I’ve been doing your 15 min beginner program for the last mouth after my runs everyday and it’s seems to be getting rid of a lot of my back pains!!! Thanks for the info 👍
@@howinthewhat thanks for your response. I have never been flexible in my life hence I asked our of curiosity. Ad I get older I realise that there are three things a human needs for longevity. Flexibility, strength, and endurance (stamina). I only focused on 2 of those and ignoring flexibility. I wish I also incorporated that bit now that I am 30, i just don't know how much i can progress in let's say 6 months time
@@moizkhan8057 Welcome. If you've never been flexible then it'll definitely take longer and require more consistency. But, since you're 30, you'll do just fine, just try to stay as consistent as possible and any level of progress is an achievement to be proud of! I have also never been flexible, but i did taekwondo for like 10 years of my life. I was fairly agile and could definitely use my legs as self defence if I wanted to. So if that's also the case for you then it'll be a little less painful and more forgiving. If you, otherwise, mean by "never been flexible" that you've never done any flexibility training then it's basically gonna be like anybody else who wanted to get flexible, around 6 months like the guy said and you'll be surprised at how much you've improved. Hoping for the best bud!
Thanks Tom! I wish I had something more useful to say, but I'm been enjoying your videos and follow alongs for about 2 months now, and I've seen nice improvements in my own flexibility. It's wonderful to see a guy doing flexibility work on the internet, not just all the nonsense bulking stuff that I normally see.
Always good to stretch pre-bed this will allow you to sleep more peacefully as after stretching your body will be less ache. I have been doing this every night for years. I don’t have backache and capable to play more sports and I’m able to do sprinting at age 52.
please help. i just started stretching and i focused on splitting and other leg stretch. the third day im having a bad time on walking properly. and if i forced to bend my knees. i litteraly collapse. what should i do? does stretching is bad for me?
I've been doing the daily stretching routine (updated version) for about 2 months now and have been feeling amazing for it. I always do it in the morning before work and it is such a nice way to wake up, even if I don't have time to train in the morning I will still make time to fit it in! I am really keen to work on the splits and pancake so going to give your loaded routines a try as mentioned. Thanks again for the videos, very educational and very well made, I appreciate it!
Hi Tom, I’m really enjoying your channel. I’m 58 years old and do your V2 ten minute morning stretch (and that neatly leads on to V1) in the morning before I leave my bedroom and in the evening I enjoy your 20 minute mobility routines which I do just before I get into bed. Missing the gym here in my hometown but enjoying the active stretches you offer. They are excellent and you clearly have a good understanding of how the body is put together. Thank you.
I'm also about 6'4, I think it is because tall people often have mobility problems because if you grow really fast as a teenager/child, your mobility might suffer. At least it's like that for me. I'm not even close to touching my toes.
Back then I was really flexible due to martial arts like an almost perfect split few years after stoping training anything i tried to touch my toes and failed so I worked for many minutes to reach it, eventually I did but the next day shit hurts and still continued to hurt a few days later... *Now I'm watching stretching tutorial videos lol*
I’m in the sane club...I was a lifetime Muay Thai fighter....I’m still fairly flexible at 46 by normal standards...but definitely only 60 or even 50% of my MT days.
Awesome, Tom!! Thanks for these videos!! They are helping me a lot. I'm struggling to be consistent in stretching every single day. Your videos keep motivating me. I really appreciate this!!
If you are new to stretching or you want to make stretching a part of your routine I recommend doing fearless motivation 30 day stretch challenge. Also another good stretch challenge is the tumble doctor flexibility challenge . Each video from both challenges are different and throughout the challenge you stretch everything. Also the videos ranges from 5 minutes to 30 minutes approximately but that includes cardio/conditioning. For me it helped to have a 30 day challenge where each day was different started on June 1st, 2023 and so far I haven’t missed a day of stretching.
Really helpful, thanks very much. Recently started to follow you and find you very informative. 😁. Have been on an enforced ‘break’ due to injuries but as soon as I am able to, I’ll be giving your routines a go.
Interesting perspective but in my case I full load stretch around six days per week,I find that foam roller and deep tissue self massage aids recovery really well,i guess it also comes down to each individuals PNF and load tolerance capacity and how well one can recover, however I have picked up some great tips from you so thanks
Hey Tom, does this mean doing morning and pre-bed stretches daily with eventually added 1-3 times a week the more demanding stretches, or choosing either of all day by day?
You should listen to your body and maybe leave out a stretch or two if the corresponding muscle still feels sore from either strength training or stretching. Not that you cant stretch at all if you feel anything but you will find out where it is counterproductive over time. But its good to know that you dont neccesarily always gain more from doing your stretches every day, no excuses, but sometimes its better to let them recover. (I did my daily stretches every day without excuses for a couple of years - after waking up, before singing and before going to sleep, I made some okay progress over this time, but my progress really took off when I introduced some heavy stretching and started to feel more into my body- concentrate on how your muscles and joints feel while stretching. Learn to feel what muscles should not be stretched even if its in your program in that moment and also learn what muscles feel like they could need some stretching even if their stretching was not planned.)
Hi Tom, still smashing it mate! I remember watching you doing your first planche videos etc so been watching for a long time now, and have picked up some great tips and advice. I would love to know when your going to be doing another course back in the UK after you have done your US Tour 😉 thanks and love your videos keep them coming!
Good nuanced answer. For me with the dynamic stretches I do before more passive work 5 - 6 days a week is the sweet spot. When I was stretching 7 days a week I would start feeling sore and tense and not be able to get to my full range of movement everyday.
I done martial arts since a kid I can get low on splits but first time ever feeling pain I find once a week pushing your self is better then everyday everyone is different.
Nicole Wyatt yea once a week is horrible for starters or inexperienced people . You should only do once a week if you have your splits complete . Otherwise you need to do it Atleast 4 times a week
The only meta study I know of was done by James Stephens academic.oup.com/ptj/article/86/12/1641/2805079 , he compared various forms of stretching (including somatic movements) for efficacy. If you flip through the study, and have an especially good look at Table 5 Hamstring Muscle Stretch Literature Results, you will find that results and regimens vary considerably. It's -complicated-, er, very individual.
How does this look? Morning: beginner morning flexibility routine Mid day 1-3 times a week: full body mobility routine Before bed: evening mobility routine All videos I follow from Tom Merrick and I’m currently on a 3 day a week full body routine where I’m squatting each day
@@McGriddey he explicitly said it'll do more harm than good to do it too much man thats what you gots to look out for. you gonna end up getting a one way ticket to snapcity
Tom Araya read up on David Goggins, he stretches 2 hours nightly. And when you have as many imbalances and tightness as I do from hooping my whole life, you’d understand. I haven’t seen any negative effects the whole time either
@@McGriddey alright you do you champ, just don't come and say nuttin when the medical bills are rackin up to a couple hundred thousand cus of snapped ligaments and deteriorated joints. you do you mane
Hi Tom, you inspired me to get more flexible and I started a standing pike challenge some weeks ago. I'm now like ten centimeters away from my head touching my legs but with a round back. In order to get my back flat would you recommend to go back all the way and do it again with a straight back or do you think I should keep going hoping the back will flatten out later? Thanks for your content btw, love it! Regards from Germany, Rouven.
Guya, i do acro gymnastics and let me tell you, stretching urself will often only keep ur flexibility if u have already a decend one. To make good progress so. must stretch u past your pain tolerance once or twice a week.
When you're talking about 1-3 intense session I'm assuming you're referring to pr muscle group? Because if you have a goal of getting the pancake, front and middle splits, some of the muscle groups overlap and if you're doing it on different day you might exceed your max weekly frequency. Because of overlapping muscle group, when stretching for different flexibility goals do you recommend to do them all the same day, spread them out through the week or only work for one specific goal at a time?
For me his follow alongs are really intense, so I follow pamela reif's stretch routine everyday and follow his front split follow along once or twice per week, still a long way off from font splits (we talking about several inches here) but I'll see what happens in a year! Hopefully I'm motivated to follow the routines everyday tho ;)
I think my tight calf’s are impinging my overall leg flexibility, any ideas on how can either test if this the case and can recommend any stretches for the calf muscles.
Hi Tom, I'm doing this two routines on a daily basis: 15 Minute Begginner Flex and 20 Minute Beginner Flex. Both are great, I feel I benefit from the added time of doing both of them (i'm really tight). Do you think I should cut off some part or that should be ok? thanks!
I have been doing the morning and evening mobility routines faithfully for several results, Which is a good routine to add? I am 73 years old, and love to backpack. Thanks,
Amazing advices thank you I want to know how can i arrange between workout out that takes three days of my time throughout the week and stretching ? Frankly i want to strech twice per week outside the working out days for mor strength and focus but i dont know how could i spread them through the week . May you give me an advice ?
Hello Tom, I really love your videos and they help me a lot . So I have tried doing front splits for about a week now and I think I have stretched too much and now I have pain in my hamstrings and back of my thighs, what are your thoughts on it?
@Andrew Evans per stretch. Pinto MD, et al. J Strength Cond Res. 2014. And many corroborating studies found there to be no significant difference in improvement of flexibility after 30 seconds for each stretch and for each set of stretches beyond the first per wake-sleep cycle.
@@snapcracklefizzle9954 More flexible, yes. But not on OP's routine. I was criticizing OP's routine with my first comment. I'm very close to both horizontal and vertical floor-assisted splits, and have reached numerous other benchmarks since starting doing this routine once a day every day for two years. I've also noticed improvements in general fitness, but that's beside the point.
@@maeditty4781 hm okay you follow that video or just recommending? ive workedout all my life and real intense at times and been stretching consistent since july 2020, so my body is real tense since no one told me to stretch(thanks a holes) and when i would try stretching i would always get pain in lower left back, when i would stretch my right ham string, and lot of times just couldnt get a good stretch...
Hi Tom, thanks for the great content. Question around programming for flexibility & strenght in a week. I believe, if you're doing hamstring strength work, you proably dont want to do your intense hamstring flexibility training before. But would you recommend doing it AFTER on the same day? Or would the next day be better?
I‘m neither Tom nor an expert but my physio once told me that I shouldn‘t stretch (heavily) directly after the leg workout but rather on the same day later, e.g. workout in the morning, stretch in evening. I can‘t recall the reasoning behind it but since it was a professional saying it, it might help you in some way.
hi tom i'm having a problem with my hamstring flexibility progress i hope you can help me with this. a month ago i was able to place my palms flat on the floor after doing my full hamstring flexibility routine which i have been following for almost 5 months now starting from not being able to touch my toes to being able to place my palm flat on the floor. but after 1 month i haven't seen any progress anymore other than being able to place my palm flat on the floor after a few sets of work. my hamstring flexibility routine is: A1. calf stretches 3 sets/ 90s 3 foot positions ( the one emmet suggested on his youtube channel ) A2. single leg goodmornings 3-5 sets/ 10 reps + 10s hold ( the one you have on your channel ) A3. jefferson curls 3-5 sets/ 10 reps + 10s hold i'm doing the routine by increasing the sets per week and deloading back to 3 sets except for the calf stretches. what are your thoughts about this any tips that you can give me tom? it will be really appreciated thanks.
If you aren't breathing you won't stretch. It's a common problem. Orrrrr, you might not be pushing hard enough while doing those stretches. If it doesn't hurt, it's not stretching.
Beginning my mobilty life style change ... I stretch first thing in the morning 15 minutes quite dynamic stuff then ano ther 15 minutes more relaxed in the evening. a little every day is better than alot on a few occasions i reckon.
Hi Tom, the greasing the grooves routines already have moments that are quite uncomfortable for me. I can't imagine doing anything more intense than that (I am very tight in the hips and the hamstrings from working at a desk). Yet, should I push through the pain of more intense routines once or twice a week? I'm worried about injury, plus not keeping at it because it really is unpleasant and on the verge of painful. Thoughts? thanks a lot for your work.
What about static but fairly intense hip and hamstring stretches specifically for BJJ? 30 minutes a day holding each stretch for hamstring and hips for around a minute each, is it smart to do this every day?
Well, have you been progressing or not? Only you can tell how much and what sort of stretching you need. Experiment, observe, adjust and all that. Now, I do not know exactly how you "bakers" do things these days but flexibility training sure has benefits beyond just physical aspects. Me likes.
@@kasumifu1541 bakers? 🤣 And I've been progressing decently, I feel like I'm slowly opening up in my hips / hamstrings but I'm struggling to progress with hip external rotation which is the main area I need improving. I've started to do pigeon pose a bit more often now so will see how it goes. I've also noticed that if I stretch everyday I sometimes feel sore in the next day session and I feel I can't go as deep into the stretches as the day before, but when I have a rest day in-between them, it feels better so I may start and do 1 day on 1 day off with stretching. But at the same time I don't want to slow my progress down!
Hi! I was wondering if you could make a video about how to warm up and do flexibility exercises with an injured knee... I just had knee surgery and can't do proper warm ups (no cardio) for a few months, is this even possible? I can do a lot of stuff but need to be gentle
I have a follow up question. How do I add this stretching routine to my schedule when I also have resistance training? I do squats once week and feel sore for like 3 days after that. So that's already 3 days I can't do stretching in the week! Or, should I stretch even when I'm sore? What are your thoughts on this? Add link to the video if you've already talked about this in one of them.
vaibhav nigam You should still stretch regardless.. Soreness caused from weight lifting is because of lack of blood flow, inflexibility .. It means your muscle fibers are torn and need to be closed back and repaired.. Protein and stretching will aid in soreness and repair.
Do I have to warm up before doing the daily light stretches ? My dance teacher says is crucial to always have a intense warm up before doing any kind of stretches . I love stretching the problem is more that I can’t motivate myself to do a warm up every single day ...
I have no progress if I stretch for splits 3 times a week for 30-60 minutes, but if I stretch everyday for 15-20 minutes I have a great progress in my splits. So stretching is a part of my morning routine) However I add some intense full-body workouts sometimes.
The Jefferson Curl can go wrong regardless the dosages. But say for instance a Lifted Loaded Pancake, working on that 5 days a week. Would you still see that as a problem? And let me say I resonate a lot with your practice :) I think you're one of the most positive forces on TH-cam on the subject of physical activity.
Brother do you perform twice a day or once a day Recently i am doing at one time but in evening i want to strech again but kabhi kabhi lagta hau over strech na hoja Toh aap guide kro
I like to do dubble middle over split, 6 inches up from the ground on each side. I can also do a 270 degree over extended needle /scorpion. I and touch my butt by my head in a seal strach, And youtube recommended this to me.
So been doing the splits follow along and the front splits follow along ever other day. What do you think is that too much. It's early days yet only 18 or so days in so not seeing a lot of progress.
Thank You for this video. Please let me know is it possible to combine programs together. FOr example, is it wise and useful to combine: Front Split Loaded Mobility Routine with Biginner Hamstring Flexibilty Routine and with 3 best PNF Excercises for Middle Splits? And how to do it? On the same day, twice a week?
Hey, question so every morning I do your 20 minute full body flexibility and your 15 min beginner flexibility routine. I need to know what more exercises do I need to do on a daily to just build more flexibility and strengthen my body. I’m a newbie, I dnt eat healthy. But trying to do intermittent fasting and try to eat healthier. Thanks for ur time
Tom, what is your opinion on stretching and strength/power loss? Should tight muscle get stretched prior to movements that require good range of motion (snatch, clean & jerk)?
do only the necessary stretches because of the powerloss and stretch real hard afterwards. But don't worry too much about powerloss, thats only 30min. I stretch daily quite intensely before my tumbling workout, it takes time before my muscles are at 100% and thats gonna be after a my warmup, so no real losses there. If flexibility is a proiority for u than treat it as such and stretch every day. Btw. partnerstretches, those where u wanna cry, once or twice a week, will accelerate your gainz a lot.
I got my splits but lost them a month ago. I'm trying to get them back and get middle splits because i know I can get the side splits but middle will be difficult
Would it be detrimental to do the light, passive stretching for several hours a day? I have a lot of progress to make, and plenty of spare time.. but I definitely don't want to be setting myself further back by overdoing it. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
I dont know. There are some light shoulder stretches I do several times a day. But I guess you cant just start stretching for hours every single day. If you know your body well and get used to stretching a lot over time it could work though. I mean in ballet they stretch for hours too. But especially if you start out you are likely to strain your muscles too much and if you then stretch every muscle 6 times a day or something I guess it would be pretty painful after a couple of days and progress would not be ideal as well. Besides.. i doubt that you would stick to it for too long. If you just decide to practice something new for hours a day you will most likely just stop completely after some time. Make smaller routines you can actually stick to long term and once they become a habit you can maybe expand them.
Question: I'm in the process of recovering from sciatic pain that started a few years ago on a deadlift. I've never fully recovered from it and am wondering what is a good time frame to build back flexibility? Everything I've read so far says that while you're treating sciatica you want to stay away from stretches in particular with the back to avoid having it lock up again. I've also read that it has taken some people up to 2 years before they fully recovered from their sciatic injuries. 2 years seems like a long time to wait to stretch out and I wanted to know your opinion. When is a good time to pick up flexibility again while recovering from sciatica?
Hey man I used to have terrible sciatic pain. It's important to do very light stretching, but nerve glides are very important. Also 10-15 second upward dog holds to loosen up the lower spine
Hi Tom. I think I am still quite flexible in spite of my age (48) but the most annoying thing is that after every stretching session I need to pause for 3-4 days for my mussels to heal. I do not have the impression that I am overdoing or pushing too hard while my routine. Shall I try to stretch the next day even if the mussels are hurting? Any thoughts? Thank you for your videos.
Hi, similar question here. I’m 35 yo and have been doing Tom’s basic flexibilty routines for about 6 weeks now on a daily basis. My hamstrings are now super sore and do not seem to recover, I kinda got constant doms. And that is, even though the routines are not even very heavy on the hamstrings. I was wondering if I should pause and switch to every second day or just ro keep going abd the hamst. eventually adapting.
@@masterobio616 This is exactly what I am doing now. I stretch now every 2-3 days and even less intense than I used to. So far no bigger pain but I am not progressing much either. I think we will never get answers to our Q ;)
@@meggagnon8159 yeah, same here. I try to stretch everyday. But if a specific muscle group is super fatigued (for me the hamstrings), I‘ll skip this part and only stretch them every 2-3 days.
Thank you so much for this!! I don't like the news (daily greasing the groove, weekly intense stretching) due to the amount of time involved, but knowledge is power, thank you!!
I’ve been doing your 15 min beginner program for the last mouth after my runs everyday and it’s seems to be getting rid of a lot of my back pains!!! Thanks for the info 👍
Paul Sparkes mine too 👍
@@kalbs1760 are you more flexible though
@@moizkhan8057 not in a month, the progress is slow
@@howinthewhat thanks for your response. I have never been flexible in my life hence I asked our of curiosity.
Ad I get older I realise that there are three things a human needs for longevity.
Flexibility, strength, and endurance (stamina). I only focused on 2 of those and ignoring flexibility. I wish I also incorporated that bit now that I am 30, i just don't know how much i can progress in let's say 6 months time
@@moizkhan8057 Welcome.
If you've never been flexible then it'll definitely take longer and require more consistency. But, since you're 30, you'll do just fine, just try to stay as consistent as possible and any level of progress is an achievement to be proud of!
I have also never been flexible, but i did taekwondo for like 10 years of my life. I was fairly agile and could definitely use my legs as self defence if I wanted to. So if that's also the case for you then it'll be a little less painful and more forgiving. If you, otherwise, mean by "never been flexible" that you've never done any flexibility training then it's basically gonna be like anybody else who wanted to get flexible, around 6 months like the guy said and you'll be surprised at how much you've improved.
Hoping for the best bud!
Thanks Tom! I wish I had something more useful to say, but I'm been enjoying your videos and follow alongs for about 2 months now, and I've seen nice improvements in my own flexibility. It's wonderful to see a guy doing flexibility work on the internet, not just all the nonsense bulking stuff that I normally see.
Asher Cameron lol the bulking stuff is helpful😂
Asher Cameron more splits
Bulking is not nonsense, just because you don't enjoy doing something does not mean it's a bad thing
This is free wisdom in simple words, No bullsh.t! Huge thanks bro!!
Always good to stretch pre-bed this will allow you to sleep more peacefully as after stretching your body will be less ache. I have been doing this every night for years. I don’t have backache and capable to play more sports and I’m able to do sprinting at age 52.
thank you! I have this problem often
please help. i just started stretching and i focused on splitting and other leg stretch. the third day im having a bad time on walking properly. and if i forced to bend my knees. i litteraly collapse. what should i do? does stretching is bad for me?
and at night i feel like my thighs are paralized. cant even lift my foot upwards when lying on the bed.
@@zzzzzzzzzz6381 that's normal 😅 you may have overworked yourself... try rolling a ball or something on the sore areas and start slowly
Do we need to warm up b4 we stretch? Cuz internet says u should
I've been doing the daily stretching routine (updated version) for about 2 months now and have been feeling amazing for it. I always do it in the morning before work and it is such a nice way to wake up, even if I don't have time to train in the morning I will still make time to fit it in! I am really keen to work on the splits and pancake so going to give your loaded routines a try as mentioned. Thanks again for the videos, very educational and very well made, I appreciate it!
Every Sunday morning i wait for your vídeos...#1 Tom
Hi Tom, I’m really enjoying your channel. I’m 58 years old and do your V2 ten minute morning stretch (and that neatly leads on to V1) in the morning before I leave my bedroom and in the evening I enjoy your 20 minute mobility routines which I do just before I get into bed. Missing the gym here in my hometown but enjoying the active stretches you offer. They are excellent and you clearly have a good understanding of how the body is put together. Thank you.
If you are like me at 6'4", these types of stretches are life altering.
Could u please explain why? Coz im 6 feet and 14 yo and i didnt quite get what you meant
I'm also about 6'4, I think it is because tall people often have mobility problems because if you grow really fast as a teenager/child, your mobility might suffer. At least it's like that for me. I'm not even close to touching my toes.
I'm 6'3, going to start the daily beginner stretching program tomorrow
I tend to slouch
Yeah me too i’m also 6’0 and 14 years old lol.
great man
Back then I was really flexible due to martial arts like an almost perfect split
few years after stoping training anything i tried to touch my toes and failed so I worked for many minutes to reach it, eventually I did but the next day shit hurts and still continued to hurt a few days later...
*Now I'm watching stretching tutorial videos lol*
How is that possible? Losing stretching ability?!!
AF1 Gaming Yes, you lose flexibility if you stop stretching. Just like you lose muscle if you stop working out
@@af1gaming978 reversibility. It happens over time if you stop training and the results reverse
I’m in the sane club...I was a lifetime Muay Thai fighter....I’m still fairly flexible at 46 by normal standards...but definitely only 60 or even 50% of my MT days.
These fillow along mobility routines are life changing. Thank you, sir.
More follow alongs please.
Awesome, Tom!! Thanks for these videos!! They are helping me a lot. I'm struggling to be consistent in stretching every single day. Your videos keep motivating me. I really appreciate this!!
If you are new to stretching or you want to make stretching a part of your routine I recommend doing fearless motivation 30 day stretch challenge. Also another good stretch challenge is the tumble doctor flexibility challenge . Each video from both challenges are different and throughout the challenge you stretch everything. Also the videos ranges from 5 minutes to 30 minutes approximately but that includes cardio/conditioning.
For me it helped to have a 30 day challenge where each day was different started on June 1st, 2023 and so far I haven’t missed a day of stretching.
You're a awesome human being for helping us out so much. Wish you all the success.
Wow thanks for all the routines in the Playlist! 🤙
Great video to the point and very detail. You got a new subscriber.
Thanks for the insight Tom!
I’m just thankful I found your site. And subscribed. And grateful for the content 🥇
That's an easy answer. Ever day.
And choose a specific day to really push to increase all your overall flexibility.
Oh Tom
I love your tutorial style videos;) but I wish you could carry on with the vlogs soon! Those are just the absolute best!
Really helpful, thanks very much. Recently started to follow you and find you very informative. 😁. Have been on an enforced ‘break’ due to injuries but as soon as I am able to, I’ll be giving your routines a go.
Excellent content 👍
Interesting perspective but in my case I full load stretch around six days per week,I find that foam roller and deep tissue self massage aids recovery really well,i guess it also comes down to each individuals PNF and load tolerance capacity and how well one can recover, however I have picked up some great tips from you so thanks
Thanks for all the great advice.
If you're stretching daily, it's preferable to stretch lightly. But with that, add in Intense stretching 2-3 times a week to see good progress.
Awesome information, thank you!
I just found this channel. Thanks. Subscribed and hit the bell.
omg how can you stretch like that? The straddle...holy crap that's amazing
Great video!!!! Just what i needed
Great video
Hey Tom, does this mean doing morning and pre-bed stretches daily with eventually added 1-3 times a week the more demanding stretches, or choosing either of all day by day?
You should listen to your body and maybe leave out a stretch or two if the corresponding muscle still feels sore from either strength training or stretching. Not that you cant stretch at all if you feel anything but you will find out where it is counterproductive over time. But its good to know that you dont neccesarily always gain more from doing your stretches every day, no excuses, but sometimes its better to let them recover.
(I did my daily stretches every day without excuses for a couple of years - after waking up, before singing and before going to sleep, I made some okay progress over this time, but my progress really took off when I introduced some heavy stretching and started to feel more into my body- concentrate on how your muscles and joints feel while stretching. Learn to feel what muscles should not be stretched even if its in your program in that moment and also learn what muscles feel like they could need some stretching even if their stretching was not planned.)
Hi Tom, still smashing it mate! I remember watching you doing your first planche videos etc so been watching for a long time now, and have picked up some great tips and advice. I would love to know when your going to be doing another course back in the UK after you have done your US Tour 😉 thanks and love your videos keep them coming!
love your videos mate :)
Good nuanced answer. For me with the dynamic stretches I do before more passive work 5 - 6 days a week is the sweet spot. When I was stretching 7 days a week I would start feeling sore and tense and not be able to get to my full range of movement everyday.
I done martial arts since a kid I can get low on splits but first time ever feeling pain I find once a week pushing your self is better then everyday everyone is different.
Revy I stretch everyday at least twice for 3 hours... I think pushing yourself every day is better than once a week.
Nicole Wyatt yea once a week is horrible for starters or inexperienced people . You should only do once a week if you have your splits complete . Otherwise you need to do it Atleast 4 times a week
The only meta study I know of was done by James Stephens academic.oup.com/ptj/article/86/12/1641/2805079 , he compared various forms of stretching (including somatic movements) for efficacy. If you flip through the study, and have an especially good look at Table 5 Hamstring Muscle Stretch Literature Results, you will find that results and regimens vary considerably. It's -complicated-, er, very individual.
And more follow alongs please
How does this look?
Morning: beginner morning flexibility routine
Mid day 1-3 times a week: full body mobility routine
Before bed: evening mobility routine
All videos I follow from Tom Merrick and I’m currently on a 3 day a week full body routine where I’m squatting each day
u dont gots to stretch 3x a day man
Tom Araya I appreciate your concern, but I’m good bud
@@McGriddey he explicitly said it'll do more harm than good to do it too much man thats what you gots to look out for. you gonna end up getting a one way ticket to snapcity
Tom Araya read up on David Goggins, he stretches 2 hours nightly. And when you have as many imbalances and tightness as I do from hooping my whole life, you’d understand. I haven’t seen any negative effects the whole time either
@@McGriddey alright you do you champ, just don't come and say nuttin when the medical bills are rackin up to a couple hundred thousand cus of snapped ligaments and deteriorated joints. you do you mane
They both deserve the same amount of credit
You talk sense. Thank you.
Hi Tom, you inspired me to get more flexible and I started a standing pike challenge some weeks ago. I'm now like ten centimeters away from my head touching my legs but with a round back. In order to get my back flat would you recommend to go back all the way and do it again with a straight back or do you think I should keep going hoping the back will flatten out later? Thanks for your content btw, love it! Regards from Germany, Rouven.
A year has past, what did you learn worked best?
@@cernugaming he has a video on this you shouldnt bend your back just do it always straight
How tall are you?
Also i appreciate you sharing this i know my way around the iron but clue less when it comes to flexibility
He's 6ft 3 and 1/2 (191cm), weights about 89kg (humanwindow.com/tom-merrick-flexibility-diet-the-bodyweight-warrior/)
Thanks for answering my question.
Would you recommend doing your morning and evening routines both every day, or rather choose 1 of them?
Btw, i'm a 44y old beginning crosfitter, who wants to add some mobility/flexibility to it
Your advice is great. Do you borrow a lot from kit laughlin?
Guya, i do acro gymnastics and let me tell you, stretching urself will often only keep ur flexibility if u have already a decend one. To make good progress so. must stretch u past your pain tolerance once or twice a week.
Yes, this is a good way to injure yourself.
When you're talking about 1-3 intense session I'm assuming you're referring to pr muscle group? Because if you have a goal of getting the pancake, front and middle splits, some of the muscle groups overlap and if you're doing it on different day you might exceed your max weekly frequency. Because of overlapping muscle group, when stretching for different flexibility goals do you recommend to do them all the same day, spread them out through the week or only work for one specific goal at a time?
For me his follow alongs are really intense, so I follow pamela reif's stretch routine everyday and follow his front split follow along once or twice per week, still a long way off from font splits (we talking about several inches here) but I'll see what happens in a year!
Hopefully I'm motivated to follow the routines everyday tho ;)
how far did u get?
I think my tight calf’s are impinging my overall leg flexibility, any ideas on how can either test if this the case and can recommend any stretches for the calf muscles.
downward dog is great for stretching your calves
great video Tom! definetely gonna add more flexibility to my training during the week
A: as often as you want to, not necessarily ever.
Wrong. Low intensity stretching 5-7 times a week combined with high intensity stretching 1-3 times a week
@@RedxNoscopeZz for what? stretching competition?
@@wizzelhoart no, to get the best results. He gives a clear answer based on lots of experience and you pass off your opinion on it as his
@@RedxNoscopeZz i stretch every day each 30-35 sec will i still gain results?
@@Reeereeeonthabea yeah man you should see good results, judging from my personal experience. I'm no expert on this though
Kinda look like our yoga routine,
Thanks for the video 👍🏻
Thanks a lot, Tom! : )
Great video Tom. Just to make sure I understand, you consider the pancake and front/side splits as heavy, intense stretches, correct?
Thanks Tom!
so helpful. thank you
Hi Tom, I'm doing this two routines on a daily basis: 15 Minute Begginner Flex and 20 Minute Beginner Flex.
Both are great, I feel I benefit from the added time of doing both of them (i'm really tight).
Do you think I should cut off some part or that should be ok? thanks!
I have been doing the morning and evening mobility routines faithfully for several results, Which is a good routine to add? I am 73 years old, and love to backpack. Thanks,
I want to do the everyday full body follow along stretches
Thanks so much for your videos, Tom! Which of your Shoulder and also Hip routines would be ones that fall into the 1-3 times per week category?
Amazing advices thank you
I want to know how can i arrange between workout out that takes three days of my time throughout the week and stretching ?
Frankly i want to strech twice per week outside the working out days for mor strength and focus but i dont know how could i spread them through the week .
May you give me an advice ?
Great video! Do you do kinetic style of stretching?
Hello Tom, I really love your videos and they help me a lot . So I have tried doing front splits for about a week now and I think I have stretched too much and now I have pain in my hamstrings and back of my thighs, what are your thoughts on it?
3-7 days a week, once a day, for 30-60 seconds per stretch.
There are studies on this, come on.
@Andrew Evans per stretch.
Pinto MD, et al. J Strength Cond Res. 2014. And many corroborating studies found there to be no significant difference in improvement of flexibility after 30 seconds for each stretch and for each set of stretches beyond the first per wake-sleep cycle.
@@maeditty4781 you got flexible on this routine?
@@snapcracklefizzle9954 More flexible, yes. But not on OP's routine. I was criticizing OP's routine with my first comment.
I'm very close to both horizontal and vertical floor-assisted splits, and have reached numerous other benchmarks since starting doing this routine once a day every day for two years.
I've also noticed improvements in general fitness, but that's beside the point.
@@snapcracklefizzle9954 th-cam.com/video/p39UHZ7h5OA/w-d-xo.html
This is the routine I have used since 2019.
@@maeditty4781 hm okay you follow that video or just recommending? ive workedout all my life and real intense at times and been stretching consistent since july 2020, so my body is real tense since no one told me to stretch(thanks a holes) and when i would try stretching i would always get pain in lower left back, when i would stretch my right ham string, and lot of times just couldnt get a good stretch...
Said it before but I’ll say it again, you. are. a. LEGEND...
For me, I try to do light stretching every day of a week and heavy stretchings like splits, pancake, and yoga for anterior pelvic tilt 4 times a week.
Hi Tom, thanks for the great content. Question around programming for flexibility & strenght in a week. I believe, if you're doing hamstring strength work, you proably dont want to do your intense hamstring flexibility training before. But would you recommend doing it AFTER on the same day? Or would the next day be better?
I‘m neither Tom nor an expert but my physio once told me that I shouldn‘t stretch (heavily) directly after the leg workout but rather on the same day later, e.g. workout in the morning, stretch in evening. I can‘t recall the reasoning behind it but since it was a professional saying it, it might help you in some way.
Tom im finding a lot of achy joints and feel really tired all day after a big stretch. Worse that working out.
This does get easier right?!
hi tom i'm having a problem with my hamstring flexibility progress i hope you can help me with this. a month ago i was able to place my palms flat on the floor after doing my full hamstring flexibility routine which i have been following for almost 5 months now starting from not being able to touch my toes to being able to place my palm flat on the floor. but after 1 month i haven't seen any progress anymore other than being able to place my palm flat on the floor after a few sets of work. my hamstring flexibility routine is:
A1. calf stretches 3 sets/ 90s 3 foot positions ( the one emmet suggested on his youtube channel )
A2. single leg goodmornings 3-5 sets/ 10 reps + 10s hold ( the one you have on your channel )
A3. jefferson curls 3-5 sets/ 10 reps + 10s hold
i'm doing the routine by increasing the sets per week and deloading back to 3 sets except for the calf stretches. what are your thoughts about this any tips that you can give me tom? it will be really appreciated thanks.
If you aren't breathing you won't stretch. It's a common problem. Orrrrr, you might not be pushing hard enough while doing those stretches. If it doesn't hurt, it's not stretching.
Beginning my mobilty life style change ... I stretch first thing in the morning 15 minutes quite dynamic stuff then ano ther 15 minutes more relaxed in the evening. a little every day is better than alot on a few occasions i reckon.
How’s that been working out for you?
@@dzitsy it's very good, less back and knee pain and I really notice the difference if for some reason I don't do it for a few days.
Which group would you consider a 40 minute stretch
Hi Tom, the greasing the grooves routines already have moments that are quite uncomfortable for me. I can't imagine doing anything more intense than that (I am very tight in the hips and the hamstrings from working at a desk). Yet, should I push through the pain of more intense routines once or twice a week? I'm worried about injury, plus not keeping at it because it really is unpleasant and on the verge of painful. Thoughts? thanks a lot for your work.
What about static but fairly intense hip and hamstring stretches specifically for BJJ? 30 minutes a day holding each stretch for hamstring and hips for around a minute each, is it smart to do this every day?
Well, have you been progressing or not? Only you can tell how much and what sort of stretching you need. Experiment, observe, adjust and all that. Now, I do not know exactly how you "bakers" do things these days but flexibility training sure has benefits beyond just physical aspects. Me likes.
@@kasumifu1541 bakers? 🤣 And I've been progressing decently, I feel like I'm slowly opening up in my hips / hamstrings but I'm struggling to progress with hip external rotation which is the main area I need improving. I've started to do pigeon pose a bit more often now so will see how it goes.
I've also noticed that if I stretch everyday I sometimes feel sore in the next day session and I feel I can't go as deep into the stretches as the day before, but when I have a rest day in-between them, it feels better so I may start and do 1 day on 1 day off with stretching. But at the same time I don't want to slow my progress down!
Hi! I was wondering if you could make a video about how to warm up and do flexibility exercises with an injured knee... I just had knee surgery and can't do proper warm ups (no cardio) for a few months, is this even possible? I can do a lot of stuff but need to be gentle
hello Tom
Jas I do stretching exercises three times a week.
I am 60 years old.
What do you think about that.
I have a follow up question.
How do I add this stretching routine to my schedule when I also have resistance training?
I do squats once week and feel sore for like 3 days after that. So that's already 3 days I can't do stretching in the week!
Or, should I stretch even when I'm sore?
What are your thoughts on this?
Add link to the video if you've already talked about this in one of them.
vaibhav nigam You should still stretch regardless.. Soreness caused from weight lifting is because of lack of blood flow, inflexibility .. It means your muscle fibers are torn and need to be closed back and repaired.. Protein and stretching will aid in soreness and repair.
Thank you
How often would you recommend doing the pnf stretching routines for splits?
Do I have to warm up before doing the daily light stretches ? My dance teacher says is crucial to always have a intense warm up before doing any kind of stretches .
I love stretching the problem is more that I can’t motivate myself to do a warm up every single day ...
It'd be great if you do a video about how we can increase the deadhang time :)
Sweet small videos ....Yoga asanas re packaged without acknowledgement
I have found mark wildman way of stretching very helpfull and realistic
I have no progress if I stretch for splits 3 times a week for 30-60 minutes, but if I stretch everyday for 15-20 minutes I have a great progress in my splits. So stretching is a part of my morning routine) However I add some intense full-body workouts sometimes.
The Jefferson Curl can go wrong regardless the dosages. But say for instance a Lifted Loaded Pancake, working on that 5 days a week. Would you still see that as a problem?
And let me say I resonate a lot with your practice :) I think you're one of the most positive forces on TH-cam on the subject of physical activity.
Brother do you perform twice a day or once a day
Recently i am doing at one time but in evening i want to strech again but kabhi kabhi lagta hau over strech na hoja
Toh aap guide kro
Please do a video of your video editing.
I like to do dubble middle over split, 6 inches up from the ground on each side. I can also do a 270 degree over extended needle /scorpion.
I and touch my butt by my head in a seal strach, And youtube recommended this to me.
So been doing the splits follow along and the front splits follow along ever other day. What do you think is that too much. It's early days yet only 18 or so days in so not seeing a lot of progress.
Thank You for this video. Please let me know is it possible to combine programs together. FOr example, is it wise and useful to combine: Front Split Loaded Mobility Routine with Biginner Hamstring Flexibilty Routine and with 3 best PNF Excercises for Middle Splits? And how to do it? On the same day, twice a week?
Hey, question so every morning I do your 20 minute full body flexibility and your 15 min beginner flexibility routine. I need to know what more exercises do I need to do on a daily to just build more flexibility and strengthen my body. I’m a newbie, I dnt eat healthy. But trying to do intermittent fasting and try to eat healthier. Thanks for ur time
Rohan Shrestha thank u so much
Tom, what is your opinion on stretching and strength/power loss? Should tight muscle get stretched prior to movements that require good range of motion (snatch, clean & jerk)?
do only the necessary stretches because of the powerloss and stretch real hard afterwards. But don't worry too much about powerloss, thats only 30min. I stretch daily quite intensely before my tumbling workout, it takes time before my muscles are at 100% and thats gonna be after a my warmup, so no real losses there. If flexibility is a proiority for u than treat it as such and stretch every day. Btw. partnerstretches, those where u wanna cry, once or twice a week, will accelerate your gainz a lot.
I got my splits but lost them a month ago. I'm trying to get them back and get middle splits because i know I can get the side splits but middle will be difficult
Would it be detrimental to do the light, passive stretching for several hours a day? I have a lot of progress to make, and plenty of spare time.. but I definitely don't want to be setting myself further back by overdoing it. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
I dont know. There are some light shoulder stretches I do several times a day. But I guess you cant just start stretching for hours every single day. If you know your body well and get used to stretching a lot over time it could work though. I mean in ballet they stretch for hours too. But especially if you start out you are likely to strain your muscles too much and if you then stretch every muscle 6 times a day or something I guess it would be pretty painful after a couple of days and progress would not be ideal as well. Besides.. i doubt that you would stick to it for too long. If you just decide to practice something new for hours a day you will most likely just stop completely after some time. Make smaller routines you can actually stick to long term and once they become a habit you can maybe expand them.
Question: I'm in the process of recovering from sciatic pain that started a few years ago on a deadlift. I've never fully recovered from it and am wondering what is a good time frame to build back flexibility? Everything I've read so far says that while you're treating sciatica you want to stay away from stretches in particular with the back to avoid having it lock up again. I've also read that it has taken some people up to 2 years before they fully recovered from their sciatic injuries. 2 years seems like a long time to wait to stretch out and I wanted to know your opinion. When is a good time to pick up flexibility again while recovering from sciatica?
Hey man I used to have terrible sciatic pain. It's important to do very light stretching, but nerve glides are very important. Also 10-15 second upward dog holds to loosen up the lower spine
@@lucasnordin4618 Been on the routine for about 6 weeks now and feel 10 years younger. Thanks for your work.
Should I do my daily stretches in the morning if I’m doing intense exercise and post workout stretches the same day?
Hi Tom. I think I am still quite flexible in spite of my age (48) but the most annoying thing is that after every stretching session I need to pause for 3-4 days for my mussels to heal. I do not have the impression that I am overdoing or pushing too hard while my routine. Shall I try to stretch the next day even if the mussels are hurting? Any thoughts? Thank you for your videos.
Hi, similar question here. I’m 35 yo and have been doing Tom’s basic flexibilty routines for about 6 weeks now on a daily basis. My hamstrings are now super sore and do not seem to recover, I kinda got constant doms. And that is, even though the routines are not even very heavy on the hamstrings.
I was wondering if I should pause and switch to every second day or just ro keep going abd the hamst. eventually adapting.
@@masterobio616 This is exactly what I am doing now. I stretch now every 2-3 days and even less intense than I used to. So far no bigger pain but I am not progressing much either. I think we will never get answers to our Q ;)
@@meggagnon8159 yeah, same here. I try to stretch everyday. But if a specific muscle group is super fatigued (for me the hamstrings), I‘ll skip this part and only stretch them every 2-3 days.
I light stretch everyday, and do his run through a attests twice a week
Thank you so much for this!! I don't like the news (daily greasing the groove, weekly intense stretching) due to the amount of time involved, but knowledge is power, thank you!!
can anyone recommend more heavy stretching routines/playlists