Stretching

[ozarkaBRAND]

It is funny that people who are flexible will tell you not to stretch before you workout. If i don't stretch my groin, hams and hip flexors before i squat i am not going to get much acomplished. If i don't stretch my hip flexors before benching my arch is going to suffer. If i don't stretch my hams before i deadlift my back hurts a little.
Some of us who are a little older, a little bigger, and a little more beat up need to stretch just to lift.

Static stretching isn't optimal. A dynamic stretch/warm-up is right on, however.

 

[pavb10]

After injuring my hamstring last winter i never static strecth at night or before workouts, only after. Also i will never touch a weight unless i go through 20-30 minutes of activation excercises, dynamic strecthing and foam roller.

 

[Rodja]

Static stretches are a must post-training, especially when done in an extreme fashion. This helps to increase the flexibility of the fascia and increases the level of microtrauma, which leads to more hypertrophy.

 

[pavb10]

does that include strecthing biceps and chest after workouts? always great help man.

 

[Rodja]

does that include strecthing biceps and chest after workouts? always great help man.

Yep. Everything can be stretched in some way.

 

[MEH89]

I use to never strech for over 2.5 years. Then I started getting horrible back pain. I found out i was due to tight hamstrings, and hips. I started stretching every night, and my back pain has vanished. I also started stretching my calves, and they have grown more in the last two months, than the last 2 years. MArk

 

[SinfulBirth]

I do stretching at the end of my workouts, only at the beginning if its dynamic. More of the extreme style of stretching... hold it with weight for 45-60 seconds at the end of your workout on that muscle group.

 

[BettrBdyMitch]

I only stretch after warmup sets and inbetween sets. I do martial arts, but letting the ligaments and tendons stretch inbetween sets adds to my hypertrophy and keeping most of my flexibility (which was never the best due to genetics)

 

[biggerthantex]

its not good to stretch the muscle you are training that day, it takes away explosive power.. you should always warm up with weights tho to get your "blood pumping".. but it is very healthy and very beneficial to stretch that muscle on a non training day.