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www.unlockyourhipflexors.com

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a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice.

This publication is presented for information purposes, to increase the public knowledge of
developments in the field of strength and conditioning. The program outlined herein should
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Use of the information provided is at the sole choice and risk of the reader. You must get your
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www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 2
Table of Contents
What is Flexibility? ............................................................................................................... 5

Is it Good to be Flexible? ..................................................................................................... 7

Types of Stretching & Benefits of Each ............................................................................... 9

When to Stretch & When Not to Stretch ............................................................................ 15

7 Ways to Become Flexible Without Stretching ................................................................. 17

The Most Important Muscle in the Body to Unlock ............................................................ 24

Stretching Notes ................................................................................................................ 26

About the Author ................................................................................................................ 27

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 3
 Why
Stretching
WON’T Make
You Flexible
By Brian Klepacki, MS, CSCS, FMS

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 4
What is Flexibility?
Flexibility training could possibly be complicated than simply being able to
the most misunderstood and perhaps do a single stretch.
the most undervalued component of
wellness and physical conditioning.
Ongoing debates really fog up its role
From climbing up a ladder to
in muscle recovery, injury prevention, changing a light bulb to sitting
joint range of motion and athletic down on the toilet, being flexible
performance.
and moving well are super
You would probably know what someone important in our daily lives.
is talking about when they talk about
being flexible. Take it one step further for athletes
whether it’s a volleyball spike or a rugby
To you this probably means that they drop kick, flexibility of the body’s muscles,
can reach down and touch their toes tendons and joints plays an integral part
or get deep into a squat. But the in many of life’s movements, regardless if
definition of flexibility is so much more it’s a daily chore or a sports competition.

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 5
According to the American Council on One way to think of muscles and
Exercise (ACE) flexibility is defined tendons is to compare them with rubber
as “the range of motion of a given bands. When we are young, muscles
joint or group of joints or the level of and tendons have natural elastic
tissue extensibility that a muscle group properties; children and teenagers
possesses.” That means that each joint frequently do not have chronic pain.
and each group of muscles in your body The stretching exercises and activities
might have a different range of motion taught in physical education classes are
(ROM) or a different level of flexibility. intended to encourage a lifelong habit of
stretching and maintaining flexibility.
Certain areas of your body may be very
tight, meaning that the muscles feel short
and stiff. Some areas of your body may
feel very limber and you may be able to
lengthen and move those muscles freely.

For example, you might be flexible

enough to bend over and touch
your toes. But your thighs might
lack flexibility so it may be harder
for you to stand up straight or
bend backwards.
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 Is it Good
to be Flexible?
As we get older, our body begins
to break down. We lose the elastic
properties and in return we lose some
flexibility and this can be blamed on a
wide range of circumstances.

This loss of elasticity also explains why

we get wrinkles on our skin. People who
have had poor flexibility all their lives or
who do not exercise are especially at risk
for developing neck, back or and/or hip
pain; inevitably their neglect of stretching
catches up with them and adds to the
natural aging process.

If someone were to ask you if ‘flexibility’ Now flexibility doesn’t just

was a good thing how would you happen by thinking about it. It
respond? Well I’m sure you would say
yes even if you didn’t know the actual requires action. And action equals
truth behind why it’s good. movement.
In short, it is GOOD to have flexibility. In order for flexibility to exist, one is
And flexibility can help you with: required to apply the correct training
principles at the correct time. And this is
» Preventing everyday injuries where the perplexing word, stretching,
» Improving your posture appears.
» Enhancing sports performance
» Feeling more ‘free’ and ‘pliable’ Think about flexibility training (notice

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I didn’t say stretching) not as an add-
on element of your cardio or strength
The reason why I used the phrase
routine, but rather as a distinct aspect ‘flexibility training’ instead of
of your total conditioning program. Take stretching was intentional.
a look at the picture of the triangle. It
represents the three pillars of physical
Sure, stretching does help with
fitness: flexibility but I want you to
» Flexibility
understand that flexibility and
» Cardiovascular Conditioning stretching are very different.
» Strength Training
Even though they are mutually exclusive,
you most certainly can be flexible
Flexibility without ever stretching a day in your life
and being a Strength Coach, I’ve seen
➛

plenty of athletes who possess very little

flexibility but stretch regularly.
3 Pillars
of Physical So what’s the deal with stretching?
Fitness
➛
➛

➛ ➛
Cardiovascular Strength
Conditioning Training

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 Types of Stretching
& Benefits of Each
Like I said, the actual definition apply certain training principles to
of stretching is misunderstood, improve your run speed.
undervalued, and confusing. Honestly,
it’s probably one of the most common
questions I get asked about, “When The same goes with flexibility. If
should I stretch?”, “What stretches are you want to improve your range
good for my back?”, “Is it good to stretch
before I run?” and so on.
of motion in your spine, you’d
apply certain training principles
Just like the other two pillars of
physical fitness, each pillar has an
to improve your range of motion.
extensive list of moving parts. If you You get the picture?
were wanting to improve your leg
strength, you’d apply certain training Here is a more detailed breakdown of
principles to improve your leg strength. stretching to help you better understand
If you wanted to run a faster 5k, you’d what I’m talking about:

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 9
BALLISTIC STRETCHING: bit higher each time, to warm up your
hamstrings and hips before exercise.
This uses the momentum of the body to
force the muscles to stretch beyond the
normal range of motion. You will know
this as bouncing in the stretch. Ballistic
stretching is effective at increasing range
of motion but should only be used with
caution particularly if you have suffered
from a previous injury in the muscle you
are attempting to stretch.
START FINISH
A lot of problems have been identified
with using this type of stretching such
as it actually causes the muscles to
tighten up, and could lead to injury. So
this one is not recommended for most
people but can be very effective if used
appropriately.

An example ballistic stretch is bent over START FINISH

toe touching with a bouncing movement.
On each movement, the individual
attempts to touch the ground using gravity ACTIVE STRETCHING:
and bodyweight to assist in the stretch.
This type of stretching you stretch your
muscles by actively contracting the
DYNAMIC STRETCHING: agonist muscle (the opposite muscle
of the one you want to stretch), while
While ballistic stretching aims to go holding the antagonist in a stretched
beyond the normal range of motion, position, without applying any external
dynamic stretching stays within your force which is the exact different to what
current range, gradually increasing reach happens with passive stretching.
and/or speed of movement. It should not
be a bounce or a jerk; it should be slow An example of active stretching would
and controlled. be curling and flexing your biceps
(agonist) in order to lengthen and
An example of dynamic stretching would stretch your triceps (antagonist).
be swinging your leg, trying to go a Likewise, if you straighten your arm

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and flex your triceps, this will help
lengthen and stretch the biceps.

HAMSTRING -
ASSISTED HIPS - ASSISTED
START FINISH

PASSIVE STRETCHING:
This is also referred to as relaxed
stretching. A passive or static stretch is
one where you gradually ease into the
stretch position and hold it with some
other part of your body, or with the KNEE HUGS-LEFT KNEE HUGS-RIGHT
assistance of a partner or some other
apparatus.

An example of passive stretching would

be lying flat on your back with one leg
extended on the floor and the other leg
extended upward. The leg that is upward
is being held in this position by having a
rope or a towel pulling the leg or even a
partner rather than the opposing muscle
KNEE HUGS-WALL
doing the work.
ASSIST KNEELING T-SPINE

START FINISH TRICEPS-LIGHT TRICEPS-MODERATE

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 in front of a wall. With arms straight
STATIC STRETCHING: place hands against wall. Keep heels on
floor. Move hip forward to fully extend
As the name suggests, static stretching rear leg. Now try to flex your calf while
involves holding a muscle at the simultaneously pushing against force to
stretched position for a certain length keep rear heel on floor.
of time, usually 10-30 seconds. No
additional benefit has been shown to
extend the stretch for more than 30
seconds.

ISOMETRIC STRETCHING:
This distinct type of static stretching
(that is, involving no motion) aims at
increasing someone’s flexibility by
executing isometric contractions of the
stretched muscles. Like static stretching,
isometric stretching does not involve NOTE -
motion. CALF - ISOMETRIC HEEL ON FLOOR
In addition to the usual benefits of
stretching, this particular stretch can PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR
add the following extra benefits for the FACILITATION (PNF):
individual:
This type of stretching is an advanced
» It helps in achieving deeper form of flexibility training that involves
stretches and gaining a wider range contraction and stretching of muscles.
of motion PNF requires the help of a partner or an
» It promotes muscular strength object. To perform a PNF stretch, you will
through muscle activation alternate between a static stretch-and-
» Generally less ‘pain’ is experienced hold and an isometric contraction of the
through this stretching technique, muscle being stretched.
at least when compared with other
styles. This stretch technique has been proven
to improve active and passive range
Example: To stretch out the calves of motion in nearly all individuals. It
assume the lunge position while standing has also been shown to help athletes

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 Stretch: Have your partner move your
leg into a static stretch by pressing it
gently toward your face. Hold the static
stretch for 10 seconds.

Contract: Contract the hamstring

muscles and push your leg against your
partner’s hand while your partner resists
the movement. Hold the contraction for
about 5-10 seconds.

Stretch: Relax the muscles and allow

your partner to carefully move the leg
past its normal range of movement. Hold
this passive, static stretch for about 20-
30 seconds.

Rest for 30 seconds and then repeat the

procedure two to three more times.

As I just shared with you there are many

different types and styles of stretching
each with specific purposes and unique
benefits. But before you just choose to
do a certain technique and expect to
improve performance and make speedy improve your flexibility you need to know
gains in range of motion. that stretching COULD make you tighter.

Similar to isometric stretching, PNF can

also improve muscular strength. Multiple Yes, you read that correctly.
studies have shown that PNF stretching
is superior to traditional static stretching
Stretching COULD make you tighter
in terms of improving range of motion. and here’s why…
For example, to perform a PNF stretch of As with anything and everything, too
the hamstring with a partner: much of one thing can be dangerous
if you do it wrong, and stretching is
Lie on your back with one leg extended certainly no exception. There are in fact
toward the ceiling. dozens of studies showing that, under

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 13
certain circumstances, certain kinds of contraindicated for people who have
stretches can increase the chances of various injuries.
certain types of injury in certain activities.
Another example (yes, I love
For example, too much static stretching examples), if you’ve had a lower
of the primary muscles about to be used back injury, some stretches for the
immediately before performing dynamic hamstrings and hip flexors could strain
movement can result in increased that area further and cause pain or
likelihood of muscle strain due to over- exacerbate your injury. And any time
relaxation and temporary lengthening of an injury occurs in the body, it’s natural
the muscle fibers. response is to shorten and tighten
the surrounding musculature for self-
In short, that means that stretching the preservation.
snot out of a muscle will ‘hyper-loosen’
the muscle, and if you do this before The point is yes, stretching can make
an activity that requires that muscle to you worse off than you were before
contract quickly, it might not be prepared but if you pay close attention to the
to respond, and you could hurt yourself following points below, you’ll be less
causing you to become tighter. susceptible to injury and on your way to
improving your flexibility and personal
There are also certain stretches that are performance.

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 14
 When to Stretch
& When Not to Stretch
First off I can’t exactly tell YOU what is tried and true and is a great way to
YOU need to do. There are too many warm up and cool down properly and
variables, such as which joints you safely.
should be stretching, how far, how often,
and for how long. It also matters what Here is a guideline to follow when
else you are doing to warm up, how stretching:
flexible you are before stretching, the
amount of time between stretching and DYNAMIC (BALLISTIC & ACTIVE):
participating in sports, and which activity
you are preparing to undertake after » Before training or competition
stretching. » 8-12 minutes of increasing intensity
becoming more dynamic
These variables need to be sorted » 3-4 repetitions of movement in
circuit form
out by you and then you are to » Examples but not limited to:
make an educated decision on brisk walking, jogging, rowing,
calisthenics, ladder & hurdle drills,
which stretching will work best etc.
for your exact situation.
STATIC (PASSIVE, ISOMETRIC & PNF):
However, in general, dynamic stretching
(movement related techniques) should » After training or as a separate
come before you train and static session dedicated for stretching
stretching (holds and isometric related » 5-10 minutes of 15-30 second hold
techniques) after you train. This method per stretch

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 15
Most researchers and training
professionals will agree that not I don’t know what it is about
everyone needs to improve their range of
motion through flexibility training. Think
stretching that turns so many
about a gymnast that can already stand people off but in retrospect it’s
with her hands flat on the floor without such a small percentage of the
bending her knees. Stretching before
training wouldn’t be expected to provide
time spent trying to ‘be healthy’.
any benefit, and the gymnast would likely
be better off doing a longer dynamic I’ve heard all of the excuses why people
warm-up before practicing. don’t stretch but that’s not what I’m
about to touch on, quite the opposite
Now if you’re just like one of the many actually. If you hate to stretch but really
fitness enthusiasts who really do try to need to improve your flexibility, you’re
do things right but when it comes to their in luck because here are the seven
stretching, they come up short. Some ways to becoming more flexible without
may even call it their kryptonite. stretching.

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 16
 7 Ways to
Become Flexible
Without Stretching
MOBILITY EXERCISES:
Though flexibility and mobility might
sound similar, they are definitely not
interchangeable. Mobility is the ability
to move or to be moved freely and
easily before being restricted by the
surrounding tissue such as tendons, MIDDLE - TSPINE
muscle, and ligaments.

A good level of mobility allows a person

to perform movements without restriction
or limitation, while a person with good
flexibility may not have the strength,
coordination, or balance to execute the
same movement.
FINISH - TSPINE
Good flexibility does not always
denote good mobility.
Although there are general mobility
exercises for certain muscle groups, it
START - TSPINE is important to realize that the bones,

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 17
ligaments and tendons of each person after. By relaxing stressed muscles and
function in their own way and randomly stimulating circulation, this offers your
choosing a mobility workout might not be joints a greater range of motion.
suitable for you. It is important to choose
the right mobility techniques through
your own practice and listen to the body
With the right type of massage
and what it needs. therapy, this can prevent lactic
acid from building up in your
POSTURAL CORRECTION: blood, which then not only helps
Correct posture aligns everything in your
to enable free movement but also
body. Bones, muscles, ligaments and helps you work out longer while
tendons are all able to function properly
when you’re in proper alignment. A
decreasing muscle soreness after.
person who slumps over or slouches Can’t afford to hire a massage therapist?
all day may find that these habits That’s not a problem. Foam rolling offers
quickly lead to restricted movement and a great alternative to this service. It may
shortened muscles. not be as soothing and relaxing but the
benefits are tremendous.
Focusing on how to fix your
posture is a great way to start Foam rolling elicits a very similar effect
as massage and has been known to
the lengthening process and is improve circulation, activate dormant
relatively easy to perform. muscle groups, and release tension from
overworked muscles.
The beautiful part of focusing on your
posture is that results can be seen Watching a brief tutorial on how best to
quickly. Something as simple as taking a foam roll the hips is all it requires and
2-minute walk break every 20 minutes of here is a great video to start with:
computer work can do wonders for your
hips and hamstrings.
Hip Flexor Stretches,
MASSAGE THERAPY: Exercises, Drills &
Now who doesn’t love a good massage?!
Warm Up Tips
I sure do and it’s not just for the relaxation https://youtu.be/1I6vW8x0__M
effect but my muscles feel darn good

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 18
ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUE (ART): If you only train one segment of
This is a patented soft tissue technique
this particular exercise instead
that is very similar to massage therapy of whole range of motion, you can
but differs in that it specifically treats only expect your bicep to work
problems with muscles, tendons,
ligaments, fascia (connective tissue), and efficiently in that specific range
nerves through having the patient (you) that you train.
actively moving the affected muscle or
ligament while the practitioner presses or Flexibility can be decreased if you
compresses the troubled area. only train in a short range. This is
very important for both beginners and
The main benefit of ART is recreational fitness enthusiasts to
understand.
preventing and breaking up dense
scar tissue, also called adhesions
which can be formed from injury
or overuse.
Adhesions limit the normal range of
motion of joints and muscles because
they cause abnormal binding between
muscle groups. These adhesions are START MIDDLE
very tough and are inflexible compared
to healthy tissue and are virtually
impossible to release by other forms of
flexibility training.

This technique has been used with great

success for professional and collegiate
athletes for the last few decades. FINISH
FULL RANGE OF MOTION Many people have very tight hips that

WITH EXERCISE: make it hard to get into a full squat. If

you only practice a partial squat, your
hips will tighten even more and it will be
Let’s look at the bicep curl for example.
harder to improve the technique in the

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 19
full range of motion. If you force your
hips down, you will eventually loosen up
your hips and gain more flexibility.

When you are first starting to learn the

proper techniques of an exercise it’s only
best to learn the full movement pattern.
Never sacrifice the full range of motion just
to add weight to an exercise or to squeeze
out an extra repetition or two. It’s much BANDS SIDE STEP BANDS SIDE STEP
harder to break a bad habit especially
when it comes to poor movement patterns
and inadequate mechanics.

NEUROMUSCULAR ACTIVATION
EXERCISES:
Neuromuscular Activation exercises are
designed to enhance or quite possibly
form the communication between your BANDS FRONT STEP BANDS FRONT STEP
neurological system (nerves) and your
muscles.

To put it simply: activation

exercises turn on the right
muscles so that they function STEP 1 - BRIDGE
optimally when you need them to.

BANDS PLACEMENT BANDS (VIEW) STEP 2 - KNEE-PULL

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 20
 PLANK MARCH - LEFT
SHOULDERS SHOULDERS
START (FRONT) FINISH

PLANK MARCH - RIGHT

SHOULDERS SHOULDERS
START (REAR) FINISH

PRIMAL RESETS:
STANDARD PLANK
Like I just mentioned above, activation These moves might be my favorite form
exercises are meant to strengthen the of exercise. These moves, that we were
neuromuscular connections to specific given to us at birth, have an order and
muscle groups in order to restore natural flow to them that to a certain
biomechanics and optimize movement degree transfers over to where we are in
patterns. our stage of life today.

This is how this technique affects your I’m talking about rolling, crawling,
flexibility. When the body can use rocking, bending, twisting, climbing,
proper biomechanics, it will move more walking, jumping, running….
efficiency and will not be so restricted
due to the inhibition of dormant or These “primitive” resets can bring us
underutilized muscles. back to how we were before we became

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 21
old, stiff, injured, and restricted. These reconnect our minds to our muscles and
moves also increase core strength, allow us to get back to moving how we
improve movement, improve flexibility, were made to move.

BEAR CRAWL - START HOLLOW ROCK - START

BEAR CRAWL - FINISH HOLLOW ROCK - FINISH

CRAWLING - START SIDE BEND - START SIDE BEND - FINISH

CRAWLING - FINISH STEP & REACH - STEP & REACH -

START FINISH
www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 22
 Again, stretching isn’t the cure to fixing
your flexibility; it takes movement. But
the best part about ‘flexibility training’ is
that it doesn’t have to be a long, boring,
painful process as most still think. This is
the old school mentality that needs to be
undone.

TRUNK ROTATION TRUNK ROTATION Even if you put in a little effort to improving
START FINISH your movement by adding a more diverse
flexibility and mobility pattern to your
With all of these unique and routine, you’ll see great improvements in
beneficial flexibility techniques the way you feel, the way you move, and
even the way you look.
and styles there should be no
reason why you shouldn’t be
performing at least one method
to help improve your flexibility
and range of motion.

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 23
 The Most Important
Muscle in the Body
to Unlock
I bet you can’t guess which muscle
in your body is the #1 muscle that
eliminates joint and back pain,
anxiety and looking fat.

This “hidden survival muscle” in

your body will boost your energy
levels, immune system, sexual
function, strength and athletic
performance when unlocked.
Is it…
If this “hidden” most powerful primal
muscle is healthy, we are healthy. a) Abs
Take thIs quiz and see if you
got the correct answer! b) Chest
Make sure you check out the next c) Glutes
page to get to know the 10 simple
moves that will bring vitality back
into your life! d) Hip Flexors

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 24
 Click here
to discover which
“hidden survival muscle”
will help you boost
your energy levels, immune
system, sexual function,
strength and athletic
performance permanently!

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 25
 STRETCHING NOTES

www.unlockyourhipflexors.com 26
 About the
Author
Brian Klepacki has over 15 years
of experience and education in the
fitness and athletic world. He holds a
Master’s Degree in Exercise Science
and holds numerous highly recognized
certifications that have set his expertise
and training above most others. Brian
has learned that in order for you to
achieve your max performance, a
multitude of training regimes must be
implemented to stimulate all systems of
the body.

As a competitive triathlete and a

Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Brian
knows how crucial it is to sort through
fact and fiction when it comes to athletic
training and human performance. His
philosophy is simple, PURPOSE OVER
PREFERENCE. He is not about those Performance Training, Consults as the
big box cookie cutter programs and he Core Training Advisor for CriticalBench.
doesn’t prescribe a random workout that com and is the creator of the wildly
has no purpose. His logic is specific. His popular Crunchless Core Program.
training has a purpose.

Brian currenly resides in St. Petersburg,

Facebook: Optimax Performance Training
FL with his wife and their two boys. Instagram: @optimaxpt
He is the Owner of Optimax http://www.optimaxperformance.com

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