeping legs straight.

[FltDoc06]

I have instrinically stiff hamstrings, so it was always difficult for me to touch my toes from childhood. Started doing stretches regularly (with some basic yoga, no "secret rites") at age 48, and was able to reach my toes within probably 6 weeks. Sgttom's suggestion to do straight leg or Romanian deadlifts is a good idea; you don't have to use heavy weights. Using a couple of dumbells to help you stretch out those hams will be a useful adjunct to what you are doing.

I don't regularly do those stretches or yoga any more, but my weight training, including DL, SLDL, Pendlay rows, have kept me flexible enough to touch my toes anyway.

[Mr.PissShivers]

I am not celibate. I assume you're referencing the 6th rite. I haven't been doing the rites with any consistency for a while, but I may start up again. The 6th rite is said to be only useful if you abstain, but I've found otherwise. I can help explain it further if you want. It's a breathing technique that recirculates energy throughout the body, making that person a super man or a super woman.

I may be taking up the 5 Rites again soon, but I've never done the 6th.

But yes please explain if you don't mind, and what benefits have you noticed when doing the 5 Tibetan Rites?

[vampborn]

I may be taking up the 5 Rites again soon, but I've never done the 6th.

But yes please explain if you don't mind, and what benefits have you noticed when doing the 5 Tibetan Rites?

Here's a link to good information on the 6th rite - http://www.scribd.com/doc/7905854/Ti...ation-6th-Rite . What I've noticed about the Five Tibetan Rites is that each rite has a focus on the abs and breathing, and that the 6th rite is like the ab slayer/finisher. I think the benefits of the Five Rites are similar to what you'd receive from doing yoga, especially with emphasis on breathing. I believe that ab contractions can quicken digestion a bit, and remove bad feelings of bloatedness. I do tend to feel powerful after The Rites. The 6th rite really has you empty your lungs to the fullest extent, and this is something the average person may never do. People tend to breathe shallow (shortly inhaling, shortling exhaling).

I was a firm practitioner of The Five Tibetan Rites, and saw good results. The reason I didn't do it indefinitely is that you only have so much energy to put forth, and I devoted that energy to other styles of exercise such as yoga and muscle control. I think it's hard to focus on too many things at once. I've ran into many overreaching periods in my training where exercise doesn't feel as good as it once did. For example if you did the Rites three times a day. It may feel better during the first session or the last session than the others. I find the same to be true for yoga and muscle control as well as even lifting weights. If you lift weights before you're recovered, you can go through the motions, but I do not believe you benefit as much. And so I think it takes a great deal of focus to truly benefit from The Five Rites, and other exercise.

So to wrap up the benefits I feel from the Five Rites: improved digestion, energy, ab tightness, and less bloating.

As far as the actual exercises in the 5 Rites, I like the first 3 and the 6th. The 4th doesn't feel good to me in any way, and could be better I'm guessing based off body proportions, and the 5th which is just a divebomber push-up tends to **** up my right shoulder, which has been previously injured. I've done hundreds of divebomber push-ups in the past though, and liked them. So ultimately I don't find anything special about the tradition or culture of The Rites and similar routines. I think it's important to see it for what it's worth, and take what you can. For instance a yoga routine may focus on the quads and spinal erectors, and thus should be done when those parts are sore.