Quad / Hamstring Stretching for Jiu Jitsu
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There are a variety of ways and positions to effectively mobilize a muscle, however when choosing body orientation for stretching for jiu jitsu these are 2 positions that I like. I can assume they will have amble space to lay down on the mat and will have a belt to assist with the passive hold. .
Here are two stretches that I have been using to address my mobility restrictions to my anterior thigh (quadriceps, hip flexor) and my posterior thigh (hamstring group).
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Protocol:
1️⃣Passive hold: Initiate mobility efforts with a passive hold / stretch. For maximal benefit I recommend holding for at least 2 minutes.
2️⃣Progressive angular isometric loading (PAILs): Following performing the passive hold isometrically contract the muscle in the area that you are improving.
* anterior thigh PAIL you isometrically contract your quadriceps / kick into the belt.
* posterior thigh PAIL you isometrically contract your hamstring / kick into the belt.
You slowly ramp up to your safest greatest effort (thanks for the cue @hunterfitness ). Eventually you want to progress to 100% contraction but I would recommend working your way up to prepare the tissue for the maximum contraction.
3️⃣ Regressive angular isometric loading (RAILs): Following the PAIL you can isometrically contract the muscle opposite of the one you are addressing. You want to work both ranges for optimal mobility.
• Muscle cramping is common, especially if you are unaccustomed to this contraction. Often this is because you are contracting a muscle in a range of motion you have poor control over.
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My pet peeve is seeing people performing random stretches because they were told they should “stretch more”. I would advise seeing a healthcare professional / get a functional range assessment for a proper assessment to create a hierarchy of how to best spend your time working on mobility prior to just aimlessly mobilizing an area.