Stretching poll

Do you stretch before and/or after your workout and why? (can choose several options)

  • Before, it prevents injury

    Votes: 14 21.2%

  • Before, just because..

    Votes: 17 25.8%

  • After, because it prevents soreness and injury

    Votes: 38 57.6%

  • after, I have some problem areas that need some work

    Votes: 11 16.7%
  • Total voters
    66
Seriously though.

I stretch before and after my workouts, because I learned long ago very early in my goal path, that while my muscles were more willing to rock on, my joints and tendons needed just "a tad" more recovery, and when I involved dynamic stretching before and after each workout, the pain in joints and tendons disappeared. And, currently with all the training I do, I do not have any joint or tendon pain. I have had two injures. One in the left shoulder (which I had to take time off for), and in my left quad (gave out on the squat a few months back).

Other than that.......everything is tough and rocks! :)


Chillen
 
I's hard to know what to believe. I've always believed the more stretching the better.

FF, you just walk outside and start running with no stretching?

I feel much tighter before I stretch. I can't believe that's not a bad thing to just start working out
 
you can warm up and loosen up in other ways. You don't need to do static stretching, do some dynamic stretching!
 
I dynamic stretch before my workout/sport/activity, whataver and I static stretch after I am done. When I static stretch before, my speed is much slower and my strength is much weaker. When I do it during my workout (between sets or after each set or whatever like you do), I do not have as much strength and I feel like I lost strength for the next set. I found that the best for me is dynamic before and static after (nothing during).
 
hhhmmm..I've found that static stretching between sets alleviates a little tightness and gets me ready for the next set

I'd be willing to try something different though, I'm not married to my stretching routine
 
From what I'm reading the votes aren't all in and there isn't enough evidence to say static stretching hiders performance
 
Well, I'm not a sprinter, so I'd have nothing to compare it to. I'll try benching without stretching my chest and see what happens...makes me a little nervous though
 
or you could try on two different days, one day hamstring curls x weight as many reps you can do with stretching the hams before hard for 30 sec then another day do the same weight without stretching them.
 
when I began running i had problems with myankles and knees from the pavement especially the ankles. I had always been stretching before but never after, sometimes dynamic sometimes static, and soon as I started stretching after I have never had a problem with soreness since. After this experience I thought it was only necessary to stretch after and I stopped stretching before and the pain came back. Now I stretch before and after and i havent had a problem since not even when i was training for a marathon and was running 10miles twice a day on the hard pavement.
 
It looks like most of the evidence supports your side, Karky. I'll try it. It's not the first or the last time I was ignorant about something
 
it's always fun to see if these things work for you. I know it works for me, I get weaker if I stretch statically. Try the hamstring thing. Also, make sure you keep your ankle extended so only the hamstrings work.
 
I do dynamic stretching before, mainly focusing on hips and trunk rotation.

Afterwards I static stretch, though not as often as I should. I also have a foam roller, which is useful.
 
This is an interesting poll. I used to be really on the side of don't stretch cold and don't do static stretching before lifting/power production sports.

These days though, I would say that it is what the individual trainee determines is best, is best. I know many very successful athletes who would never train or compete without spending 10-15 min stretching. I also know many successful athletes who do dynamic work beforehand and static after. I also know successful athletes who don't stretch or warm up.

I know "research" states that static stretching decreases nervous system activity, so it is not "supposed" to be a good idea before a workout.

In practice the pre-workout static stretching seems to work well for some people. Others, not so much.

So, at this point, I believe there is no cut and dry answer. I believe different people will have good results using different approaches to stretching.

Part of me thinks a lot of people are "anti-stretching" simply because they do not like to do it. :rolleyes: I know I used to look for research and reasons to explain why I did not want to stretch.

but if you're stretching cold, you may actually increase your risk of injury during a workout because you're muscles, tendons, and ligaments are colder and less elastic.
Click to expand...

Sometimes, if something goes down, you may not have time to stretch and warm-up before maximal activity. There is something to being flexible and ready to go when you are cold. I know Pavel T believes that stretching and increasing flexibility when cold is very important.

Again, in practice, stretching when cold can be very effective. I know many people who stretch cold. It is something I have done with great success as well.

The best thing to do still seems to be what you find to be the most successful. I am definitely not going to poo-poo :)yelrotflmao:) somebody's stretching/flexibility practices if they are having success with it.
 
theGOOCH said:
I's hard to know what to believe. I've always believed the more stretching the better.

FF, you just walk outside and start running with no stretching?

I feel much tighter before I stretch. I can't believe that's not a bad thing to just start working out
Click to expand...

Yes I do just step outside and run, or bike, or swim without stretching. Well, except for the lining of my stomach... gotta stretch that.

Were you stretching your quads without running, or at least building up a sweat at all? If so, we had talked about that a long time ago, an you had the knee troubles.. hmmmmm forget reading, let's look at experience.

Sweat Daily!
FF
 
goergen1 said:
Part of me thinks a lot of people are "anti-stretching" simply because they do not like to do it. :rolleyes: I know I used to look for research and reasons to explain why I did not want to stretch.
Click to expand...

Which is weird because it only takes me 2-5 minutes to warm up. A little longer depending on how much I want to stretch after.
 
tonymcclellan said:
Which is weird because it only takes me 2-5 minutes to warm up. A little longer depending on how much I want to stretch after.
Click to expand...

and it is amazing what it does for the body's ability to function. Since you started me on stretching lats, I am sooo impressed. I didn't even know what the lats full range of motion is.

For any other readers... I STRETCH ALOT. I love to exhale and sink into a stretch.

sheeeesh, if you guys gotta be all serious about everything ALL THE TIME.

p.s. I liked that chicky with the quads better!

FF
 
I told you to stretch lats?
 
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