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 youshould 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. Do This EVERY Day for Better Posture (GUARANTEED!) – https://youtu.be/3aRpAO6bfvA If you are looking for a training plan where everything is laid out for you step-by-step and overlooks nothing, then you are going to want to check out the ATHLEAN-X training programs via the link below. For more videos on the best way to take care of your body when it comes to building muscle, then you are going to want to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube using the link below. Remember to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it’s published. Build ripped athletic muscle here – http://athleanx.com/x/my-workouts Subscribe to this channel here – http://bit.ly/2b0coMW
Jeff Cavaliere M.S.P.T, CSCS
Jeff Cavaliere is a Physical Therapist, Strength Coach and creator of the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs and ATHLEAN-Rx Supplements. He has a Masters in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and has worked as Head Physical Therapist for the New York Mets, as well as training many elite professional athletes in Major League Baseball, NFL, MMA and professional wrestling. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique.
