5 Myths of Flexibility Development

In the world of health and fitness, flexibility development has to be one of the most misunderstood concepts there it. With strength training and cardiovascular training for example, it is pretty well documented on how to make gains in these categories. It is usually more of a straightforward process and more often than not, coaches and trainers are on somewhat of a same page with this. Building more flexible or mobile bodies… not so much. There is so much different trains of thought and misinformation out there. “stretch every day” “no, don’t ever stretch, you need stability!” “do this 30day routine and get the splits” “soft tissue work is more effective” In this article, we will cover some common trends you hear with mobility coaches and dispel some of the myths associated with them. Hopefully you will have a better understanding on what it takes to create more range of motion the body never had before… and keep it.

Let’s dive in.

MYTH #1: Time Frame

When scrolling on the web, you’ll find TONS of tutorials, follow along stretch routines, or challenges out there. Titles like “30-day squat challenge” or “get splits in 2 weeks” can be very misleading. The thing is these types of routines may work for a very select group of people, but for the majority it probably won’t make any change or may even cause injury.

Any structural change to connective tissue takes TIME to make real change. Studies from fascial researcher Robert Schlep, show it takes anywhere from 6-24 months for connective tissue to turnover when following a consistent program. Even if the changes are neurological in nature, it still takes time to convince the body to keep the range of motion gains we make. 30 days is not enough time for someone who is naturally inflexible and has very stiff connective tissue components. Oh, and not to mention… the exercises are probably taught by already flexible people who never taught flexibility to a stiff adult… therefore the exercises are probably not even what you need or are far beyond the level you are capable of.

Building a range of motion from scratch is much different than getting ranges back if you have already had them. Some people gain flexibility much faster than others or have a greater affinity to get bendy. Others, especially strength or power athletes, will be more tense in nature and their tissues do not relax easily. It takes time to teach the body to walk around with less resting tone.

When it comes to flexibility progress, my coach and Flexibility guru Emmet Louis likes to say “Think in timeframes of 18 months and you’ll never be disappointed.“ Patience and consistency is vital to flexibility progress. No other quick fixes or gimmicks. Be in it for the long term if you want to build range of motion safely.

MYTH #2: Short stretch sessions throughout the day is more effective then a full flexibility workout a couple times a week

I hear this one a lot. “Just move more throughout the day. 5 min bits every hour is best.” Especially in the coaches who preach “flow” type workouts or mobility routines. There is no doubt that moving as much as you can throughout the day through full range of motion offers many health benefits such as improved recovery, maintenance of range of motion, and giving your body a reason to keep your current range of motion. HOWEVER, this way of mobilizing will not be intense enough to provide the stimulus to create range of motion past what you currently can exhibit. If you ask a powerlifter how he build his 600lb squat, Im sure he didn’t tell you he just did a few bodyweight squats and some jumps throughout the day…

In my experience, it takes multiple sets of stretches with rest in between to get the body to its max depth. The stretches should also consist of mid to high intense contractions to bypass the stretch reflex. So, your classic 30 sec stretch or hitting some Cossack squats and lunges every hour isn’t going to get you a middle split. Also sitting in a pancake passively while watching TV probably won’t give too much results or will be the most efficient way to get a pancake. The flow type or even “floor culture” stuff throughout the day or passive stretches here n there may work to get ranges back if you used to be pretty mobile, but to build a range from scratch it’s a different story…

 You should be able to sit on your ass for prolonged periods of time and still be able to progress in flexibility. Not that I’m promoting that for health purposes, but that’s the reality of life. People have desk jobs and have long commutes during the day, and I have seen these people still build impressive levels of flexibility. And if you build it in the right way (with strength), it takes less than you think to maintain it.

So yes, use your ROM throughout the day but you will most likely need dedicated sessions to increase your flexibility passed what you are capable of. Which brings us to the next myth.

MYTH #3: Flexibility is just for the warmup and cool down

Hate to break it to you, but your foam rolling and dynamic warm up before your super high intense strength is not going to cut it if your goal is flexibility. If you look back over the past 1-2 years and you haven’t made any flexibility progress even though you claim to feel nice and mobile after a warm up and cool down with different types of stretches, then that is a sign that something has to change in your training.

Flexibility work needs to programmed just like any other trainable quality. It is not something you just do in the corner for 5 min at the start of a workout, where you hump a foam roller and do a few toe touches. It is a quality that takes quite a bit of a recovery demand to not only the muscles and connective tissue, but also the nervous system. It is quite easy to overdue or under-do it on the flexibility work especially if you are just adding it in to your preexisting workouts. That’s why smart programming and listening to your body are absolutely necessary to make continual progress.

 Progressive overload is a key factor just like other aspects of training however the details differ quite a bit. It is not so simple as just adding weight to a bar. With flexibility work, you should aim to progress each workout, but just know progress is not always linear. Attributes such as sensation of a stretch (how does it feel? Are you more calm at the end range), increased load (less bodyweight support, added weight), increased range, increased range when cold, and being able to access your max flexibility faster with less sets are ALL means of progression. If you are not making progress in flexibility, ask yourself if the work you are doing is actually part of your main workout, and not just preparing for it.

MYTH #4: Mobility work is active recovery

This is not necessarily true and the same goes for cardio based training which is also thought of as active recovery. If there is an adaptive training objective; in other words, if the stimulus you’re imposing is actually going to elicit some sort of adaptation then it is not by definition “recovery.” It can be, but it has to be super low intensity to where it is very easy, and you’re are not trying to expand any current range. Things like joint circles, light dynamic stretches, and just moving to feel good are in that category.

Real mobility/ flexibility work takes some recovery and if you are training it hard enough it is likely you will not be able to do it every day. Try performing 5 sets of middle split isometrics holding a 15 kg plate and see if you can keep that up every day without either getting injured or stagnating in progress. Recovery from flexibility work is dose dependent like any other form of training. However, we need rest between mobility sessions because we are working on the connective tissues which take much longer to heal than muscle fibers. Also, we need time for the nervous system to “digest” the new ranges and remap so to speak. The theories on the physiology of how we get flexible is still out for debate, but it’s safe to say there is a mix of structural and nervous system changes happening.

MYTH #5: Flexibility and strength are completely separate entities

The most flexible athletes (dancers, yogis) and the strongest athletes (powerlifters, strongman) definitely seem to be on opposite sides of the spectrum, but the qualities of the two extremes actually have more similarities than differences when it comes to development. As mentioned above in Myth #3, Flexibility is something that needs to be programmed correctly just as strength training. What is interesting is that without adequate strength (especially at the end ranges), you will not be able to display max ranges of motion because the stretch reflex will inhibit you as a safety mechanism. The brain’s main goal is to keep you alive and safe. Strength and the ability to stabilize your joints at end ranges and throughout full ranges equals safety and stability. Therefore, if you can convince your brain that you are strong and stable at your end ranges, it will not be perceived as a threat and you will be allowed access to those ranges. In fact, most people have much more range then they are able to currently express and the body just needs more exposure to these vulnerable positions to gain comfort. As we know from the strength world, any novel stimulus becomes a strength exercise.

If you apply strength training principals to flexibility you will notice faster and more efficient results as opposed to static passive stretching. Typically, we see strength improvements in a 6-8 week time period, whereas actual connective tissue changes may take 9+ months (as discussed above) which may be necessary sometimes. What’s good about this method is that you can apply the principals to your current strength program by just creating a different intention around the same exercises. For example, adding a two sec pause and an elevation to RDLs for hamstring flexibility, and adding a deeper lunge for split squat variations. Personally, for myself and my clients with limited time to train I like to pick 1-2 exercises for raw mid-range strength (squat, deadlift, overhead press, etc), 2-3 accessories with the main goal of hypertrophy with an emphasis on depth and controlling end range (split squat, RDL, bench pull overs, etc.), and maybe 1-2 specific flexibility exercises at the end (splits work, bridges, hip/shoulder rotation). Of course, this is goal specific and mainly for the person who wants to get flexible and also strong.

Adding load to your stretches offers many benefits for the naturally strong. If muscles are too dense and strong, they may need extra load to exhaust the muscles in order to relax. Although this may be a great way to achieve a desired range of motion, the goal is to use less load overtime so your body can pull itself into position and not rely on external load; especially if you want to be able to use your flexibility in real life scenarios and not just pose for an IG pic…

Conclusion

So hopefully this offers some better insight into building real flexibility as an adult with no past experience of being flexible. Of course there are many other flexibility myths, but I chose to narrow it to these 5.  As you can tell it is much different to build flexibility as an adult from scratch as opposed to someone who used to be flexible or has always had it. So, to sum up: don’t just limber up throughout the day; have dedicated sessions anywhere from 1-3 times a week where you are building true end range strength and comfort in positions you want to improve. Recover well in between sessions and there is no need to constantly be testing out the ranges every day. Yes, use your current ranges of motion throughout the day, but don’t do too much that it takes away from the recovery and “re-mapping” needed to make adaptation. And lastly, be consistent, don’t rush things, and be in it for the long run. It will take as long as it need to take. How long it takes is different for everyone so learn to enjoy the process of discovering what your body needs and what it takes to adapt to stress. You will learn A LOT along the way.