Stretching exercises are an essential element of any workout. Stretching carries a number of benefits, i.e. muscle lengthening, improved flexibility, mobility and range of motion in the joints, as well as strengthening of the tendons, fascia and skin. Systematic stretching accelerates post-training regeneration, thus reducing the risk of injury. The article presents exemplary exercises of stretching two-headed muscles.
Double-headed muscle in training
The two-headed muscle belongs to the rear thigh group. As the name suggests, it consists of two short and long heads.
- The short head has its initial insertion on the lateral lip of the rough edge.
- The long head begins from the posterior area of the sciatic tumor.
The main function of this muscle is bending in the knee joint and straightening in the hip joint. It is an antagonistic muscle in relation to the quadriceps muscle of the thigh. It affects the entire leg section - from the buttocks to the Achilles tendon. Therefore, stretching the two-headed muscle, we stretch the entire back of the thigh. The double-headed muscle is engaged during all the exercises for the lower muscle part, as well as when walking or running. In order to expand this muscle, it should be quite isolated during exercise. It is then worth using a dumbbell or barbell. Fitness clubs and gyms also have many machines that develop those muscles parts.
Stretching exercises on thighs
Remember to stretch after each workout. The final stretching should last a minimum of 5 minutes. Each exercise should last 30-60s. Below there will be exemplary exercises stretching to two-headed thighs.
Examples of stretching exercises
1. Incline forward - we make a slow forward slope on straight legs. Try to touch the floor with your hands.
2. We step with one foot forward and place it on the heel, the other foot should be entirely based on the ground. The leg in the front is straightened in the knee joint, the other one slightly bending. It should be remembered that the knees of both legs are equally. Then, we make a slope to the straight leg while keeping your back straight.
This exercise extends the entire back of the thigh - both two-headed muscles and calves
3. In the lying on his back, one leg bent in the knee joint based on the ground, the other leg straight. With one hand, we grab the heel of straight leg and hold it, so that the leg is straightened all the time.
4. Standing position. The body should be tilted forward to the right angle, the backside should be tilted back and the legs should be straight. The arms can be leaned against the thigh or against the wall. The movement consists in leaning back while maintaining the above-described position.
5. Exercise similar to the above, only on one leg, the other leg bent in the knee joint, we should stand on the straight leg.
6. Lying back. We bend one leg in the knee joint and draw it to the chest.
7. Two feet based on the ground, one leg extended forward. With our arms, we lean against the wall, leaning the body forward, without taking our feet off the ground. This exercise extends not only the back of the thigh, but also has a positive effect on the Achilles tendon.
8. Cross-legged seat, so-called Turkish. Keep your forearms on the ground in front of you and hold for a few seconds in this position. You can not take your buttocks off the ground.
