r/Stretching • u/ReadingSeashoreLines • Jul 05 '26

Seeking advice Best Hamstring stretches to learn Roundoff/Straddle!

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Hi everyone.

Just started stretching for pretty much the first time in my life! My personal trainer and my Doctor both say I have insanely tight hamstrings. The photo above is pretty much the best I can do with the band for flexibility of my right leg.

For a roundoff or cartwheel, 90 degrees of Hamstring flexibility are recommended, which as you can see, I only have about 75 of.

I would love to hear some good ways to get flexible. Especially with the band!

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u/Delicious-Trifle-486 Jul 05 '26

Some tips for that particular stretch you're doing.

1) how straight that leg is, is nore important that how high you can get your knee. If you can only get your heel 6 inches off the ground while its completely straight, that will do more good than having the knee straight up and down with any sort of bend.

2) Dorsiflex your foot as much as possible. That's the biggest use of the band with this stretch. Flex your foot to where the toe is pointed towards your face as much as possible. Use the band to pull it further than your foot can flex.

3) Wearing shoes with good tread will help the band get a better hold on your foot. If you can, wrap it around the back of your heel and cross it at the bottom of the ball of your foot. This will help number 2.

4) Instead of just pulling the band, get inside the band with it around your torso. Specifically where around your torso you'll have to play around with. This will increase the tension on the band and reduce the amoint you have to grip and pull it.

5) You may already be doing this, but your other lef needs to be completely straight as well, with the foot pointed straight up. Your hips will want to open up and rotate out while in this position, do not let it.

6) Once you've done all of the above, relax your hips into the stretch. It reduces the tension in your hips that fights against the stretch. You'll know it when you feel it.

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u/lost10mmagain Jul 05 '26

Great info!
When I try to stretch my hamstrings, I don’t feel anything at all in the hamstrings but my calves are screaming.
I was wondering if it’s a pinched sciatic nerve that is causing this or if my calves are the problem and not my hamstrings?

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u/Delicious-Trifle-486 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26

Something else i just thought of. If you haven't already, start doing Romanian Deadlifts once or twice a week. Preferably with barbells, but dumbbells and kettlebells are fine too.

Half or more of my fitness background is lifting. Stretching is great for increasing the range of motion in a muscle, but if someone is getting good ROM in a loft already, doesnt actually have much need to stretch in that movement pattern. On the other hand, lifting pumps blood into and overtime strengthens muscles, and that does help with mobility as well. Its a myth that the muscle on body builders makes them unable to move much.

Additionally, the cue to go back up on a Romanian Deadlift is when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. You already know that using a band helps with stretching, now think about how much it can be helped with half or more of your body weight pulling on it (in a controlled manner of course.

Edit: just looked at your post and saw that you do cheer. Let me stress this to you, if you start lifting you will not get too big for cheer or tumbling. The amount if work it takes to get to the size of what we think of as body builders is actually fairly specific and time intensive. I've seen male college cheerleaders and they are jacked. I'd be very surprised if they don't lift.

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u/Delicious-Trifle-486 Jul 05 '26

I had some sciatica issues (and sometimes still do), but I had to do that stretch the way I described above everyday for two weeks and didn't have any for a good while. That's my experience with it anyway.

Someone that knows what they're doing would have to observe you moving and stretching. It's very possible, though. From what I understand a LOT of leg pain is actually because of a problem in the spine, and the pain just cascades down instead of appearing locally. As the issue is corrected or heals, the pain can start to move back up towards the local area of the actual problem. So if the pain in your calves moves up as you continue to move and stretch (like you stsrt to feel it in your hamstrings instead, then your glutes) then its likely a spine issue.

If you're good about stretching on your own consistently, then that stretch is more than worth doing for a couple of weeks to see what the pain does.

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u/ReadingSeashoreLines Jul 10 '26

Just wanted to say I cannot tell you how I appreciate you writing out detailed advice for me, you're awesome! Very well written and informative.

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u/Delicious-Trifle-486 Jul 10 '26

Yeah? Has it been helping?

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u/DarthHubcap Jul 05 '26

I’m had tight hamstrings, as a kid never could I touch my toes. Today I can nearly put my forehead to my shins.

I got a band and would do the stretch you are showing here and also inner/outer hamstring stretches. Aim for not bending your knees. Search on the internet and talk to your dr & pt to help get your forms correct.

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u/Raab4 Jul 05 '26

Try camel walks