As a young gymnast who struggled with gaining flexibility, I was told, “If you wanted to improve your pike, you would. You’re just being lazy.”
It seemed no matter how much I stretched, pushed my limits, and even had my siblings sit on me to push me down farther, my pike remained stuck at “mediocre.”
It wasn’t until college I started to learn the most effective ways to improve my flexibility. All three splits down!
But… that pike just wouldn’t budge.
If this sounds like you, I’ve got a trick that’ll get that pike down in about 60 seconds.
I’ve only learned this trick in the past couple years! Believe m when I say, it’s SO worth it to stay up to date on the most effective flexibility techniques.
Anyway, let’s get into how to improve your pike.
First off, let’s get into WHY you are having a hard time improving your pike.
Believe it or not, if you’re doing your due diligence with regular stretching, it’s probably not laziness getting in your way.
It’s probably sciatic nerve discomfort.
Sciatic nerve discomfort can happen when internal tension pinches your nerve.
How to know if this trick will work for you:
- When you go into a pike, you feel almost NO stretch in your hamstrings.
- You feel a slight burning sensation down the back of your legs.
- You feel like you “just hit a wall” when trying to go down any farther.
- You sense more tension in your low back than in your hamstrings.
Any of these symptoms could tell us this nerve may be that perfect pike problem.
So how do you get this pinchy, pikey feeling to GO AWAY?
The trick for how to improve your pike is a little doodad called “nerve flossing.”
How does nerve flossing improve your pike?
Yes, this does sound a little uncomfortable and gives me the ick, BUT it’s a lot less gross than it sounds.
Let’s look behind the scenes at what flossing does to get rid of that pinchy, burny feeling.
Releases tension to improve your pike.
Myofascia: the thin connective tissue that holds your muscles in place.
Yup, this is the same stuff that gets those “knots” we target during foam rolling. Click here to get a run-down on some foam rolling basics.
When that fascia tenses up, sometimes the sciatic nerve gets yanked between them.
Ouch, right?? Yeah, no WONDER you’re having trouble to improve your pike!
Gets the nerve OUT of its compromised position.
So what do we do to get the nerve out of this squishy, stretchy position?
That’s where nerve flossing comes in.
With a little manual manipulation, you can urge the nerve OUT of this position and get that fascia to loosen up a little.
So, how do we actually do it?
How to nerve floss to improve your pike.
Nerve flossing is pretty simple!
- Lie on your back.
- Pull one knee in toward your chest, leaving the other leg flat.
- With a flexed foot, straighten your leg until you feel resistance.
- From here, slowly alternate between pointing and flexing your foot.
- After a bit, see if you can straighten your leg farther without resistance.
- Repeat, then repeat on the other leg.
Once you’ve finished, try out that stubborn pike again.
If all has gone as planned, you should feel a little less resistance on the way down.
This trick has been a life saver for me, but I want to know…
Did it work for you?? Let me know in a comment!
If you’re still experiencing some resistance, please send me an email. I’d love to help learn a little more about your personal struggle, and hopefully I can help with a quick answer.
Or, if you’re really motivated to improve your pike, let’s set up a flexibility training plan together.