How to Actually Make Progress in your Flexibility

If you have been working on your flexibility and mobility for a couple of years, and you haven't seen any significant progress. Or maybe you're stuck in a plateau right now?

Trust me, you are not alone. This is something most experience in their flexibility training.

What is going to make the difference is if you take the time to get out of it, or if you stay stuck. In this article my goal is to help you understand why you're stuck and how to get unstuck!

Let's dive into the 3 biggest mistakes that beginner and intermediate trainees make in their flexibility training, which is causing you frustration and a lack of progress...

Problem 1: Training Frequency

The most common issue with trainees working on flexibility is training with too high of a frequency or not having enough days of recovery between training sessions.

Flexibility training done right is the same as strength training. It's going to fatigue the muscles through load and contractions - which is going to require multiple days of rest to allow for full recovery.

If you train your flexibility every day, you won't have enough time to recover and you'll end up becoming less flexible even though you train frequently.

So how often should you train?

I recommend training each muscle, skill or movement once every 5-10 days. This is going to be a 1-2 times per week training schedule. 

You can start with less frequent training to find your minimal effective dose, and once progress starts to slow down you can increase the frequency to drive more progress.

Example: Twice per week training with one skill

• Monday: Shoulders
• Tuesday: Off
• Wednesday: Off
• Thursday: Off
• Friday: Shoulders
• Saturday: Off
• Sunday: Off

Example: Twice per week training with two skills

• Monday: Shoulders
• Tuesday: Pike
• Wednesday: Off
• Thursday: Shoulders
• Friday: Pike
• Saturday: Off
• Sunday: Off

Here are two examples of how to structure your flexibility sessions in a weekly schedule, both with a single skill and working on two skills at the same time.

When should you do strength training?

If you are also working on strength training (which you should), then you should perform your strength training sessions on the same day as your flexibility or with at least one day in between.

So if you can train strength and flexibility on the same day you will have the ability to train much more frequently in the 7-day period, compared to if you need to train on separate days.

Example: Strength & Flexibility on the same day 

• Monday: Upper + Shoulders
• Tuesday: Lower + Pike
• Wednesday: Off
• Thursday: Upper + Shoulders
• Friday: Lower + Pike
• Saturday: Off
• Sunday: Off

Example: Strength & Flexibility on the separate days

• Monday: Full Body
• Tuesday: Off
• Wednesday: Shoulders
• Thursday: Off
• Friday: Full Body
• Saturday: Shoulders
• Sunday: Off

Here you can see how much more limited it is to train flexibility and strength separately in terms of the recovery from session to session.

How do you combine strength and flexibility?

You have two different options in terms of pairing strength and flexibility.

• Perform your strength training first and then do flexibility after your strength session.
• Complete your strength workout in the morning and do your flexibility session in the evening.

Both options work well, and it's mostly about personal preference.

Problem 2: Progressive Overload

The second problem many make in their flexibility training is to not utilise progressive overload within their flexibility training.

Like with strength training we need to either increase the intensity or volume in each session. 

This progressive increase in intensity and volume is going to be the driving stimulus that leads to an adaption in the muscle - and an increase in flexibility.

If you perform the same number of reps or hold each session, or you don't actively work for greater ranges of motion your flexibility won't increase.

How does strength and flexibility differ in progressive overload?

In strength training the main driver for strength and hypertrophy is an increase in weight used or difficulty in terms of progression (for bodyweight training), which refer to as intensity.

For flexibility training our goal isn't to use maximal weight. Since using more weight is actually easier in terms of flexibility, since the weight is going to pull you deeper into the stretch.

So for flexibility training our intensity is going to refer to our range of motion or depth.

For loaded stretches the goal is to get deeper into the stretch and for active flexibility variations the goal is to lift higher in the exercise.

What if you can't go deeper or lift higher?

This is where we utilise a progressive increase in volume, or a decrease in weight used.

Here are 5 ways to increase volume in flexibility training:

1. Perform more repetitions
2. Use a slower eccentric
3. Hold the stretched pause for longer
4. Add a longer pause on the last rep
5. Increase the number of sets.

Another effective method for increasing flexibility and progressing your range is by progressively reducing the weight used while maintaining your range of motion.

This is a concept that's called Progressive Underload.

In progressive underload you use a weight that's heavy enough to help you to get into a deeper range of motion, and each session you decrease the weight each week but maintain the same range.

So you progressively decrease the weight instead of increasing it. Opposite to strength training!

Problem 3: Assessment & Testing

To create long-term flexibility we need to lengthen certain muscle groups that restrict range of motion, and we need to strengthen muscle that are weak and need to have more active abilities.

In combination by reducing the passive tension from the stiff muscles and increasing the active capacity of the joint we can move more freely and use our range of motion actively.

So the first thing you should do before you start training your flexibility is to assess your passive and active flexibility to see which one is lacking - and which one YOU need to prioritise.

In flexibility we tend to see one of three different types of people:

• Flexible but weak - Naturally flexible with good range of motion but lacks active flexibility.
• Strong but stiff - Naturally strong with good active flexibility, but a lack of passive flexibility.
• Strong and flexible - Naturally both strong and flexible with passive and active range.

Your type is influenced both through your genetics, background and previous experience. 

Girls are generally more flexible than men, and men are generally stronger than girls. So in general men need to focus more on increasing range, and women need to strengthen their range.

But in order to know you need to assess, or you're just guessing.

So these are the three most common reasons for why your flexibility is not improving. And it's less about very specific exercises and drills, and more about the system and methodology you utilise.

Assessment → Frequency → Overload

The key steps are to assess for which type of flexibility you need and which muscle groups need attention. This is how you know you are working on the right thing, and not wasting your time.

Once you have assessed your flexibility you need to decide on 1-2 areas to focus on and pick a training frequency that allows for training once every 5-10 days or 1-2 times per week with enough recovery in between each session to recover fully.

Last step is to train in a systematic way where you utilise progressive overload with the primary intention of increasing range of motion (going deeper or lifting higher), and then increasing volume through reps, holds or sets to drive progress.

Want help with your flexibility and mobility?

I offer 1:1 online coaching with assessments, individualised programming and weekly coaching to help you with all of your mobility needs. 

Go into the coaching tab or click here to enquire for online coaching!