Stretching

[SIZE=-1]My stretching is limited to when a muscle feels tight i do static followed by dynamic to return normal RoM. My pre/post workout consists of the same exercises with body weight/broomstick within normal RoM.

I'm not a gymnast nor into karma sutra so flexibility isn't that important to me. Girls on the other hand, are encouraged to stretch by me

Also Silverback: "[/SIZE]Fuck science, I use "self evident truth" "
[SIZE=-1]science = knowledge attained through study or practice. you could argue that you are performing science with self evident truth.
[/SIZE]

Warm-up for me is a specific warmup, ie just do the exercise with a lighter weight. Nothing new in that. Not many people are going to squat 100kg cold.

With new clients, I will stretch them after a workout, as I find that they are less likely to be so sore the next day if we stretch them. That's only the first 3-6 sessions, they usually don't get sore much after that - or they do get sore, but it's not crippling like it would have been at the beginning.

Yeah, yeah, I know, "studies show stretching after workouts does not mitigate or prevent DOMS." But my experience says it does, and studies say all sorts of dumb things, like "hamstrings are minimally involved in the squat."

Like the others here, my concern is mobility rather than flexibility. A person can be so inflexible that it hurts their mobility. I have one client who I get to stretch before his workout. He's a cyclist and desk worker, going cold into a squat he can't get below 30 degrees above parallel (used to be 45), tightest hamstrings I've ever seen. So he does ten minutes on the bike to warm up his legs, then just hangs on to the rack and squats down and back to loosen him up. After a few reps of this he's ready to squat - still only manages a few degrees above parallel, a great improvement on where he started, though. The day he can hop straight into a below-parallel squat without warmup and stretching I'll ditch that stretch.

Aside from that, there may be some stretching done if people have postural issues, stretch those short and tight muscles - usually hip flexors, lower back muscles and traps. It gives them relief from uncomfortable tension and - in combination with basic compound lifts performed properly - contributes to improving their posture.

Im going to stick my static stretching, having noticed any problems with it.

I'm undecided.

I generally don't stretch because I'm lazy. I do warm up though, either a walk on the way home before going straight to my gym room or I get on the cross trainer for a bit. Early on in the session Ill do a few light sets before doing the main working sets.

Don't know the answer.

Sticking too attic stretching is both ignorant and arrogant.

Kyle Aaron said:

and studies say all sorts of dumb things, like "hamstrings are minimally involved in the typical commercial gym 1/4 ROM bitch squat."

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Fixed. 10 Characters

n00bs said:

Sticking too attic stretching is both ignorant and arrogant.

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So i should only do dynamic stretching then? After workout? I have a very tight hamstring/back.

thomas kurz - stretching scientifically is a good book on stretching

i never stretch before working out. only dynamic stretches every second day.

I'll roll my shoulders around if I'm doing shoulders, maybe do some short sprints, bodyweight squats...basically dynamic stretching. maybe 2-3 minutes tops.
I need to static stretch if im at kickboxing, loosen up the legs a bit.

Daniel.308 said:

What if you have issues squatting deep due to poor flexibility of hip flexors and glutes?

If I don't stretch before squats my squats turn to goodmornings in no time...

I'm confused...

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When I start in the gym for squatting I have a lot of difficulty getting any depth. I do at least 2 sets on the empty bar and warm up slowly, irrelevant of what weight I'm aiming for.

I also do not do static stretching...and I train at PTC

Mark M said:

[SIZE=-1]My stretching is limited to when a muscle feels tight i do static followed by dynamic to return normal RoM. My pre/post workout consists of the same exercises with body weight/broomstick within normal RoM.

I'm not a gymnast nor into karma sutra so flexibility isn't that important to me. Girls on the other hand, are encouraged to stretch by me

Also Silverback: "[/SIZE]Fuck science, I use "self evident truth" "
[SIZE=-1]science = knowledge attained through study or practice. you could argue that you are performing science with self evident truth.
[/SIZE]

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Well, when I mention science, I think of people dressed in white coats doing studies for money and getting them published by people whom more often than not know absolutely nothing about the article that they are approving.

There is a staggering amount scientific articles being published weekly around the world, thousands.

Name one thing that science has contributed to the physical culture jn a positive way.

The only stretch I do is when I wake up or stand up after a protracted time seated, it feels good.
That's how I think we are meant to stretch.

Next time look at any cat stretch, look how agile they are.

Walking is also a fantastic way of moving.

Weight training or resistance training IS the only true effective way of increasing ones strength, which IMO has many many by-products, one of which is stronger muscle through the full rom, the trick is learning which exercise improves which muscle or groups of.
This is learnt from self evident truth.

Unless you are chronically injured, bed ridden...I don't believe in massage, physio, pilates yoga or any of that mumbo jumbo.

Just hard manual labor, sex, walking and strength training.

Silverback, does that mean, considering I have tight hips, is it ok to stretch to ensure I have full ROM with my hips?

gareer said:

Silverback, does that mean, considering I have tight hips, is it ok to stretch to ensure I have full ROM with my hips?

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Tight hips?

IMO the safest, most productive, most efficient, most healthy method of improving a condition is progressive resistance through ones full rom.

I will add gareer, this is a forum where we SHOULD as members come here and share ideas and experience and encourage.

I once said to someone on another forum...

if you can't trust or believe anybody else, then why should you believe me? You should not believe me, but it might not hurt to at least listen to what I have to say; having done so, then think about it, and then put it to the test. Then, if it works, keep it up, and if it does not work then try something else. In the field of exercise nobody can tell you just what is best for you, but some of us can at least point out a few things to avoid: things like plyometrics, explosive movements, marathon workouts and a long list of other stupidities.

I work in a manufacturing business, In my position one of my functions is to fix and improve the process.

When trying to solve a problem, that makes no sense at all, I found the best thing to do is walk away from that issue and involve yourself with something else, it's usually something totally irrelevant that sparks an idea.

As humans I think we function best when we do many varied activities, unlike insects that specialize.

So is it better to do a little bit of dynamic stretching before workout, then some some static stretching later?

My main form of 'stretching' for many months now has been to do a couple of sets of internal and external rotations with dumbbells, to minimise problems with rotator cuff I had a while back.

I agree SB, but to get the full ROM I have to stretch and then work out from there. I do it just because I have insanely tight hips.