Stretching Scientifically: A Guide to Flexibility Training

This book either needs a new editor, or perhaps never had one to begin with. It is very confusing to try to follow. He uses terms interchangeably which succeeds in confusing the vocabulary. The explanations of the stretches are not clear, and the drawings are awful. I want to believe in the methods of this book but the author does not succeed in clearly articulating them them.

I've had this book for I think some 30+ years, had the original and a few years back purchased the updated version, and the principles it teaches, ones often not well-known, are superior to any other method of flexibility training. Highly recommend... NOTE: Some complain about how things aren't as clear as they could be, the mixing of terms, etc. However, if you just do the exercises as stated, more specifically focus on the Dynamic exercises/joint rotations and lifts and the Isometric (aka PNF or tense/relax) exercises, doing both and doing them when he states to do them, you will get HIGHLY superior results. Don't be confused by the "science" or "words". Do the work, and it will become abundantly clear how superior this methodology is as your "foundation" to stretching. Sure, there's more out there that gives you more techniques, and principles, etc. but with this as a foundation, you'll be amazing.

TL;DR- read the listing information, this is NOT a generalist book, the audience is those involved in sports or other physical activities, not beginners looking to undo the damage of a sedentary lifestyle I bought this book at the general recommendation of many online. I think, and have no doubt that, there’s a lot of good information in this book but, as a total novice who is not involved in any sports or the like, this is way above my head. It has a number of sport/activity specific stretches and sample routines and whatnot and there’s some really interesting info on how you might develop your own stretching plan as well along with types of stretches... but I don’t have any of the fundamental knowledge or the means to put that information to good use, which is frustrating. Shame on me for not doing my homework after seeing the recommendations though. Lesson learned

Simple, concise, and sound methodology on flexibility. Easy enough for laymen or causal readers, but is also well cited for more serious readers. I personally found Kurz's book very helpful and at 47 I'm moving better than I have in quite awhile. I recommend this to anyone interested if performance related flexibility.

Doesn't reveal any insight on gaining the split flexibility, except what you learn in gym class. The picture on the front page is the closest you will get to achieving your goal of performing splits.

If you want to do splits in the shortest time, this is the only book you need. It discusses various types of stretching and gives practical recommendations on routines to stretch safely and efficiently. It also dispells the usual nonsense typical to stretching books: dynamic stretching is dangerous, stretching during warm-up reduces the chance of trauma, to be flexible you have to stretch ligaments, stretching must be done slowly and so on. The key to stretching lies in modification of neural control of muscles and strengthening the muscles involved. The book is truly scientific and every statement is referenced, mostly by sources from former USSR and Eastern Europe. But it is also very practical. In fact, you can skip the discussion and get directly to exercises, which are quite simple. The fact that the author can do splits and various high kicks gives the book real credibility. Thomas Kurtz has an interactive website and answers questions regarding his training methods. Do not be fooled by the simplicity though. The exercises are tough and demand regular training. But if you follow the recommendations, splits are virtually guaranteed.

American running legend Frank Shorter is quoted in the Lore of Running as saying that he can tell how well he will perform in a marathon based upon the feeling in his body after the first 1/4 mile. (pause) A marathon is 104 laps around the track, which means that he can tell just how well he will proform based upon a 1% completion rate. (pause) It the the functional equalivent of knowing how well you will sleep the next night based upon the feeling in your body the first 10 minutes after you wake up that day. (pause) If you have this same type of body awareness then this is the book for you. But if you don't, I would avoid this book like the plauge. Beautifully written, well-organized, and highly intelligent, this book suffers from a fundamental cultural gap. It is written by an expert who was trained and developed in a cultural framework that stressed body health and awareness. That is not America, where 60% of the population is overweight. Many people think a hamstring is the string that goes around the ham at a gorcery store. And even among those that can identify its correct location, understanding the basics of stretching is an alien world. It is no conincidence that most of the pictures in the front piece are of people in their martial arts costumes. You don't need to be a martial artist to benefit from this book but you do need to have some of the basic body awarness that martial arts teaches. A quick look at the index reveals both the strength and the weaknesses of this book. Conspicious by their absence are entries for "pain," "body awareness," and "beginners". Yet knowning the difference between actual pain and mere discomfort is fundamental to good stretching. For people like the author, this feeling is no doubt second nature. But for the beginner this is often an insurmountable hurdle. The mere act of tensing the muscles can result in claims of pain from such people because of their lack of expereince and body awareness. Whether the absence of these topics is a flaw in the book is open to dispute; it may simply be that the author has chosen to target the advanced stretcher. But I wish to make it plain that if you are seeking a book to introduce you to stretching this book is most defintely not the correct book. I don't won't to be mistaken. The is a great book which shows high mastery of the subject matter and profound insight into training the human body. This book will go on my personal bookshelf in pride of place along with "Strength Training Anatomy," which in my opinion is the best book on that subject. But if you are a beginner, it is better to be in a class where you can speak with and learn body awareness and proper technique before moving on to this book.

I had the book years ago but lost it. His techniques are very good and easy to implement Going for the front splits at an older age.

From a massage therapy, martial arts and personal training backgroun I must say that I have enjoyed this book thoroughly. I must admit if one finds the isometrics tough there is also a good optional version I found in Mantak Chia's Iron Body 1 book. These former Soviets are really making an excellent contribution to physical culture in the United States. This is concise and so no-nonsense that it might be a little diappointing if you would like a thousand and one options, Mr. Kurtz presents the bare bones techniques. This is good in such a way because they can be easily adapted and expanded upon depending upon one's athletic field and one's personal level of athleticism and fitness.

This work re-writes the book on flexibility training. Throw out everything you ever thought about flexibility training and start over. This book explains why all that we have been doing in the West for the last 30 years is counter-productive and wrong, including the no pain no gain school of thought. I have followed these teachings and they work. Not only that, they are more comfortable, more common sense and do-able at any age.

This book either needs a new editor, or perhaps never had one to begin with. It is very confusing to try to follow. He uses terms interchangeably which succeeds in confusing the vocabulary. The explanations of the stretches are not clear, and the drawings are awful. I want to believe in the methods of this book but the author does not succeed in clearly articulating them them.

I've had this book for I think some 30+ years, had the original and a few years back purchased the updated version, and the principles it teaches, ones often not well-known, are superior to any other method of flexibility training. Highly recommend... NOTE: Some complain about how things aren't as clear as they could be, the mixing of terms, etc. However, if you just do the exercises as stated, more specifically focus on the Dynamic exercises/joint rotations and lifts and the Isometric (aka PNF or tense/relax) exercises, doing both and doing them when he states to do them, you will get HIGHLY superior results. Don't be confused by the "science" or "words". Do the work, and it will become abundantly clear how superior this methodology is as your "foundation" to stretching. Sure, there's more out there that gives you more techniques, and principles, etc. but with this as a foundation, you'll be amazing.

TL;DR- read the listing information, this is NOT a generalist book, the audience is those involved in sports or other physical activities, not beginners looking to undo the damage of a sedentary lifestyle I bought this book at the general recommendation of many online. I think, and have no doubt that, there’s a lot of good information in this book but, as a total novice who is not involved in any sports or the like, this is way above my head. It has a number of sport/activity specific stretches and sample routines and whatnot and there’s some really interesting info on how you might develop your own stretching plan as well along with types of stretches... but I don’t have any of the fundamental knowledge or the means to put that information to good use, which is frustrating. Shame on me for not doing my homework after seeing the recommendations though. Lesson learned

Simple, concise, and sound methodology on flexibility. Easy enough for laymen or causal readers, but is also well cited for more serious readers. I personally found Kurz's book very helpful and at 47 I'm moving better than I have in quite awhile. I recommend this to anyone interested if performance related flexibility.

Doesn't reveal any insight on gaining the split flexibility, except what you learn in gym class. The picture on the front page is the closest you will get to achieving your goal of performing splits.

If you want to do splits in the shortest time, this is the only book you need. It discusses various types of stretching and gives practical recommendations on routines to stretch safely and efficiently. It also dispells the usual nonsense typical to stretching books: dynamic stretching is dangerous, stretching during warm-up reduces the chance of trauma, to be flexible you have to stretch ligaments, stretching must be done slowly and so on. The key to stretching lies in modification of neural control of muscles and strengthening the muscles involved. The book is truly scientific and every statement is referenced, mostly by sources from former USSR and Eastern Europe. But it is also very practical. In fact, you can skip the discussion and get directly to exercises, which are quite simple. The fact that the author can do splits and various high kicks gives the book real credibility. Thomas Kurtz has an interactive website and answers questions regarding his training methods. Do not be fooled by the simplicity though. The exercises are tough and demand regular training. But if you follow the recommendations, splits are virtually guaranteed.

American running legend Frank Shorter is quoted in the Lore of Running as saying that he can tell how well he will perform in a marathon based upon the feeling in his body after the first 1/4 mile. (pause) A marathon is 104 laps around the track, which means that he can tell just how well he will proform based upon a 1% completion rate. (pause) It the the functional equalivent of knowing how well you will sleep the next night based upon the feeling in your body the first 10 minutes after you wake up that day. (pause) If you have this same type of body awareness then this is the book for you. But if you don't, I would avoid this book like the plauge. Beautifully written, well-organized, and highly intelligent, this book suffers from a fundamental cultural gap. It is written by an expert who was trained and developed in a cultural framework that stressed body health and awareness. That is not America, where 60% of the population is overweight. Many people think a hamstring is the string that goes around the ham at a gorcery store. And even among those that can identify its correct location, understanding the basics of stretching is an alien world. It is no conincidence that most of the pictures in the front piece are of people in their martial arts costumes. You don't need to be a martial artist to benefit from this book but you do need to have some of the basic body awarness that martial arts teaches. A quick look at the index reveals both the strength and the weaknesses of this book. Conspicious by their absence are entries for "pain," "body awareness," and "beginners". Yet knowning the difference between actual pain and mere discomfort is fundamental to good stretching. For people like the author, this feeling is no doubt second nature. But for the beginner this is often an insurmountable hurdle. The mere act of tensing the muscles can result in claims of pain from such people because of their lack of expereince and body awareness. Whether the absence of these topics is a flaw in the book is open to dispute; it may simply be that the author has chosen to target the advanced stretcher. But I wish to make it plain that if you are seeking a book to introduce you to stretching this book is most defintely not the correct book. I don't won't to be mistaken. The is a great book which shows high mastery of the subject matter and profound insight into training the human body. This book will go on my personal bookshelf in pride of place along with "Strength Training Anatomy," which in my opinion is the best book on that subject. But if you are a beginner, it is better to be in a class where you can speak with and learn body awareness and proper technique before moving on to this book.

I had the book years ago but lost it. His techniques are very good and easy to implement Going for the front splits at an older age.

From a massage therapy, martial arts and personal training backgroun I must say that I have enjoyed this book thoroughly. I must admit if one finds the isometrics tough there is also a good optional version I found in Mantak Chia's Iron Body 1 book. These former Soviets are really making an excellent contribution to physical culture in the United States. This is concise and so no-nonsense that it might be a little diappointing if you would like a thousand and one options, Mr. Kurtz presents the bare bones techniques. This is good in such a way because they can be easily adapted and expanded upon depending upon one's athletic field and one's personal level of athleticism and fitness.

This work re-writes the book on flexibility training. Throw out everything you ever thought about flexibility training and start over. This book explains why all that we have been doing in the West for the last 30 years is counter-productive and wrong, including the no pain no gain school of thought. I have followed these teachings and they work. Not only that, they are more comfortable, more common sense and do-able at any age.

The knowledge contained in this book is great, and the methods simple once properly understood. It is however laid out in a slightly confusing manner and order. The first couple of chapters present a lot of studies and their sometimes conflicting results in a neutral way, which is a bit baffling and quite boring. But it all makes sense in the end! Overall a great resource for intermediate and advanced athletes.

The book had a lot of medical terminology about the human body. The way he wrote the book, he expects anyone that reads his book, to have a lot of knowledge of medical terms and muscle groups joints and etc... stuff most people won't know about... he should try to simplify it into more laymen terms so everyone can understand what he his talking about. The pictures of the step by step process are very good and the Question and Answer section is pretty good too. I suggest that people get his DVD instead the book if you want a more simplified way of learning how to stretch better, cause I had to force myself to read the book and if I have to force myself to read a book, that isn't good for anyone.

This book contains a lot more information than you will need to actually stretch. Personally I think that takes away from it in the form of needless details. The book wasn't really organized and after reading it was still trying to figure out what I should actually dp to be able to perform the splits. The author himself says that many people asked him "what do I need to do?" in his previous books and he attempts to correct that here. I think that he falls short once again. The book contains a lot of examples of stretching and leaves out some basic. I still found myself attempting to put together some kind of routine. This involved taking out some paper and flipping back and forth through the book. The author gives lots of examples but says far more general things like. "these kinds" for before your routine, and "ones like this" or "some of these" for after. What I was looking for when I bought the book was what do I need to do to be able to do the splits? I wanted a system, something that would tell me do this, then this, then this. A list of the exact stretches (or examples of different ones) I needed to do, with guidance for how long, and an order to perform them. That is not what you will get with this book. You'll get lots of examples with more concept and ideas that actual guidance. I understand that everyone is different and what works for one will not necessarily work for another, but I'm a very active physical person, and have been all my life, and I still didn't get much out of this book other than a few new stretches to incorporate into what I was already doing. The author does know what he's talking about, though.

After 2 months, I'm inches away from splits in all 3 directions and am confident that another month or 2 will do it. I'm a 36 year-old, long-time martial artist and athlete that has never had this kind of flexibility, not even as a competative gymnast many moons ago. My foot speed, grappling agility and explosiveness have also improved greatly as a direct result of this book's stretching methods. Reading is no substitute for training, but you can apply the information here easily, with little time and effort and make great gains. The book isn't organized perfectly, so I'd encourage you to read and re-read. I've gone over it several times, highlighted it, dog-eared it and still pick up new bits of info. on the next read. If you want to train smart, this is a great resource.

This was my first serious look into improving flexibility (sparked by realising my physical limitations while parkour training). I carefully developed a routine of dynamic stretches for my warm up and then proceeded to destroy myself so that I couldn't even train. It was both humbling and gratifying to learn how unfit I was, and to begin the serious build up to good flexibility and strength. You will not be disappointed with this purchase. Tom Kurz's material is all top notch, readable, and well researched. The diligent and thoughtful reader will benefit enormously. I would recommend also purchasing "Science of Sports Training: How to Plan and Control Training for Peak Performance". These two volumes have been my 'go to' resources for the last 10+ years and I have never been disappointed.

It's got good information in it, more of a book on how to stretch than a book of stretches, although there are some examples, it is more of a discussion of how to go about stretching more effectively, which is really great I have to say.

Yes, it could be laid out better. Yes, the recommendations could be pulled together in one spot. But if you take your time and read it, it is all there. No, the pictures aren't 'modern', but heck, we're talking about doing the splits - this is not a photography text! Buy, do it, and reap the results. I'll report back after a while on the programme as to what progress I make, but already after two weeks I can see some. I'm not surprised this book is still around and actively sold/advertised in the martial arts world.

Excellent guide to a different paradigm of physical fitness. The instructions are easy to follow, and the information is highly useful. When the book is used as intended--read the instructions--the results are as rapid as genetics, discipline, and time allow.

As an amateur contortionist I thought I knew everything about stretching, but I borrowed a friend's copy of Stretching Scientifically and my ego took a blow because I had never even heard of isometric stretching. Once I started applying it I instantly gained more flexibility. East bloc training wins again. I am so glad I came across this book.

*** This review is for the 4th edition, superceding my 3rd edition review. Buying this new edition, especially since I thought the third edition was a good enough start, was a matter of integrity. I'd blistered the editors for not organizing the book well, and took the author to task for some vagaries in his descriptions and the lightness of graphical assistance, i.e. crummy drawings and mediocre photographs. I can say that the editors improved the book significantly. The organization of the chapters is now more-logical, and it also begins in a very direct, simple manner that gradually adds complexity as you read. Which is fine, since concepts introduced earlier are laying a foundation of knowledge required for the later , extremely scientific chapter on how muscles, tendons, and ligaments work together to move your body in three dimensions. I enjoyed the new edition more than the third, and I was very pleased with the updates and corrections. I believe you still need to invest some sweat to extract any value from this, but I would surmise no one is picking this up for light reading: this is an owner's manual for your body in some respects, and it requires hands-on application. The fifth star is not forthcoming, and I don't think a fifth edition will change this. The photographs and stick figures you loved to hate from prior editions are still here, and I can't help wonder why the publisher didn't just run a contest at SVA or Pratt for book illustrators. Still, there's less excuses for readers to employ if they can't figure out a good routine after reading this book, and Thomas Kurz's admonishing commentary is hilarious: I can actually see him as a professor taking some of the dimmer student body to task for not fully reading the relevant material. The FAQ section alone is worth the price of admission.

This is a very thorough guide to enhancing your flexibility, it doesn't matter what your flexibility goals are it has a systematic approach to getting you to achieve said goals. Great for gymnasts, martial artists, or just anyone who wants to be generally flexible.

Thin book, thought I got ripped off, but when I read the book and picked out my plan it worked great. Have serveral stretching books and most don't get you the flexibility, this definitely helps.

Stretching Scientifically is the ultimate book on stretching. It covers the different types of stretches, their benefits, and provides provides guidance on setting up proper stretching routines and doing it right.

This book is very informative and easy to read. It use of common sense and research will make you re-think all the years of poor advice you have received on stretching. I have basically been stretching the same way that I was taught in junior high for the last 30 years. I have made more progress toward the split in the 30 days since I began reading this book then I did in all that previous time.

Excellent information . Will put information to practice soon.

prior to reading this book, i used to have a lot of misconceptions on how to gain flexibility. my own methods were all wrong and maybe, even dangerous. i also missed out a lot of things on pre-requisites for flexibility training such as strengthening the muscles first. after reading this book back to back and following the methods, within a few weeks my flexibility and also strength has improved a lot. my endurance too! never in my life did i feel physically fit. i gave a rating of 4 stars instead of 5 because: i) there should have been more illustrations and examples. ii) it should have a more logical presentation of ideas rather than bits of topics scattered all over the book (some useful ideas can only be found in the q & a portion). iii) detailed samples of workouts and explanations (e.g., i had to search the internet what does "adductor flies" mean). iv) i am not that versed in physical education and human anatomy as the author assumes. maybe, simpler explanations for the layman would make it easier and even more enjoyable. overall, this is a good buy! and i don't regret it.

Brillant book.. I have accomplished more in two weeks of doing his routines then I have in 15 months. This book is a confidence builder I was always scared of doing major damage to myself, but with this book I have no fears in doing the routines outline in this book...

Excellent book works well great a good guide I have it in hard copy as well as Kindle.

The description of this book is very good, but it doesn't do this book justice. Both the underlying scientific principles of stretching and the mechanics of achieving one's desired flexibility are outstanding. I highly recommend this title to anyone who is flexibility-challenged, as I am, and is looking to improve their body in this area.

I've read a few books on stretching but I always come back to this one. this is not for fast easy results, but for proper sustained increase in flexibility. a reference!

The book was recommended to me by a martial art expert. Found its methods easy enough to follow and quite efficient. The hard part is to follow a fixed schedule. The format (e.g font styles, sizes - for now it is quite monotonous) of the book needs to be improved. Recommended if you want to improve your kicks.

An easily explained method to increase flexibility.

Very indepth guide on how to stretch. Worth every penny.

This book has a lot of great information on how to properly stretch and in what sequence stretches should be done to effectively and efficiently increase your flexibility. As I write this review, I finished the book moments ago and find myself a bit confused, still. This book has a lot of information but I find it quite overwhelming and find myself without a complete understanding of where to start; perhaps I need to read the beginning chapters once more. I believe this is a good book to read to learn when certain types of stretching should be done but lacks when it comes to practical use and providing a sort of "101" on how to apply this in your everyday training.

This book has some cool information in it, but the essential exercises it taught me are things I already know. I haven't been able to be dedicated to stretching everyday, so I cannot say how effective it is. However, I feel a bit duped since I've been doing the stretches he talks about for years and still do not have my middle splits :/

This book explains some things about stretching , puts labels to some things that you might not have had a name for, and reminds you of some stretches that you may not have pulled out and dusted off in a while, but it isn't a great resource if you are looking for a a magic routine. stretching routines, like any other exercise routine, must tell you what to do and when to do it. This book is good for the what, but not so explicit on the when.

My Grandmaster told me to use this to improve my flexibility for Taekwondo and as a goalie. It is Awesome!!

It's not as helpful as it announced. I had to return to some traditional stretching train approach

Well done Mr Kurz. I got a lot out of the first edition and was surprised by the improvements. Awesome.

I got this book to add more flexibility for martial arts. I feel more limber in a little over a week. Plain and simple, it is effective.

This book was recommended to me as the best on stretching by a martial arts friend, and, while the book has good info, it is horribly written. It reads like a scholarly paper or first draft (even though I'm reading the 4th edition). Kurz is militant about citing his information, but when it comes to explaining how to stretch he is downright lazy. CONFUSING TERMINOLOGY: His terms are often technical without explaining them when you need the info. He'll use isometric and static relaxed stretching interchangeably, but I had to read the chapters a couple times to figure out they are different methods of static passive stretches. (He likes to throw around terms like static, active, passive, and dynamic, but often in counter-intuitive combinations such as "Chapter 4: Static Active Stretching". Incidentally, that is a series of exercises more than stretches to develop strength for certain gymnastic positions. (Okay, that sentence just explained it better than the book.) POOR EXPLANATION: There is one box that presents the how-to as a question. Literally, "Question: I am 29 years old...I use the following exercises...Is this sequence and method correct?" Kurz answers the phantom questioner, "Yes, this is a good sequence of exercises." Why not just tell us? This box is the clearest routine he gives. He also gives ONE menu per field of activity, gymnastics, judo, hurdles... Yet, one awkward stick figure denoting ONLY the final position of stretch--without labels--makes it very difficult to decipher and follow. (It feels like he designed it in hieroglyphics.) Some stretches are never explained, they just give a stick figure as a variation on the stretch pictured in one photo. The book is logical in its layout. He defines terms and then has a chapter on each stretch, but the information is not given when needed. Information is scattered throughout the book. I keep going back and forth in the book to figure out what order, how many times to stretch, and which ones to do. Consequently, you need to take notes. I am going through the book and basically rewriting his book, just so I have the information in a usable form. When you find yourself doing that, it doesn't matter how good the information is. BOTTOM LINE: What this book really needs is a user-friendly version. It feels like a rough draft, written stream-of-conscious by someone intimately familiar with the material. It would be useful if he had a game-plan while only casually mentioning the terms. The reader is left to design their own stretch menu. Though, everyone must stretch according to their needs and limitations. You can use one of the sample stretch menus, but it will feel like you're flying blind.

Good book. Would recommend!!

Great!!!

I used to do an hour of yoga a day to loosen up, now with this book I only spend 15 minutes a day stretching and I am getting better results.

Not bad

I've been in martial arts for more than 20 years of which I spent the last 10 training other people. I am flexible to do both the front splits and the straddle split and I know how crucial it is to have a good coach teach you how to do the splits, I myself have had troubles at the beginning before finding the right way. I bought the book (and the DVD too) cause I was interested in the scientific part of stretching, anatomy of the human body and wondered if there are some new techniques in this book. The scientific part is good although there are so many scientific books of the same kind (for free) on the internet. But besides the scientific part this book is NOT a guide to flexibility training as the title says. The method of getting to the splits is really not the best one, specially the part when Kurtz suggests standing in the horse riding stance for long times or strengthening the inner thighs to get to the side-split (I wonder if the author knows that it is called a straddle split?). The other thing is that he does not do the front split but a variation because his hind leg is clearly in a straddle position, he is unable to stick the hind knee into the floor and perform a real front split. I am amazed how long Kurtz managed to maintain hip flexibility by doing the side ballistic throws of the leg, I give him credit for that. But following the advice from the book like ballistic side leg raises might lead to serious injuries without proper warmup of the hip muscles because that movement is not a usual movement in everyday use. The DVD is even less usable, there might be two clips that are useful and the rest is strenghtening of the inner thighs and abductors. His 'Test your flexibility potential' is a good thing for people to see that they are capable of doing the splits but the rest is going to be of little help if someone want practical advice how to do the splits in a fast, efficient and safe way. Kurtz is clearly demonstrating in this book that he can do an excellent straddle split but not the front split properly. The method he proposes is unfortunately not the best, nor is it worth the money I paid for the book and the DVD.

It is too detailed not easy to follow

I'm not concerned with which doctor claims what, I want to know what's the best stretch that will allow the range of motion I need to land a back hook kick to someone's jaw. Also like the last 30 or so pages are "questions and answers"? Huh? If they would have replaced the questions and answers with a three month schedule or graduated daily stretching routines I probably would have given it 5 stars. Please know I have a pretty short attention span and LOATHE having to work to get something out of reading. I also write processes for a living so I have a tendency to judge other people's work against my own. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

This is not a book for beginners, if you NEED to be able to do a split between two chairs this might be the book for you.

Great book still reading it but it seems like the stuff really works and made me understand more about stretching its anatomy

For me it seemed like a list of research articles on stretching, if there was a conclusion it was hard to parse.

There's way to much writing in this book and not a lot of stretching-it would be nice to have a section with just the stretches in it!

hi....I bought this book bout 25 years ago ...the dynamic kicking drill where you lift legs to side,front,and rear in morning really works.....his instructions on which order to do the exercises I tend to agree with too....but on a negative note ..I have weak knees and was unable to follow kurzs instructions about pinching the floor between legs and slowly going down to floor without using hands in order to do side splits.....i have permanently injured my right knee using this book and the ligaments in right knee feel weaker and less stable than my good leg...I was able to do front splits 100%...and side splits bout 75%....I have ditched this method and gone to bob andersons well known stretching book because of my knees issue...his book says to go up on your heels with your feet as you go down in side splits and this keeps the tension on your upper legs and off your knees ...this seems to work for me....while I miss the instant results of PNF stretching ...I feel relaxed stretches might be safer and less prone to injury cos youre not putting so much stress from contracting muscles on knees...im no expert ...and I franckly don't know who is giving best advice..i just know that the dynamic stretches worked and the pnf stretches my body couldn't handle....and I have even tried strengthening my knees by doing squats and lunges but it still didn't fix my weak knees problem...whenever I get to certain point the pain starts and knees just caant take it...and im not having knee probs when I use bob andersons relaxed stretching method and avoiding the pnf approach and going up on heels as I go down.....

I love biology and am very knowledgeable about the subject, so decided to buy this book because the reviews seemed fine and the author had experimental backing. I am a dancer/gymnast and am always looking for ways to increase my flexibility. However, I was incredibly disappointed and irritated by the author. He belittles instructors, students, and even buyers of his books and videos. He is conceited and puts down anyone that does not do things his way, which makes no sense, because he isn't even that flexible! The only stretch he is good at is middle splits, his right and left splits are not in the proper alignment, and he has bad form in several of his stretches. His forward bend is average at best, his backbend is atrocious--the only thing he can do is middle splits! How can I take stretching advice from someone who isn't flexible?? He calls other instructors "morons" (completely unprofessional), he brags about how he can do all of the stretches in the book without warming up (no great feat considering he isn't very flexible), and even tells someone who read his book and watched his video that he managed to miss the point in a very condescending manner. If a reader does not understand the book, the author should take that responsibility upon himself. The book is vague and concepts not clearly explained. He does not give a stretching regime, only talks about different types of stretching, which isn't helpful for someone looking for a new stretching routine. I have never been so irritated by an author in my entire life (and I have read a LOT of books). This author is condescending, vague, and conceited. A waste of money.

I was sceptical of much of what the author had to say but I could not doubt the body of literature he quoted and the scientific studies he quoted to buttress his arguments. Regardless, I applied his principles and I was astonished at the results especially the non-conventional kicking exercises in the morning with little warm up. In applying a few simple routines twice per day for less than 10 minutes I was able to dramatically increase flexibility AND strength resulting in much better axe, side, round house and spin hook kicks. The key to success is applying the principles and routines DAILY. I particularly liked how he debunked certain myths of stretching especially stretching BEFORE a workout. The body of scientific literature suggests that stretching before a workout is actually detrimental and he is astute in pointing this out. Some have argued that he does not provide sport specific routines, however, if you read carefully he points you to the correct chapters based upon your interests and allows you to decide which routines would be best for your interests. For example a martial artist who does alot of kicking would want to focus on lower body stretches whereas a wrestler would want to spend some time on upper body flexibility. In other words he wants you to think about what your goals are and use the routines accordingly. He clearly states which routines are best for various types of flexibility. This is a must have book for any serious martial artist.

"Stretching Scientifically" is as mentioned in other reviews not the best organized book on stretching, but in my opinion it needn't be. The goal of the book is not to give you a specific program for such and such sports (although a couple of examples are given) but to give you a thorough underdstanding of the priciples of stretching. If you understand the theory and principle of stretching, then you can apply those to any specific stretch routine making it better. The theoretical information in the first chapter is not, as another reviewer stated, "filler". It may not be very necessary to understand it to the fullest, but it gives insight into stretching which in return will give you a better stretch. Also he documents all his statements and gives references all the way through the section which gives the reader a reference for further reading and also gives the text an air of authenticity and authority. Something worth doing is worth doing well, someone once said, and it is also true here. All of the excercises shown in the book are simple and easy to do and will create results if you ACTUALLY DO THEM. I've been training Chinese martial arts for many years, so I was flexible to start with, but after following Kurtz' book for only a month I saw great results. Especially the dynamic stretching routine which can be made anywhere at any time is worth more than words can express. It makes the body loose and supple and keeps you flexible in only a few minutes a day. If only you do it. There are of course bad things about the book. The drawings in the specific routines are of matchstick men doing the excersises which I don't care for (you can perfectly understand what you're supposed to do, it just looks bad), and the layout in general is not as good as it could be. But these are only small things and has no bearing on the important things in the book: the information on stretching. Highly recommendable

If what you want is an easy reference to start programming for better flexibility, this really doesn't seem to be the answer. Where it talks about exercises and methodology, it's all over the place and in great detail. But nothing is easily referenceable to be able to know what the routine will be. For me, in terms of usability, Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength

I thought the book was very informative in term of his why and what of stretching. It describes when to do different type of stretching for what type of flexibility, and how each flexibility can work with different activities. It shows examples of different stretches as well, but not a lot, unlike some other stretch books I have seen. But maybe this is because the author wanted to focus on what works and decided not to list others that may not be as effective. Presentation of stretching examples could be better. The book doesn't have a lot of illustrations or photos. There are few places where I wished there were more visual aids. For the most part, it was ok. The book needs to be gone through at least once to be beneficial, though scientific theory part can be skipped, if you don't care to know "why" of stretching described in the book. It's not for someone who is looking for a reference manual where you can open a page and do a stretch that's on a page. I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to improve their stretching. But I am not sure if I recommend it to a complete beginner.

I recieved the book and was quite happy with the level of information inside. This book is, in fact, a BOOK. You have to read it and the level of writing is that which takes a little mulling over as there is a great deal of information to absorb for fitness beginners such as myself. While I greatly enjoy learning from this book I felt it necessary to dock a star from the rating I gave it. Mostly because the book is a little disorganized. For example; located in the back, the absolute back, past the index, is a page with a couple of stretches in case you, the reader, are not sure you can do a full split. The stretches are interesting, but if I hadn't picked up the book funny I would never have seen the page. Furthermore, as a precaution; if you happen to be an average Tom, Dick, Harry or Sue who doesn't participate in martial arts, gymnastics or some other such sport, be aware that the author's target audience is athletes, especially martial artists.

This book helped me get a suspended side split in a few months.

As the title implies, this is a scientific and somewhat technical book on stretching. It is also insightful, helpful, and fascinating. It will show you how to learn to stretch physically, and it may stretch your mind as well. This is not a book that shows a series of activity or sport specific stretches for say running, tennis, or golf. It explores what is known about stretching, what is good and bad about stretching.

I've only just received the book so I wont be able to comment on how it has improved my flexibility as of yet....but here are my impressions of the book itself.... I like the way it takes one through the types and kinds of stretches and am eager to get started. He also gives good examples on how to stretch with different sports and when to stretch. I also like how he has referenced the information to show that all this information comes from scientific sources and are traceable, which a lot of books don't seem to do nowadays. I find the writing style a bit hard to read though, I found I couldn't just sit down and read the book, I had to keep flipping back and forth and read it over again to understand what was being said. Not that it is really a problem for me, but if your looking for a book with nice photographs and elaborate diagrams on the stretching methods then you may be disappointed as there are photos, but they are not fantastic, and a lot of descriptions are done though stick figure drawings. Even though the written style of the book isn't fantastic, I think it is loaded with useful information and will help me on my path of flexibility.

I you have the time read the first chunk of text, otherwise read only the end. I would have to agree with one reviewer Fred Mertz, that this book somewhat lacks structure, and that there should be well-organized stretchingroutines for various needs and sports, but despite this i give it 5 stars. I would give it 6 stars if possible. However I think that a great part of this book is the underlying science. I strongly believe that if you know why, you get better results and you can perform your task more determined and confident. Intricate descriptions of ligaments, muscles, tendons, connective tissues, joint capsules etc are in the book. However if'd have it my way, even more science would be added, but still you can get result wheter you know or not the science. The author says; "do not stretch the ligaments" And some people will just respond "ok, I wont" but I would answer "Ok, but why?" But either if you want to know or not, this method works. Everything that I have read in this book and tryed has worked, its sound like a "loose 50 pounds of fat in 2 weeks with the new revolutionizing orange pill!" (which never works) but this one really works. Why? Science, science, science. The author/authors truly have a kings understanding of human anatomy and discards old myth about stretching. To be honest, with the results I have gained, it is the best book (or anything for that matter) I have bought IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. And you can quote me on that. I cant recommend this book more than anything to people who want flexibility do not get any results. Björn Ahlman, Sweden, Umeå

As the author says about it's publication in newsletter Volume 10, Number 2, Spring 2003- "I have not set out to do books and videos showing winning sports techniques and how to do exercises for this or that. There are plenty of such publications already and there will be plenty more. Our publications stress methods of training- giving you the knowledge of how to select exercises for your individual needs and when to do them. This goes for both the conditioning exercises and for the sequences of teaching drills." As such if you haven't stretched before in your life or don't know to do a particular stretch properly; first buy "Stretching" by Bob Anderson or similar text like "sports stretch" by human kinetics. Then, to move your flexibility to a good level, you will need this book. The best parts of this book are: Focus on proper sequence Need for Strength exercises for flexibility Listing of essential stretching exercises out of many available Many question and answers And yes, author is very approachable (provided you ask right question, not earlier answered)

It is obvious once you are done reading this book that the author has a strong grasp of the science of stretching. There are good stretching techniques mentioned in the book, complete with exercise plans depending on your sport and an Question/Answer section. However, the book reads more like a technical thesis than something intended for a non-medical audience. For a book that is past its third revision, the pictures HAVE to be updated from grainy black-and-white and confusing stick figures. Finally, one can't help thinking less of the author when he peppers his writing with comments that show a lack of understanding of existing martial art stretching techniques. There is much that can be improved in this book. If you don't mind spending the money (it's more expensive than it should be) then you'll find some helpful ideas, but not much more.

I have to be honest and say that I'm completley astounded by other reviews I have read, giving this book a poor rating (4th edition ). I find myself questioning the intergrity and intelligence of some of the people who have failed to extract the informantion that is clearly presented in the book. If you're lame and don't have the ability to absorb knowledge from books then by all means feel free to go and buy stretching for dummies or similar, if it exists! 1) Excellent book ! 2) Well organized ( 4th edition ). 3) Some good sample work outs for various diciplines. 4) Great question and answers at the end ( quite humorous at times ). 5) Great reference guide !

My daughter Samantha was in gymnastics when she was younger.But now she is 10.Most of her flexibility is gone.I mean she can do cartwheels,round-offs,back bend stand up etc.But she can't do very Advanced things.All that changed after reading this book.She can do a creepy contention challenge.I got great results

This book contains all you could ever want to know about stretching. And it works... i have now tried it on my own body and I can highly recommend it for all. This is a must. If you are not into reading so much, then try Pavel Tsatsoulines Relax Into Stretch. It is basicly the same ideas but less science talk.

Finally a book on increasing range of motion that deals with muscle strengthening (instead of just going for stretching).

This book takes the guesswork out of getting more flexible. It makes increasing your flexibility simple, but it's still very hard work and requires you to stop making excuses and get off your backside!

This guide to stretching will teach you the principles of stretching so you'll understand why a stretch needs to be a certain way. Understanding will give you a better workout.

I have read over a dozen books on stretching, and own several that I ound useful. Though if I had found this book early on I woould have saved a lot of time. If you want results use this book.

That's all I can say, read and with practice you will become flexible.

IF you want to be bored buy an anatomy book. No tips or tricks. The information is presented in the most generic way. Nothing new. Waste of $$

I was able to lift 10x the weight of my car and run faster than my house plant but I could never reach the cereal bowls in my kitchen cabinets. With this book I am still unable to reach the bowls and I have a massive debilitating tear in my lower back. This book ROCKS!!!!!

Good way to increase flexibility

I've given this 5-stars because it really is the final word on flexibility training, however, I do have some criticisms too. The book contains a lot of the science behind flexibility that may not be of interest to people who just want to achieve the splits or whatever. It's a tough read if you're just looking for a routine to do. Kurz has since released a DVD called Flexibility Express which is a much better product if you want to skip all the technical details and just learn what to do.

Despite some of the negative reviews describing it as confusing, I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and after reading Dr Kurz's blog. I wasn't disappointed. It gives a very detailed description of four main types of stretches, when to do them, what they're for, depending on the sports you're into etc. It also explains how to prevent injuries and what to avoid to make stretching the most effective. To me, it's a very useful book for those who don't know anything about stretching - so they start with the right kind of technique for the word go, and for those who know some stuff already, it may add some crucial nuances to their knowledge.

A simple and effective breakdown if how to gain in flexibility. The science and further reading are also very valuable resources.

Really happy with this buy. It’s very thorough. Really handy to have for a professional for reference or for a novis to understand the fundamentals and importance of stretching properly.

It opened my eyes and gave me a brand new perspective on stretching after 42 years of martial arts training. Unreservedly recommend this book.

After being frustrated with 7 years of different types of yoga not fixing my spasmic psoas and tight hamstrings, and having started karate 2 years back at the unthankful age of 42, it would seem that after combining some kettlebell training and some wushu type dynamic exercises to karate - with the invaluable aid from this book telling do's don'ts and how's I'm finally making serious progress. I am extremely pleased with the practical, straightforeward, no shortcuts, facts only, how not to break but fix things- type of approach on stretching.

Clear and concise, good instructions, well researched and quite academic. Very useful for those serious about stretching and the pros and cons of the different stretch types...

All previous books I have been reading about strectching lacked methodology and in-depth explainations, but this book has it all. whether you just want a quick method to fit efficient strectching sessions into your work out schedule or you want all the physiological details about stretching, everything is laid out clearly. I have been using it for a few weeks and I have already seen some improvements. This book is especially usefull by advising specific stretching techniques depending on the sport praticed by the reader.

The author is a genius in his field.

A good book that is easy to understand. delivery took a long time but this was either due to the slow Christmas post or Customs holding things up.

Very good book makes a lot of sense.

Detailed and backed up by research. With photographic and visual examples. A great book.

This is the updated version of the last book I had bit more info in it but its still very vague as to which stretches to do and what strength execises

Great Product and knowledge!

Follow this book, it works

This book describes different stretching methods (that are safe and work), how they differ and what they are for. It explains for several types of sports (including martial arts) which combinations of these stretching methods and in which order to perform to get the best effect. It contains sample training plans, anatomical knowledge and 60 pages of frequently asked questions as well. The book is well structured and can be read selectively and describes how to do so. The statements all have references to scientific papers/studies from about 1950 to 2000 (eleven pages of references!). The knowledge and reasoning is gold; it is not just a manual what can be done but gives the reader the background knowledge and the methology for proper flexibility training and even further scientific investigation if desired. It contains simple tests and full instructions how to reach both splits. Several readers of older editions sent in pictures showing that they achieved the free split using the instructions provided by the book, even older people who did sports for many years but did not succeed before starting with this method. This book is worth it for every sports trainer and every sports trainee because people copy what others do without understanding how to properly do it, e.g. someone sees how gymnasts stretch and applies it to martial arts which is the first mistake. Then the order is done in a wrong way (e.g. cooldown techniques are used in the warmup) which prolongs progress or endangers the actual training. This book should be common knowledge.

Great information. And uses the generally gentle and forgiving approach of... a top Soviet trainer (pain is your duty to the State, comrade ! Your reward is to be measured in tears ! Keep your head at a 30 degree angle with eyes fixed towards the bright future of the glorious populist utopia of... oh wait, it's 1985 and the Berlin Wall will fall in a few years, never mind). I just wish it had been written in a way that doesn't feel like reading a phonebook backwards while on Nyquil.

Completely changed my understanding about stretching and how I should approach. The book talks more about the importance of stretching and the two major types of stretching. Gives detailed explanation on how and when to do each stretching. Gives step by step guide to perform full spits

If you are not actually going to apply any of this stuff then don’t buy the book. Too many people think these books are the magic scroll that will allow them to hit the splits. You actually have to do the work. Start slow! Seriously! Pick one or two things and do them for a week, 2 -3 times or as much as you can. Make those a part of your LIFE! Only then add one more. If you keep doing that you will achieve!

Excelente obra, a pesar de que se escribió hace años, la información sigue siendo vigente (salvo quizá, la sobre dramatización de las lesiones).

Livro excelente! Simplemente indispensável para quem é leigo no assunto ou até mesmo avançado em alongamento e condicionamento físico. É acho aconselhável fazer algum teste físico antes de adquirir o livro. O alongamento lateral total não é pra todos, mas a maioria das pessoas que pretendem se tornar mais flexíveis com um esforço minimo devem adquirir esse livro!

A lot of explanations on "why", not only "how". A small inconvinience is that the references are sometimes very old. The 2015 edition could have been updated with some fresher material (I looked it up, the research papers exist).