Flexability/Pain Issue In Hip Muscle

Training Powerlifting
1

I was not sure exactly where to stick this question, so hopefully someone here can give me a hand with this issue I have been having for several years now.

When I do splits (not full splits but just doing as much as I can to stretch), butterfly stretches, and other stretches for the hip flexors (or maybe I am miss naming that muscle) I find my left inner thigh feels very tight, with a little pain. It seems less willing to stretch, and tends to feel a bit sore afterwords. I do not push it too far, though I have in the past which I suspect may have caused/contributed to the problem.

I suspect trying to stretch cold in years past contributed as well. I am pretty sure it was caused by stretching improperly and not actual lifting but I cannot swear to it. It is one of those things that I did not take much notice of at first and then after a week or so could not pinpoint the exact timing (and it began 2-3 years ago).

Any ideas what this might be and perhaps any way to heal it?

I have not been training seriously for a year or two so I have not been stretching it every day until the last week or so.

Any help would be most appreciated.

2

That sensation that you are talking about is very misleading. You can be dealing with a “strain” where the stretching is counter-productive.

Best thing is to have a therapists check it out
Next best thing is learn how to SMR (foam roll) and do it every day
Third learn active stretches and stretch in 3D…Tony Gentilcore wrote a bit on this matter.
Train in 3D and unilateral (single leg/arm)

I’m not a big fan of static stretches, so I really don’t do them. However, I have read enough studies to know 15-30 sec is it…stretching more is not doing much.