The BIGGEST LIE in Flexibility: Exposed!

There's so much misinformation shared around flexibility, in this video I bust the biggest of lies there is, and back it up with the science of flexibility!
Watch me next to make sure you're not ignoring this really important element of flexibility (which no one ever seems to talk about!) (End Screen Video) ➡️ • Ignoring this will WRE...
✨ Download my FREE 'Ultimate Hip + Hamstring Mobility Guide' here!
▶️ livinleggings.yoga/mobility-e...
Transform your mobility with this simple 4-week beginners guide and learn how to truly master your flexibility ✨
🔥 Transform your mobility, strengthen your body, and elevate your practice in my comprehensive yoga and strength training platform - join now to embark on your transformative journey
▶️ theyogarebelmethod.com
🌀 I created my own yoga mat to bring together all the BEST features into one mat
▶️ shop.livinleggings.co.uk
💜 Shop my favourite gym/yoga wear @Womensbest : Use code LIVINLEGGINGS for 10% off
▶️ womens.best/livinleggings
🧦 I’m always wearing HEXXEE socks - Use code LIV20 for 20% off
▶️www.hexxee.com/
📰 Sign up to my newsletter for weekly mobility, flexibility and yoga tips straight into your inbox.
▶️livinleggings.yoga/mobility-m...

[@Livinleggings]

Watch me next to make sure you're not ignoring this really important element of flexibility (which no one ever seems to talk about!) (End Screen Video) ➡ kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKaugpiwmtRmjpY Practice with me 7 days a week! Start a 7 day free trial today: www.studio.livinleggings.yoga/ Challenges 🏆 Go from tight hips to mobility master in 28 days: livinleggings.yoga/teaching/middle-splits-challenge/ Master your first Pincha with 28 day method: livinleggings.yoga/teaching/progress-to-pincha/ Transform your backbends in 1 month by focusing on the parts that matter: livinleggings.yoga/teaching/working-on-wheel/ Transform your flexibility in 28 days: livinleggings.yoga/teaching/flexibility-for-front-splits/ Workshops 💻 Master your beginners arm balances: livinleggings.yoga/teaching/arm-balance-beginners/ Got a Yoga Wheel? Explore ALL that you can do with it: livinleggings.yoga/teaching/yoga-wheel-masterclass/ Take your arm balances to the next level: livinleggings.yoga/teaching/arm-balances-for-improvers/ Nerd out on flexibility methods and techniques to know exactly how to reach your flexibility goals: livinleggings.yoga/teaching/flexibility-workshop/ 🧘🏼‍♀ The yoga mat I use - tinyurl.com/y5pzpj75 (Code: LIVINLEGGINGS for 10% off site wide) 🧦 I’m always wearing HEXXEE socks - Use code LIV20 for 20% off at www.hexxee.com/ 📰 Sign up to my newsletter for monthly tutorials, inspiration and exclusive discounts www.livinleggings.yoga/liv-letter

[@ShawnJonesHellion]

You do the 🖖👐🙌 to get famous?

[@LetholdusKaspyr]

Strengthening my hip flexors caused my hamstrings to suddenly and alarmingly relax and give me quite a lot more range.

[@jz4901]

Which exercises did you use for your hip flexors?

[@LetholdusKaspyr]

@@jz4901 The best one is just sitting, back straight, knee straight, toes pulled back, raise one leg as high as you can and hold it for thirty seconds, then switch legs, 3x per leg. It does stretch the hamstring at the same time, with the toe position, which is why I felt the tension release.

[@jz4901]

@@LetholdusKaspyr Ah perfect, I've recently started doing that exact exercise daily following the suggestions at the channel "Upright Health". Thanks very much! z

[@dynamicgecko1213]

It's interesting to see someone with weak hip flexors in this day and age where we sit most of the time. I myslef suffer from tight/strong hip flexors.

[@LetholdusKaspyr]

@@dynamicgecko1213 Tight hip flexors are weak hip flexors, actually.

[@ymmm-yogamovementmeditatio9507]

Totally true. I see so many hypermobile people in yoga class. They need strength training to increase control over their range of movement... but often they refuse to!

[@20LookInside12]

100% True. :)

[@dradamtutoring9478]

It's great to see a no bullshit fitness channel. Far and few between these days. Also quite a niche topic to combine science with mobility and flexibility, subbed straight away. Keep up the great work 💪

[@Alice_Walker]

Very good point. My brother who has always been very fit (gym, triathlons, rock climbing, physically demanding job and yoga) started training in power lifting about a year ago and was amazed to find how much it's improved his flexibility and range of motion. Bodies are so cool!

[@sarahIalomari]

You are so right! Since I've started lifting weights I've actually noticed that when I stretch I'm getting deeper into that stretch. I've always thought that it's because strong muscles stretch better and because I always hear the phrase "strengthen before you lengthen" But your explanation makes it make more sense because strengthen does lengthen! Thanks Liv♥️

[@Livinleggings]

Super glad to hear you've started lifting weights. And I love that phrase!

[@robertpepper5256]

Fantastic and helpful presentation and explanation. I subscribed instantly. Looking forward to gaining more knowledge from you. Btw I am 63 and mobility in the last decade has become my most important physical concern.

[@happynaturalist1793]

Referencing studies and crushing what I’ve been taught? Clearing the way for me to build strength AND flexibility? You just gained a subscriber!

[@sandrathomson7288]

Just discovered your channel- love love it! I have been practicing yoga for decades- and now ( children have grown up) have more time to deepen my practice, I have been devouring your videos so full of all the amazing information, explanations and tips. I will be joining in your videos as part of my regular practice. XX Thanks!

[@Livinleggings]

Glad you’ve found it all so helpful! 🥰🙏🏼

[@kellyjean4981]

I am speeding through your videos, and can’t wait for more. I will absolutely be sharing your videos with some people who can benefit from your knowledge. You have an incredibly wonderful way of delivering the info that is very easy to listen to and to understand

[@vintdg7250]

That's given me a whole new perspective on the importance of strength to gain flexibility, that I hadn't even fully processed in this way after doing your Secrets of Flexibility workshop a couple of years ago.

[@saadiamalik9366]

So brief & crisp, but on point 👌☝️...... came back to my mat after a few months and looks like my muscle fibers have all gone back to the basis..... Time for weight training xx

[@TheBookofDonna]

Great information! I love that you include studies. If you pasted the links for studies that would also be wonderful so we can read the detail’s ourselves. Thank you!

[@nilllukka]

Very good, thanks for this educational video! I recently started gym training in addition to yoga and I'll be taking this into consideration :)

[@nathankemp6482]

Great videos, thank you for taking the time. Being in to yoga and running these videos are very helpful :)

[@annemarienicolaides8186]

Loving your recent videos 👍🏼 you deserve more subscribers.

[@Narniaru]

This was brilliant. So informative. Thank you!

[@hanananah]

How has no one ever explained this to me? I've been told that dynamic stretches are better but this is the easiest explanation I've ever seen of why I should do them not just what the difference is. Awesome, thank you!

[@ananascarpenter]

Thank you for posting this very insightful info!

[@medusa2508]

Awesome video in many ways. Really impressed. My perfect teacher. Thank you.

[@Claire-cj6nn]

Congrats, you are keeping a great channel here! Finally some real basics get out in the open for people to understand. Gymnastics and dance.. and yet the myth continued..

[@Greybeardfit]

This is the BEST and easiest to understand explanation of flexibility I've ever seen. Thanks!!

[@rowenabisschoff]

Fantastic video. Thank you so much for this.

[@robertlight2370]

I’ve been doing a weekly Pilates class since the start of the year. It’s a lot of dynamic stretching and bodyweight exercises and I can see the improvements in my flexibility.

[@Love_To_Be_Love]

This was really good, and some ah ha moments how I can connect more into my stretches. Full range of motion and letting go of uncertainty when stretching!

[@judithmartinez-cx4by]

Hi! Really valuable information! How do you combine weights with yoga? Thanks!

[@jaimineepatel4464]

Beautifully explained. Thank you.

[@Cowface]

I made this discovery while doing RDLs one day. I felt that stretch in my hamstrings and it’s changed how I approach all my lifting, somatically.

[@jn5433]

Subscribed. Very educated and passionate about your subject, and your non american accent is very relaxing and easy to listen too. Im physically fit but have zero flexibility so im hoping i can learn

[@danceufo9256]

Bravo! Thank you, this will be very helpful

[@thibod07]

Brilliant! I always believed that jello type of people were naturally more flexible than gorilla type of people. Was I ever wrong! Thank you for clarifying Why I was wrong. You have a great approach to weight training! Thank you for producing that video.

[@brucegemmell730]

I agree. I have never had great flexibility, but weight training especially squats and dead lifts have improved my overall flexibility more than anything else I have done.

[@windfishletusdream]

I love how u go straight to the point

[@secretlybees]

I'm quite hypermobile and have learned that static stretches are rarely my friend. I get too loose and it'll make opposite muscles tighten in response. Dynamic stretching really helped me and I feel SO much less wobbly all the time now!

[@4UnlimitedBEing]

Did you know that people with hyper joint mobility are often manganese deficient? It's worth getting checked out. Ask your functional medicine dr or naturopathic doctor to test and guide you on specific minerals to take or avoid, and dosages. :)

[@katatta456]

And stretching will help build strength faster!!! 💖 Great content as always!

[@AshleySmith2023]

Thank you for sourcing scholarly/peer-reviewed journal articles inside your video!

[@gyozakeynsianism]

Holy crap this was so clear and illuminating. Thank you!

[@donwetherell8738]

Great explanation. Thank you.

[@twizack22]

I've also noticed improved range of motion if I'm sufficiently loaded. I could get in a deeper squatted position weighted vs unweighted. Also the more I repeated a motion the more loose I would become.

[@WomenRQueensNMyFaceIsTheThrome]

This video is perfect bc i wanted to get back into working out solely for strength and flexibility so knowing they go hand in hand really helps me mentally

[@peggydadaille8972]

Great info presented well!

[@freeyourbladder]

Nice sharing and wonderful information.

[@Nunussify]

omg I love your British accent :-)

[@davidthomson802]

seems very plausible, thank-you. Explains a lot in my experience, going back forty years to using the Anderson Method for stretching, and then my years in Iyengar Yoga. We always sort of knew that somehow Mr. Iyengar was doing these astonishing things in his seventies at the level of wiring, of neuron. That the merely physical stretch didn't fully account for it. I'm planning to see this video again, which is rare for me.

[@garvesh7372]

you should also include the link to study on which you have based your video in the describtion space. It could be helpful.

[@Robert-mn8gc]

There are 4 different folk on here that l listen 2 . U r the only Woman 👩. U all offer Fabulous Information. U r most possibly the King / Queen of Information. No disrespect. Ur presentation is 1st class 👏 Thankyou

[@DavidNitzscheBell]

Recently discovered your channel. Love your content. Love your explanations. Subscribed. Liked. The only thing I want more of is....purple! ;)

[@0newingedcrow]

I just found your channel and I'm bingeing your videos! I've always wanted to master Jean Claude Van Damme's helicopter kick but I've been struggling for years. Even though I can do a full split I can't jump in the air and do a split. Would you be able to make a video that talks about what I need to do in order to reach my goal? It would mean so much to me.

[@fernandoantiqueira]

Great video! I took a long time to figure that out

[@MuirisMcA]

Do you have any solution to front rib cage flaring? Love your videos, amazing knowledge, thank you

[@laurenbrizon]

Yes we shouldn't aim just for strength, but strength at length! :)

[@rajnarang6053]

Impressed 💯 And God bless you 💞

[@mahmoudali6605]

I love the knowledge in these videos 🥰

[@NedBoukharine]

Excellent presentation, beautiful lady.

[@rayrivera1830]

Awesome! Flexibility is key.

[@daala6698]

I was looking in the video description for a link to the video you mentioned at the end of the video and pointed to up on the side somewhere that was a mystery to me. Anyway there was the link to that video. Oh well

[@mackieincsouthsea]

I have no doubt that you're far better informed than me in fitness, but I do feel like hypertrophy wasn't really mentioned alongside the muscle fibre recruiting explanation and feels like an opportunity missed, even if it's not your channels main focus! Surely these two things should both be worth mentioning when discussing full ROM weight training, although of course muscle building itself being moreso a focus and/or benefit, at least aesthetically, for male lifters

[@User_ML907]

Dynamic and loaded stretch and doing the big youga NOs that made me more flexible.

[@thothtahuti5509]

Real talk, love the info ::)

[@royclose946]

I play alot of golf and these stretchers are excellent 👌 well done love ❤️

[@a.a8720]

Hi! I really want to learn how to do handstands, do you think it's a good idea to self teach these things? I'd like to just learn very basic gymnastic moves, could I do that by following KZbin tutorials?

[@Livinleggings]

My most recent video is about learning handstands so check that out!

[@jennettesaxberg6528]

Great explaining

[@HeartlessKnave]

Athlean-x just did a video similar to this one, I definitely have to rethink my workouts and am wondering if I should toss my yoga/stretching books 😅 I am also wondering if there are static stretches or muscles that just can't be replaced with loaded/resistance training due to the danger of loading them. Clearly I have a lot more to learn than I thought, and am wondering how old the research is on this knowledge and if kinesiology education includes more of it, as I'm looking into getting a two year diploma and eventually a four year degree.

[@yashereen]

When I click on hip mobility class, I'm taken to middle splits on your site. Is this correct?

[@liamburns8554]

Very well explained

[@brianluck84]

Arnold Schwarzenegger used to stand on a bench when doing his bent over rows because he attributes that stretch at the bottom as allowing more gains in muscle activation and development

[@jodanceelle8145]

Omg the second I heard the first sentence I pressed the like button because no one ever believed me ❤

[@chabberekx4112]

Thank You

[@usbsol]

PAILS & RAILS are then a form of dynamic stretch, I guess.

[@donjean6590]

Wait sorry correct me if Im wrong since I cant find the papers currently. But you have one link kind of supporting your video as evidence and two that says the opposite? Im a little confused about what you are saying at the end there.

[@monk1312]

True; dancers, performing contortionists, and gymnasts are powerful and flexible.

[@BlondeQtie]

i don’t believe the „recruiting more fibers“ theory, can you please like your source?

[@marianotalavera8494]

Hmmmm 🤔 You are brilliant... Respect 🤝

[@nicholaschacon6503]

Nice informative

[@DGAWDGAW]

I don't know if I understood well what you explain, but if weight training increases one's flexibility why most people who pump weights are so tight and un-flexible? What are they doing wrong? I agree that many of them focus more on reps than in making the full range movement, but is it only that?

[@Livinleggings]

It all comes down to using your full range of movement. Those body builders pump and build muscles in a shorter range, so over time, that is the length the muscles adapt to. Use it or lose it!

[@aaroningl]

@@Livinleggings And they train heavy, meaning extended ROM could lead to injury?

[@andys121.]

how did you get into this stretching game?> have you always done it ?

[@minookalantari]

Thank you

[@ryantandy8202]

I want to add that it depends on the how much weight you are lifting relative to your strength. This is a great way to improve flexibility if the weights you are using are not on the limits of your strength. It shouldn't be done when lifting heavy weights because the tendons are under a lot of strain at the extreme of the range of motion when the muscle is fully extended, so trying to lift heavy from there can lead to some nasty tendon injuries (as I've found out before). It's much safer to use a smaller range of motion in that case. For warm up sets and light days though it's ideal. The other good thing about stretching when weight training is the weight helps you to get into positions that are not possible otherwise if you aren't very flexible as the weights help to counter balance.

[@williamtomkiel8215]

how can we boost CNS response to recruit those fibers?

[@hansdelrue3141]

I am 56 years old can I also train to build up my muscles?

[@mathiasstielzchen2227]

I have never heard, that strength and flexibility would be opposites.

[@nougatbitz]

0:45 that’s as far as I can go on a good day 😅

[@EconaelGaming]

I understand not contracting all fibres, but how can you stretch only some fibres? They're all connected to the same points and have similar length, no?

[@Livinleggings]

You're mistaking muscle fibres for the whole body of the muscle - yes the origin and the insert of the body of the muscle stay connected to the same points!

[@20LookInside12]

Genetics play a HUGE part in Flexibility. People rarely talk about THAT. I mean, the Strength building ability is Genetic as well, so that ties in, but I was ridiculously flexible as a child, into my teens, into my 20's and still now at 50 years old. I can still do the splits (both versions) easily enough, put my belly right to the floor, and touch my toes to the back of my head (Cobra style) with very little weight 'training". I am less flexible when I do things like Yoga. More flexible with swimming and cycling activities. :) GENETICS. It's a BIG factor.

[@BlondeQtie]

how does it feel to live my dream? 🥺

[@deborahhawley5849]

So true. My hips are so tight. It doesn't matter how much I stretch. When I lay on my back and bring my knees toward my chest, I can only get about 10 inches away from my chest and my hips lock. I can get them a bit closer if I butterfly my knees.

[@ctakitimu]

Yeah agreed. When I was a teen I did martial arts for about 5 years and still couldn't do a full split by the end. Multiple lessons per week and each lesson was 30% warm up and cool down. It was a good martial art that practiced semi contact striking, which just meant you pulled your hits a bit, and no contact to the head. They did it this way so you would get used to connecting. Good for range finding etc. Some Mc'Dojo's are no contact, which is really just a fitness class that looks cool. Ah well, this was 30 years ago now. What was I talking about?

[@KG9551]

Absolutely! People are usually predisposed to being either stronger or stretchier. Naturally flexible people should balance with a focus on strength training, and naturally strong people should balance by focusing on mobility. Makes a huge difference to be aware

[@erenjaegerbomb8653]

@@deborahhawley5849 static stretching isn't the only or best answer to tight hips, though it's safe to say a lot of people are under that impression and so can get frustrated. If a muscle is weak, the body has to restrict it's ability to stretch to keep it safe, so often a tight muscle is just a weak muscle. I'd wager a lot of people around the world are endlessly 'stretching' a muscle when they really should just be training it; like this video says, with a 'loaded stretch' i.e strength training. In your example, yes your skeleton will have limiting factors to it, and at the same time, curling your knees to your chest involves curling your pelvis up at the end of the movement with your lower abs. It stands to reason that people wouldn't have the lower ab strength and coordination to flex their spine and tilt their pelvis fully unless they have some kind of regular practice that rehearses this movement so that the necessary muscles actually have the ability to perform it. That is a fine example of something that all the stretching in the world just wouldn't touch.

[@maiqueashworth]

So what happens when your muscles seem to get bigger?

[@mspenelope6874]

Ads in your videos lead to the advertiser channel. Can’t get back to the video. It’s a new YT feature that takes viewers to a dead end. Pls complain to YT about this. It means your viewers are cut off from the video and having to go into library to reconnect with your video.

[@MiketheNerdRanger]

Wait, so, and I know this is WAY off topic but I'm too curious, but if muscle strength doesn't require it getting bigger, then why DOES it get bigger?

[@elenaolgunyoga]

Yes but there are lots of people who go to gym and have developed muscules, big muscles, they can lift big weight and so on and absolutely not flexible..

[@chrisgunzb]

When u weight train you will disrupt the muscle and cause you to temporarily lose range of motion as a possibility. That's why flexibility training should also be done. If u use some light weights u can increase ur range of motion but if u want to get stronger and or grow ur muscles will be put in a position where they they will be taxed. U don't go to the gym do let's say bench press and say I could have done 10 more reps in each set . Ur gunna push the weight up and bring it to 3 reps in reserve or less otherwise ur not gunna stimulate . Along the way ur muscle will get fatigued and afterwards ur gunna get "tight" temporarily until it heals I follow Dr Mike Isratel for muscle building . I follow Lucas Rockwood from yoga body for flexibility . What are your thoughts on him. One of his programs science of stretching uses 3 principles, 1. Long passive holds of 2 to 5 min 2. Breathing 3. Relaxed postures... I have gotten. Some results after a month . Your method of nerve glide is this a temp fix like PNF stretching ? Thanks ....

[@hansdelrue3141]

In static reflection is have pain in my body

[@tas1624]

If increasing strength is just a matter of recruiting more of the existing muscle fibers into the action then why do muscles get larger?

[@talaniel]

Heh, yeah, i have this question too :-)

[@jessicaandtrains7768]

If you train to failure then the sarcoplasm will increase to give the muscle greater stamina, which will increase the volume of fluid inside the fibre

[@danielhunter7693]

Well played with references at the end. This is a great debate.

[@JohnSmith-iu8cj]

You are not mentioning that muscles are chains of cells, that can lengthen by increasing the number of cells in a chain by exercising.

[@stephendaedalus6192]

You have a point, but there are plenty of lifts I can list here that, if someone followed your advice to maximise the range of motion, would put undue stress on joints and muscles which could result in serious injury. Also, building muscle and recruiting more muscle fibres are two very different things. Muscle is not, as you claim, built simply through improved recruitment, but rather through damaging the fibres in a minor way, and building them back stronger.

[@Livinleggings]

Only if they’re lifting too heavy. You’ve also mischaracterised what I said about muscular strength. Im well aware of EIMD, this video is not claiming otherwise.

[@kidvinie6491]

Very interesting (from someone that lifts but has very limited flexibility)

[@yogawithtim]

I don't think there is a correlation between muscle recruitment and the body getting better at stretching. You start with the fact that loading muscles improves muscle recruitment, which is accurate, but then make the jump to this somehow relating to improving flexibility. I don't think that jump in logic is accurate. Also, the research you cite is great but it doesn't support this claim. It simply states that weight lifting and stretching have similar effects on flexibility. But your claim is that dynamic stretching or weightlifting somehow makes you a better stretcher. If this is true, I'd love to see that study. Now there are arguments about weighted stretching and how it can inhibit the muscle and override the stretch reflex, but this doesn't have anything to do with muscle recruitment. I love your videos, but I'm having trouble with this one. Is there something I'm missing here? Is there research that suggests improving muscle recruitment equates to more flexibility?

[@YazmuseTV]

This was AMAZING

[@genesmolko8113]

Am I understanding you incorrectly? You seem to be saying muscles don't get larger with weight training and obviously that is not true. I can see that during the initial stages of weight training more unused muscle fibers are recruited but as training progresses eventually all muscle fibers are being used so new muscle fiber is created which increases the size of the muscle. Is this correct?

[@lyndafromparisathena6321]

Hmmm Body Combat 🥊 and 🏋🏻‍♀️ Body Pump ruin my back & hamstrings flexibility to the degree I can’t twist or go down anymore in side split forward bends : when my yoga masters see me so stiff all of the sudden , they can’t resist the urge to come around and push me down brutally to force my stretches. 2 yoga teachers pushed me down brutally twice the same same week on the same side in the same pose and they caused me a back muscles injury for 1 month ! I was so angry So now I have to pre-stretch 30 min before each yoga class so I can go down within their 5 counts so they don’t come force my stretch For 1 hour GX / body pump Weight lifting , I have to do 2h of yoga just to get my flexibility back, come back to square one. My flexibility couldn’t progress much for a decade until I ultimately stopped GX classes 3 years ago. Now I’m finally advanced, I got my standing split, my leg behind the head and I’m close to getting my side split. Sorry: the biggest lie is the super flexible Indians yogis telling us weight lifting isn’t affecting their flexibility because they are already so flexible they don’t feel any change. But I do . Everyone’s body is different but some yoga masters don’t understand that

[@deepdivemusicreactions]

I wanna cry when I see how flexible you are. that seems impossible for me