Stretching

[edgecrusher]

I posted this on www.anabolicfitness.net a while back.

Stretching before doing heavy exercises like squats can actually make you weaker.

How much flexibility do you want? You should be concerned with having flexiblity to do your sport or workout or just life functions. Gymnasts are flexible because their sport requires them to be. Doing the splits in my opinion is over rated.

I also feel that tendon strength is not enhanced by stretching. Stretching before can actually cause the connective tissue to become strained. Connective tissue grows with progressive weight training.

When doing lower body work, I pretty much use the weight of the bar to stretch. I stretch after training legs, but only for recovery. Just a side note, if you are doing quads, stretching your hams between sets will actually make your quads stronger.....and vice versa.

Lastly, you may have become more flexible already, but static stretching (Toe touches or splits) is different than dynamic stretches or stretching under weight.

Very true, which is why i recomended the AI stretching. It has been shown to synchronise the nervous system, and is adynamic style of movement.

 

[meco24]

Re: Yoga

Rather take up a yoga class, firstly is much more fun to do than simple stretching, you get stronger, and best of all it clears your mind - try it, im confident you'll love it

'Z girl

Hey maybe I'll take your's and nonrz's advice and check out a yoga class.

Thanks

 

[meco24]

I posted this on www.anabolicfitness.net a while back.

Stretching before doing heavy exercises like squats can actually make you weaker.

How much flexibility do you want? You should be concerned with having flexiblity to do your sport or workout or just life functions. Gymnasts are flexible because their sport requires them to be. Doing the splits in my opinion is over rated.

I also feel that tendon strength is not enhanced by stretching. Stretching before can actually cause the connective tissue to become strained. Connective tissue grows with progressive weight training.

When doing lower body work, I pretty much use the weight of the bar to stretch. I stretch after training legs, but only for recovery. Just a side note, if you are doing quads, stretching your hams between sets will actually make your quads stronger.....and vice versa.

Lastly, you may have become more flexible already, but static stretching (Toe touches or splits) is different than dynamic stretches or stretching under weight.

Hey thanks for the tips. I'm not lifting for insane strength and mass - just for overall fitness.

 

[Curious George]

PNF is a good way to go....I am not familiar with Active isolated stretching. I imagine it is similiar to PNF. Can you give me a site or a reference that you recommend?

meco, Just make sure that you warm up before you stretch. Make sure to get blood flow in the general area before you do it.

 

[Nonerz]

meco, Just make sure that you warm up before you stretch. Make sure to get blood flow in the general area before you do it.

I'm with CG...stretching cold doesn't do much of anything for me. Even if it is for 5-10 minutes, I'll hop on the treadmill or eliptical machine to "get the juices flowing."

I usually stretch prior to lifting to loosen up the kinks. It's become part of my routine...part of my mental preparation as well.