Old Forum QL Straddle on chairs?

[pgomez]

I've had trouble doing a satisfactory QL straddle stretch as written in S&S. My hip flexors tend to cramp. One variation that I've tried that seems to work and prevents cramping is to sit on a chair, then put the heel of one foot on another chair such that my leg is straight in front of me (and my other leg is bent with the foot on the floor), and then do the QL stretch going over my head and reaching for the foot on the chair.

Is this version ok? Is there anything I'm missing?

 

[Pavel]

Phil, seems OK but a picture would help.

 

[pgomez]

Pavel - Thanks for your willingness to take a look.

 

Ok, let's see if this works. Here is a picture of the normal QL straddle (apologies for the attire):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx1uHsrc36w3c2RNREFENDk5Wjg/view?usp=sharing

 

And here is the QL straddle on chairs:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx1uHsrc36w3OHJDbEthU2ExVTg/view?usp=sharing

 

The photos aren't as clear as I thought they would be, but I think the idea comes across. The chair version is much easier on my hip flexor area for some reason.

 

[jgruginski]

So Phil, if I understand what you said in the original post and based on your picture, you are cramping in the hip on the same side as the QL you're trying to stretch (your right one based on the picture). Is that right? I would have thought that it would be the opposite. I'm actually a fan of doing the QL stretch sitting on the chair with both legs down. I can't do a decent straddle without my pelvis rolling back significantly, so this allows me a better way to control it.

 

[Pavel]

Phil, looks good.

 

[pgomez]

Joe - That's correct. The side of the QL being stretched is the side where the hip flexor seems to cramp when I'm on the ground. Not only does it feel better on the chairs, but it seems to give me better leverage.

 

Pavel - Thank you very much.