LOADED STRETCHING: Good Pancake vs. Bad Pancake

The #1 Mistake

Loaded stretching is a powerful approach to flexibility training. If you've stumbled across it, consider yourself lucky. The yogi's and martial artists of old never had access to these techniques.

It's advantages include:

Strength with flexibility
Faster flexibility
Bullet-proofing your body
Deeper stretching for stiff people

When used properly it can help you unlock deep flexibility that normal stretching techniques can't touch. However, most people make 1 critical mistake when beginning loaded stretching...

Too Much, Too Soon

I can't even count the number of videos / photos I've seen around the internet of people using way too much weight and putting their bodies in wretched positions in the name of loaded stretching.

Loaded Stretching or Weightlifting Fail? You be the judge...

Not only is this misguided use of loaded stretching potentially damaging to your body, but it also misses the point of this type of flexibility training.

The goal is to use the minimum effective dose to get the desired result.

The Lesson? Leverage before Load

Loaded stretching should follow two simple rules:

Build strength in a stretched position
Use the least amount of weight needed to accomplish this

This means increase leverage before adding external load.

The tissue you're trying to work should be loaded, yes. However, too much weight leads to a reflexive contraction that will not allow you to move deeper into the stretch.

Too much external load also prevents you from making subtle body adjustments (as I demonstrate in the video above.) These subtle adjustments are the secret to success in the pancake splits and many other stretches.

The moral of the story?

It's not just about brute strength. It's also about highly refined motor control near end range. Sometimes this looks like wiggling your way to end range, when in fact you are making a multitude of micro-adjustments to allow for a deeper stretch.

There is no "magic" in merely adding weight to stretches. The logic and intention are good (build strength in new ROM,) but you simply cannot force your way into deeper ranges.

Remember...loaded stretching is advanced strength stretching for athletes.

As such, it should be treated as a high level form of stretching.

The Final Goal

Loaded stretching is a great tool for getting you to the final goal of the pancake splits – belly button to the ground.

However, don't get over-excited and add load at the expense of form. Like any high level skill, it requires patience and proper instruction so as to prevent injuries and ensure success.

If you want a systematic, proven method for learning loaded stretching the right way, check out the 45-day program below.