slanker,
What words best for me is a sustained stretch. I warm up until my tissues are VERY hot, stretch and hold it. The longer the better.
I try to stretch this way for about 30 mintues. I wlll vary my angles on occasion. I try to stay very relaxed. Then the last 5-7 minutes
I cool down while stretched.
Can't say for sure that this will work for everybody but here is the support for why I do it this way.
Lehman and associates (1970) studied the effects of heat and stretching on rat tail tendons.6 The results indicated that heating alone produced no significant elongation and that stretching alone produced no residual elongation. Significant elongation occurred if heat and stretch were combined. A greater increase in length was maintained if the stretch was held during the period of cooling since “reorganization of the tissues is thought to occur during the cooling period.”6 Overall, the most effective method of producing a plastic deformation of connective tissue was to apply a sustained stretch during the application of heat and to maintain the stretch during the period of cooling. (Italics and underlines mine)
For the full article:
Heat Application in Physiotherapy