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Stretching & Flexibility | 
 enlarge | Author: Kit Laughlin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Category: Book
List Price: $18.00
Buy Used: $10.22
You Save: $7.78 (43%)
Used (11) from $10.22
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 232329
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Pages: 280
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0743200691
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.71
EAN: 9780743200691
ASIN: 0743200691
Publication Date: September 1, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: -We Pack and Send out our items withing 24 HOURS!
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Product Description
Everyone knows that stretching is good for you, for all sorts of reasons -- but the most important one is rarely mentioned. Stretching feels great to do and leaves you feeling wonderful. How to get the most out of this aspect of stretching is part of what the book is about. No matter whether you're an office worker wondering how to stretch that tight spot between your shoulders and neck or a martial artist wanting to do side-splits, this is the book for you. Or possibly you're a weekend athlete and you want to know how to get more whole-body rotation to improve your golf swing. Perhaps you've just finished gardening or the housework and you want to know how to relax your back. Or maybe you simply want to know what's the best way to stretch your hamstrings. Whatever your interest in stretching, this book will provide the techniques you need, from the easiest exercises to the most difficult. It is organised into 15 lessons, plus an 'unnumbered' one which you can do anytime to check your progress. The book features: * 96 stretching exercises, plus additional warm-up movements
* exercises which use the Contract-Relax (C-R) method
* advanced stretching movements
* exercises for all parts of the body, including hands and feet
* exercises for athletes, grouped by sports
* exercises shown in partner and solo versions
* over 700 photographs
* many illustrations of key anatomical details
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Very Detailed and not for the illiterate August 5, 2004
Richard (OC, CA)
25 out of 25 found this review helpful
I have had this book for 5 weeks and can tell you that it is an effective means of increasing your range by informing you what proper stretching is all about. My guess about the people who didn't like this book is that they are use to the "Stretching for Dummies" type writing style where they can open the book, assume a position, and get busy. This is not that type of book. I suspect that people of that nature will never benefit from any stretching book as stretching requires diligence, determination, and patience, all three of which the negative reviewers seem to lack.
That being said, I have gained greatly in some areas and not so much in other areas. Having done both yoga and pilates I know enough to know that it is probably related to my technique. Nonetheless, this is the optimum book for stretching as I have own Pavel's, Wharton's, and others.
On top of everthing else I have said, Kit has a website with a discussion board where you can ask questions and Kit, along with others, will answer.
Stretching and Flexibility September 21, 2000
Jim Pickles (St. Lucia, Qld Australia)
21 out of 22 found this review helpful
This is by far the best book on flexibility training that I have ever come across. I am sure it will become the ultimate reference text on this issue. The text and illustrations are detailed and complete. Every aspect of each exercise is discussed. The book does not take any short cuts. Very precise information is also given on how to go into and out of stretches, and how every muscle involved is to be used. This is the sort of information that is essential to proper stretching, but is normally missing from flexibility books. It finishes with stretching recommendations for different sports.
 Fine, if you have a partner. July 17, 2004
Joshua (NY)
20 out of 27 found this review helpful
I received this book very excited about possibly finding a great stretch book that would help in flexibility. I suppose I was looking for a more simple book of stretches, which this is not.
There are 96 stretches through 269 pages of book. And if you don't have a partner to help in stretching(which I do not), you may as well cut out half of those stretches. There is a few good stretches in here, but most I already knew. I suppose I would conclude this by saying that if you are looking for an easy to understand stretch guide without all the jargon and more one-person stretches, then this book is definitely not for you.
Best book on improving flexibility that I own July 15, 2002
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I have some flexibility books, and I think this one is the best. The descriptions of all stretches are very detailed. For each of them there are good photographs (not only the final positions) and for most there are alternatives depending on your current flexibility and physical proportions. In no other stretching book have I seen such attention to detail as in this one.
If your goal is to improve general flexibility I would definitely recommend this book. If the reason you considered acquiring it is to help with back or neck pain, I would recommend instead "Overcome Neck & Back Pain" by the same author (several specific stretching and strengthening exercises for that conditions and also a very good self-diagnosis chapter on the possible causes of the pain.)
A book that really EXPLAINS flexibility September 28, 2005
Ms. Jennifer Arthur (Knoxville, TN)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
As someone who has never been flexible and couldn't figure out why (I always thought something was just wrong with me), I was truly delighted to find this book. Lesser books show models falling into position as if it were pleasant and easy, with no real narrative of what it might feel like to an adult just starting to work on this. Yet even as a youngster I couldn't sit on the floor with my legs straight out and did not understand why it was so hard for me.
This book addresses people like me directly. It opens with Laughlin's account of his own puzzling inflexibility. Dancers he knew had such an ease about them that he was convinced they were somehow made differently from him. The rest of the book is a detailed explanation of what flexibility is, followed by the exercises.
Some of the exercises were nice surprises, ways I never would have thought of to stretch. Sharing them with friends ("try this!") has provoked many "wow"s. I showed one to a friend, and now he has other friends convinced that he's a healer because they feel so good when he presses down on their shoulders for them, as shown in the book.
I also bought the DVD. A no-nonsense, no fluff production. Well worth it.
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