Whartons / Active-Isolated Stretching

I have been using their book for about 3 years now. I like the whole philosphy behind their method. I limit my stretches to the soleus, gastroc, hamstrings (all trouble areas in the past). Sometimes I add a few others as aches and pains arise. The pictures are not the best, but better than no pictures at all.

Tried it religously for 3 months and did not feel as if my flexiblity improved at all. I think that stretching may be a bit of an individual thing and you may have to discover what works best for you. For me it's a ststic stretch held for 50 seconds, stretching each muscle group 3 times while really focusing on exhaling.

love it

We use it with our team, and have had some success over the years with AI stretching. I did learn, however, that it is more effective with our kids after road runs; we found a combination of PNF and static stretches after quality days, and AI after the longer, aerobic stuff was more effective that just doing the AI or static stuff. My personal experiences matched theirs.

to really learn it you should go have them work on you for a session. you come out of there more flexible that you could ever imagine. other teams that use it: new york knicks and yankees

I used to have the tape (got through Runner's World) I found that more helpful than their book. Funny is that they were at the Boston Marathon a few years ago, I had some questions on their stretches and they guy they hired to help them at their table had there had limited ideas on what the AIS were or how to do them, in fact he was giving wrong information. Finally the father WHarton came over to demostrate and answer my questions. I find AIS helpful when I do the stretches

I've had trouble with my achilles, and my calf flexibility still isn't good. Could anyone elaborate on just how good the calf stretches are? Thanks.

I've used it the past seven years myself and the past six with my team. I had problems for years with tight hamstrings and hips even though I stretched religiously. Three weeks after starting with Active Isolated Stretching, my problems disappeared and my stride was suddenly able to open up and really move. Had I known about that in college (5-6 years before), I could have had a very different career.

Also, in the first year I was head coach, we used traditional static stretching. I had eight muscle injuries from a team of 35 girls. The next five years, we used Active Isolated Stretching, averaged 50 girls per year, and had six muscle injuries total during that time. Five of them were with girls that spent more time gossiping than actually stretching.

I check out different stretching techniques all the time. If I ever find a better one, I'll switch. However, for six years now, I haven't found anything better.

AI works. The key is to stretch properly and often.

KK loves AI stretching. See his website.

I have been doing the stretching for about 10 days now to combat an injury nearly two years old. I haven\'t noticed any major flexibility gains, but I have noticed that my muscles tremble and do very minute mini-spasms for a few hours afterwards.

Obviously, having not run for about 2 yrs, these muscles haven\'t gotten much exercise. But should this stretching really be causing them to shake afterwards?

Good news or bad news?

Started six weeks ago, best I've felt in two years. Thanks Phil.

Even better if someone else stretches you with AIS techniques. Obviously not as practical- but you will see a difference.

I have had treatments from both father and son- amazing stuff and very nice people. The two times that they worked on me before races I PRed.

Peter,

How long before you started noticing gains? I was told by the Whartons it wouldn't be immediate, but then some of the case studies in the book make it sound like 3 weeks later, people are just fine.

Will I know within a few weeks, or is it more of a month-by-month flexibility gain?

Maybe 2-3 weeks to start noticing the gains in range of motion. But, I was going through my routine before and after running while doing double days. I was also doing a few of the strength exercises which have helped quite a bit.

If you made a list of the 50 best distance runners in the country right now, I'd guess that way more than half are using some type of active isolated stretching everyday. It works, if you're willing to put in the time and effort.

You did the full routine (as in, at least 20 minutes) 4 times a day? Or was this an abbreviated version?

Does the Workhorse use AIS?

Peter Gilmore wrote:

Maybe 2-3 weeks to start noticing the gains in range of motion. But, I was going through my routine before and after running while doing double days. I was also doing a few of the strength exercises which have helped quite a bit.

If you made a list of the 50 best distance runners in the country right now, I'd guess that way more than half are using some type of active isolated stretching everyday. It works, if you're willing to put in the time and effort.

No but Stallings does

Hello -

I first got in contact with the Wharton's in the mid 90's. Fortunately at the time we had the same shoe sponsor and the company sent me to NY to get some therapy. They did wonders for my rehab and recovery. With out the help my career would have been cut short 3 years with out a doubt. Not to mention the 3 Springsteen Bootleg's I picked up while in NY (Including the Ghost of Tom Joad tour via Paris)

The only problem I had was I did not hear of them any sooner. The Wharton idea's are incredible and require discipline to follow.

To all those active in the sport - best of luck and always;

have fun,

Bo