Help! Leg stretching machines - which one?

[azzzy]

Long time ago I used to be able to do splits. After a couple of torn hamstrings and moving to another country I practically stopped training for about 10 years. Now - possibly due to middle age crisis - I want to get my flexibility back. The leg stretching machines seem to be if not the easiest, the fastest way to get there. It appears there are 2 major units on the market: Century Versaflex and Tiger Claw Pro Leg Stretcher.

 

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/superfoot/cenverwitsup.html

 

http://www.martialartsmart.net/20-60.html

 

Has anyone used these? What do you think of them? Which one do you prefer and why? Thanks.

[krzychicano]

I known people that have tried those types of machine and they regret buying them. If your patient and work at it the splits will come.

[azzzy]

What did they not like about those machines? Which ones did they use?

[ovine king]

i say, you don't need them.

 

if you don't have the stamina/will to do it without a machine, why would having one make you go the extra distance?

 

my biggest concerns with them is that i'm not sure that 'dead' stretching is actually good for you.

 

isn't it better for stretching to occur during/because of actual use?

[azzzy]

Yeah, I heard this about dead stretching. Ironically that's how I used to stretch when I was training and that's how I got to splits. I am not hardcore martial artist anymore, and I don't have a lot of time for this either. But I would like to be able to do splits, and this machine seems like something I could do while doing something else - watching TV, for example. By the way, I am 34 years old and I definitely feel the age creeping up on me. My groin area is pretty stiff and it takes a lot more time to warm up to the point where I can kick high enough without hurting myself. I wonder if I will ever be able to get to splits at all.

[krzychicano]

My instructor is 55 and he can do the full splits. They will come dont worry save your money.

[Chado]

One of the Japanese sensei's that come down to Texas each year (my sensei just got back from training with them) is 83 I believe...and he can do cold splits lol.

 

Well back to the point at hand...I dont hear anyone giving any reasons why not to use these machines...someone must buy them! I was looking at one for myself as well, I play DDR (laugh if you want) to warm myself up before doing anything at home...I figured I'd play DDR for 10-20 minutes till I was soaked in sweat and warmed up and then get on the leg stretching machine...do some stretches....get back up and do kata get back down etc;

 

The thing for me is monitoring progress, I like how the machines go in degrees so you can see how far along your coming...when I just slide down into my 'almost splits' I have trouble keeping track if I'm getting farther down...staying the same...or getting worse lol.

 

So please...someone must own one of these?

 

On a side note we have the pulley kind at the dojo...I embarrassed myself using that the other day... I was pulling myself up in a side kick type position but then i lost my balance...and to get it back I pulled on the rope (are you seeing where I'm going with this)? I ended up upside down hung by my one foot in the middle of the dojo...fortunatly it was just me and my good friend practicing at that time...but now that I've shared this with the world I suppose that's irrelevant...sorry there is no picture of this event LOL.

[azzzy]

Dude, that's hilarious! I bet you looked almost as ridiculous as I did once when at a swing-dancing event I decided to jump with my both feet into the wall and do a flip. I've done it like a million times before but this was a new club and the wall turned out to be hollow. I went through with my both feet approximately at a chest level. Somehow I managed to get my left foot out and place it on the floor before I hit it with my head. My right foot was still stuck in the wall. I felt so stupid!

 

Anyway, thanks for the bump. I actually used to own a similar machine and it worked great for me. But the mechanism was hydrolic based, and eventually hydrolics leaked. I got a replacement, but that one started leaking too. I left it at my old apartment after I moved. The machines I am considring now seem to have gears in them. I hope they are more reliable.

[15-lisa-newbie]

they dont work, i have one at my gym, they dont work AT ALL!! just stretch everyday.

[Chado]

they dont work, i have one at my gym, they dont work AT ALL!! just stretch everyday.

 

Why dont they work???

 

Everyone just says 'it sucks'. Why?? Do they break easy? Is it the machine not functioning as described? What kind of machine are you talking about at the gym? The ones he seems to be looking at are high end ones...the versaflex has that wheel you turn and it has the degree indicator.

 

I want more information then 'they suck dont get one' before I decide to spend or not to spend a few hundred dollars (and I'm assuming azzzy is thinking the same thing ... with the exception that he already has experience with them!)

 

 

 

And azzzy:

 

That sounds pretty funny...going through the wall NICE. Was there alot of people on hand to witness this? Like I said my friend James was the only one there but he didn't stop laughing for 5 mins (2 of those mins he was pointing and laughing as I was swinging from the ceiling...)