5 Muscles You’re TOTALLY Forgetting to Stretch (BIG MISTAKE!)

By ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

5 Muscles You’re TOTALLY Forgetting to Stretch (BIG MISTAKE!)

Source: YouTube
May 22, 2022
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About This Class

While we should all be stretching, there are likely 5 muscles that you totally forgot to stretch and that’s a big mistake. In this video, I am going to show you 5 of the most overlooked muscles when it comes to stretching, the best way to stretch them, and when you should be addressing them during the day.

I would bet there are two reasons as to why you haven’t stretched these particular muscles and it likely comes down to the fact that either you didn’t know how to stretch the muscle or you didn’t know you could stretch it in the first place. Well, after watching this video, you’re not going to have either of those problems again.

The first muscle group that you need to stretch is the peroneals. These muscles run up and down the outside of your leg and are often chronically tight. You might notice this tightness even more if you have flat feet. The reason you are forgetting to stretch the peroneals is likely because you didn’t know that you could stretch them in the first place.

The best way to stretch these muscles is with the sit-to-stand frog stretch. Start off by sitting in a chair and put the soles of your feet together. From here, slowly stand up and bring your knees together while keeping your soles in contact with each other.

With the sit-to-stand frog stretch, you are going to want to hold this position for 45-60 seconds a few times throughout the day.

The next muscle that you are forgetting to stretch is par of the all important rotator cuff, and that is the subscapularis. This muscle is often neglected simply because it sits “out of sight” and thus “out of mind.” Unable to actually see this muscle often leads to us forgetting that it exists in the first place, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still stretch it.

To stretch the subscapularis, you will need a broomstick, mop, or dowel of some kind in order to complete the movement. Bring the broomstick behind your bicep, reach across your body and grab the lower end with your other hand and open your chest (pulling the broomstick with that reaching hand). To get a further stretch, we need to achieve external rotation and you can do that by pulling up on the broomstick as well.

Perform this dowel stretch for 45-60 seconds on both sides, at any point during the day.

The third muscle that should be stretched is the rectus abdominis, better known as the abs. With tightness in the anterior chain already pulling our shoulders down and forward, tight abs will further exacerbate our postural problems by pulling down on the ribcage. Thankfully, there is an easy way to stretch this muscle with the use of a physioball.

Lay on your back over the top of the ball, allowing yourself to contour to the shape of the ball. From here, drop your pelvis down and reach your arms back overhead. This will create a greater distance from the pelvis to the ribcage which will elongate and stretch the abdominals. With enough attention, you can help to fight your postural deficiencies.

Hold this stretch for 45-60 seconds, 2-3 times per day when you can.

The fourth muscle that you are forgetting to stretch is the quadratus lumborum, otherwise known as the QL. The reason we forget to stretch this muscle is similar to why we skip the subscapularis; we can’t see or necessarily touch it. Just because we can’t reach it with our fingers, doesn’t mean that it can’t be stretched, however.

With the QL slide, you are going to start on all fours, slide one leg down and drop your hip. From here, you will push off the hand resting on the ground and lean slightly forward. This will give you a good stretch on the QL when you might not’ve been able to reach it very effectively trying to stretch it in the past.

Perform this stretch for 45-60 seconds each set and is best done in the morning if you want to feel amazing throughout the day.

Lastly, you might be forgetting to stretch the lats. Even if you are stretching them, I have a particular movement that I think is one of the best ways to stretch the lats. If you want to learn more about that stretch, you will want to click the link below.

Meet Your Teacher

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

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