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Warm up- stretching or no?
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LucSulla
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I always spend at least 5 - 10 minutes on a bike followed by another ten minutes of stretching as per the whole "warm taffy stretches, cold taffy breaks" analogy. The only time I've ever hurt myself in a gym is when I:
A. Didn't warm up properly (though this was usually just a minor strain or something similar that is just a couple of days or irritation) or
B. Decided I was stronger than what my work out plan for the week called for and decided to go outside of my book. That was the worst mistake I ever made.
A. Didn't warm up properly (though this was usually just a minor strain or something similar that is just a couple of days or irritation) or
B. Decided I was stronger than what my work out plan for the week called for and decided to go outside of my book. That was the worst mistake I ever made.
warm up before and get things loosened up.. but don't do deep stretching before whether you are lifting or running.
stretch after.
football players stretch before and they are always pulling muscles... 'but steve then why do they stretch?' they stretch cause they are getting bent in awkward directions, so if they don't stretch they run a higher chance of tearing ligaments, tendons, and muscles. unless you are gonna bent around like that then its not a good idea to stretch beforehand unless its very very light stretching.. wait till you are finished then stretch away.
stretch after.
football players stretch before and they are always pulling muscles... 'but steve then why do they stretch?' they stretch cause they are getting bent in awkward directions, so if they don't stretch they run a higher chance of tearing ligaments, tendons, and muscles. unless you are gonna bent around like that then its not a good idea to stretch beforehand unless its very very light stretching.. wait till you are finished then stretch away.
renagade860
New member
Without proper warm up and stretch you will not be able to get much range of motion
this just isn't true.. you build flexibility over time, not in the 5 minutes before you work out.and you know what? when you stretch before you actually DAMAGE your range of motion as the muscle will tense up. all you are accomplishing stretching before is stretching out the muscle which increases the chances of pulling it and also making it weaker. go to a powerlifting competition and see how they prepare before hand.. they warmup with lighter weights, they definately do not stretch.. go to a road race and see how they prepare, they do a light jog... they do not engage in stretching till AFTER.
here is a good article explaining more in depth
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36553174/ns/health-fitness/t/want-better-workout-dont-stretch/
most lifters/bodybuilders have atrocious flexibility btw, so i can understand the need to stretch before cause they think they are doing a good deed for themselves but they aren't. wait till after
we grew up being told in PE to stretch before blah blah blah.. but this is 2012, not 1985. we have come a long way with understanding more about the body.
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jiggagold
New member
FOAM ROLL. YOU CREATE RANGE OF MOTION THROUGH MOBILITY EXERCISES, NOT JUST STATIC STRETCHING. BEFORE YOU START TRAINING YOU NEED TO WAKE UP YOUR CNS.
Cressey Performance Foam Roller Series - YouTube
Cressey Performance Foam Roller Series - YouTube
jiggagold
New member
And Steve I'd use better fitness outlets for information than msnbc if I'm posting articles. Their information is too generalized and still covers the same facets of outdated information.
Here is a good article covering an effective warm up
http://www.ericcressey.com/6-characteristics-good-dynamic-warm-up
Here is a good article covering an effective warm up
http://www.ericcressey.com/6-characteristics-good-dynamic-warm-up
the OP is asking specifically about stretching before a weightlifting session and the article covered that, your article is the one that is too generalized.. the guys in the pics don't even look like they ever lifted weights in their life!! they look like those guys you see in the gym once every 2 weeks and bench 200 pounds or some other panzy weight.
why would you stretch and tighten up your muscles before a weightlifing session? or a run? give me a legitimate explanation..
makes absolutely zero sense. and that myth has been de-bunked for years now. so YOUR information is the one that is outdated. in fact when i was doing triathlons there was a trend i was seeing.. the guys 60+ were stretching before, the other guys were not. that tells you which idea is outdated.
runners and weightlifters stretch AFTER, not before.. go to a road race or a weightlifting competition and then come back on here and tell me i'm wrong. I know cause I competed in BOTH. we warm up the muscles with light weights or a light jog. football players and any sport where you are getting bent around should stretch before and warmup, i am not disagreeing on that.. thats probably what your article is geared towards. the OP is asking specifically about weightlifting though which is what we should stick to here.
do not de-bunk other peoples information unless you are absolutely sure you are accurate, that kind of stuff will get people hurt. i bench 330 and i squat 475.. you think i am gonna risk injury doing that much weight by tightening up my muscles beforehand? hell no. if you are doing light weights or running around doing crossfit type workouts then go ahead and stretch, I don't think its gonna make a lick of difference.. but on this forum lets stick to WEIGHTLIFTING information please!
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...ng/why-pre-workout-stretching-bad-686695.html << check this out
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Yea you gotta do the static stretches after, dynamic stretches and warm ups before. Foam rolling is awesome too I hear
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