The Couch Stretch

By Jami Tikkanen

February 26, 2011

“It turns out that even top athletes who are really really good at what they do they still need to stretch,” says seminar team member Jami Tikkanen of Thames CrossFit. He addresses tight hip issues he identified in one of the seminar attendees, Diego Derscentis, a professional soccer player in Europe.

Tikkanen shows Derscentis a series of stretches taught by mobility guru Kelly Starrett. Beginning with Starrett’s classic couch stretch, Tikkanen adds two more versions to help fix Derscentis’ tight hips.

“We see a lot of elite athletes (who’ve) still got difficulties in coming up from the bottom of the squat,” Tikkanen says. “Everybody’s working the bottom, but they’re not working necessarily coming up all the way to full extension.”

He instructs Dercentis to spend two minutes in each stretch and to consistently use the tools to make progress increasing mobility.

“With new range comes new responsibility,” Tikkanen says.

8min 41sec

Additional reading: A Postural Error: A Costly Biomechanical Fault—Muted Hip Function (MHF) by Greg Glassman, published Jan. 1, 2003.

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15 Comments on “The Couch Stretch”

wrote …

aside from mobilizing the hip, the couch stretch would be great for interrogating prisoners. that, and foam roller to the quads

wrote …

This stretching should I try when Idone with jogging in the snow today
:-)

Gerard Mcauliffe wrote …

The football players name is Diego De Ascentis. Nice stretches..no pain face!

wrote …

Great stretching tips, Jami! Once again you are so helpful! Thank you!

wrote …

That Gym looks amazing.

wrote …

Does anyone know where this Gym is?

Jami Tikkanen wrote …

Sam,

That gym is called Urban 9mm and is located in Milan, Italy.

wrote …

It would be great to see a follow-up with Diego in a month or two. If, that is, he keeps up the mobilization.

wrote …

it is impossible to find pictures of this gym

wrote …

All the European vids are taken at the same trip. (one of the most recent L1's in Milan)

If you want a greater view of the gym, check out the profile vid of Chuck: http://journal.crossfit.com/2011/02/flowmaster-chuck.tpl

These guys in Milan did in Europe what Rogue did in Columbus, so it's cool to see European stuff once in a while.

wrote …

How long would it take an athlete similar to Diego, to take this weakness and turn it into a strength? Or at least a non-weakness. I know results will vary.

wrote …

Great stuff, Jami!

wrote …

thx jami! hittin right now at the desk

wrote …

Thanks Jami, You are a great coach and also all the rest of european team was super! I hope to see you again, sometimes around the world.

Ps if someone like to see some picture of Urban 9 mm Gym just please just send to me an @mail: steve66gas@gmail.com

Jami Tikkanen wrote …

Thanks guys.