Debate: Stretching After A Workout Can INJURE You?

[admin]

I saw this on another site:

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Stretching In The Middle Of Workout. Not a good idea. DO NOT stretch between the sets or right after work out. Your muscles are build in a way that they extend in a certain pattern during the workout. Stretching during the time when muscles are extended and tight after the set is damaging to the muscle tissues. Have you ever seen a professional athlete stretching between exercises. Doubtful. You will almost always see athletes jumping and moving their arms to keep the muscles warm if the next exercise is not right after the previous one, but you can never see them stretch during the training or between the sets. Do a lot of stretching before the workout, not in the middle or after. You can stretch after workout, but you have to let time pass a little. About 2 hours is enough. So you want to stretch, perfect, excellent, great - Stretch BEFORE or about 2 hours and more after work out.
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The research I have read lately says the opposite... do NOT stretch before a workout because your muscles are cold. Always just do warm up sets. Stretch AFTER a workout when they are warm so you can get the maximum results from your stretching.

What do you think?

[MsFit]

IMO I thinks stretching during a workout is helpful. Those who train full range of motion are stretching..........You don't see many professionals stretching between sets because they just don't take the time so do it, maybe it's sissyfied. To hit that from a different angel; lunges are one of the best shapers for legs but you don't see many men doing them because it's considered a womans exercise. (I love a man that's not afraid to lunge) So that's my input. I've been getting hit pretty hard with opposing veiws, so I'm ready.
MsFit

[Kutulus]

I get better results from stretching my pecs in between sets...

I also stretch my legs in between squats which has helped...

[Dawg]

I don't usually stretch between sets however, if I'm feeling a little tight, I will.

[mattabull]

i rarely stretch at all. if i ever do, its mainly for flyes and even then i do most of the stretching with a light weight warm up set. as a result my flexibility is probably not the best, but i havent had any kind of injury or strain. maybe its just good luck.

[hooty mcboobs]

I stretch a lot. I stretch after warming up doing cardio for 5-10 minutes. Between supersets. I stretch after my workout and before lengthy cardio. Then I stretch after cardio.

I read in a Men's Health that a test group of people who just stretched and did no resistance training still managed to up their strength by something like 17% after two weeks.

[Tim]

The only muscle group I ever stretch at all is my legs. I stretch each muscle in my leg right before I work it out, and then I stretch it again about five minutes after I finished working it out. I read somewhere that you are not supposed to stretch a muscle the second you finish working it out, but that you should wait about five minutes. For instace, when I finish working out my quads, I'll strech them about five minutes later in between sets of hamstring exercises. I also frequently stretch my legs on days I am not working them out.

[Big H]

Oh. Oh. I lunge. I lunge..
anyway.. why would you need to stretch in between excersises? i stretch in the beginning for that bodypart, than i do warm up sets then i hit them hard.. Me no see the logic.

[Dorian]

I stretch at the beginning , right after a set and in the end. And Ms fit I do lunges for the stretch.. but I do it in the form of a one legged squat lunge.

[Big H]

Dorian? i dont get stretching after.. why would you?

[hooty mcboobs]

From the December 2001 issue of Muscle & Fitness:

"Stretching between sets helps reduce lactic acid build-up in your muscles, which may allow you to get a few extra reps near the end of your routine."

[Irishman]

I stretch betwen sets as well - I read that it helps get more blood to the muscles quicker.

Dorian, I do one legged squats as well - they completely trash my legs! I'm the only one in my gym that does them. I was begining to think I was some kind of freak or something - now I know I'm not alone!

[Big Cat]

Ok, here is the low-down. Stretching is good in so many way, if you do it correctly. People still have a tendency to do these little bouncy movements when they stretch, to go back and forth. These are actually micro-contractions and in the tense stretched position these can do serious, serious damage. A stretch should ALWAYS be a static movement held for a duration of time, no movement should take place.

Stretching before a workout : probably wise, although I don't do it and I know a lot of people that should don't either. A good stretch and a warm-up set before every workout are very advisable to loosen the muscle up and avoid injury

Stretching during a workout : I can think of many reasons why this is good. If you are the heavy trainer type that goes for low reps, its good to do this to take some of the pressure off, if you go for longer sets the pump you create will immobilize a muscle, and stimulate lactic acid build-up, hence its best to stretch after every set to keep performing at your peek. And lastly, one theory goes that stretching and flexing between sets may actually strecth the fascia around the muscle as well, giving it more room to grow. So I don't see why you wouldn't.

Stretching after a workout : Because H asked, is smart because if you go back to normal movement after a heavy workout cramps and ruptures are common due to the tensed position of muscles, especially for all leg muscles this is a virtual must.

So stretching is always good, provided you do it correctly. The thingey Ryan posted is right to some extent, be careful in how you stretch, do it carefully as the muscle is indeed cold before you workout and tensed during a workout.

[monsterous]

I agree with stretching a little before,during,and def. a couple of hrs. after. It keeps me from getting real sore which is due to lactic acid in the muscle. It also could help you from injury and keep you flexible. This is my 1st day on the board.I really like it.Seems to be alot of cool bodybuilders and some with alot of good advice!You will see alot of me on here for advice and just to b.s. I hope to make some new freinds on here especially with Ms Fit man what a knock out and because she def. knows what shes' talking about hell just look at her.I will be posting a pic in a few months.Broke my ankle hunting turkey.Got to get back on track.Been lifting on and off for 18 yrs now.I'm 6ft. 219 pnds right now and 13% body fat more than ever.I've put the drugs down. It's time to grow up and reach some of my goals! It's time to blow some freakin' minds! I do have the genetics.See ya all and train hard and safe!

[Big H]

How do you stretch you back and chest.. In between sets?

[Big Cat]

Chest : Hold arms at shoulder height, stretched, and turn your palms up. Now push arms backwards keeping them parallel to the floor.

Back : 1. Have someone tug at your arms.
2. Stretch arms in front of you, hands together, arms parallel to floor. push shoulder forward so your shoulder blades come apart.

[monsterous]

I just put my arm out hold on to a machine step forward until i get a good stretch on the pec.If i want to stretch both pecs at the same time i step in front of the smith machine put both arms out,hold on to the machine and step forward until i feel a good stretch.For back i use the pull up bar and just hang.Good for pecs and especially the lats. and i do side bends,barbell twists for lower back.I don't know many for back.Does anybody know some strethes for the back?

[Big Cat]

read the post above ....

[devyn44]

stretching is wonderful for you. it must be done correctly though. it must be static (no bouncing). hold each stretch for 8-10 seconds. stretch from top to bottom to be sure you stretch everything. i find it is theraputic after a workout. it also helps me keep the flexibility i need to do so many other things. drinking alot of water during a workout helps.

[Big Cat]

Originally posted by devyn44
drinking alot of water during a workout helps.

Helps you stretch ??????

[BWP]

That settles it...i must learn to lunge!

[devyn44]

drinking water helps keep the muscle hydrated. have you ever cramped up? one reason for cramping (not the only) is dehydtration. try srtetching with a cramp lately? it is painful. it is called preventative maintainence.

[Big Cat]

I don't get cramps and get plenty of hydration drinking 6 liters of milk a day, so I wouldn't know anything about that ...

[devyn44]

it certainly appears that you have reached your calcium requirement for the year. ha, ha. (just kidding,you have been very helpful so far. cat what is your thoughts as to reaching a full range of motion? i feel stretching helps to acheive this.

[Big Cat]

I feel attem^pting to reach full range of motion is active stretching in itself. The first time you go all the way on a spider curl, you'll know what a biceps stretch feels like. The first time you do full flat bench flyes you'll stretch your pecs like never before. So I feel just making a conscious effort to do it will go the farthest in attempting full ROM.

[SDFlip]

i stretch after every workout.

[gorkin]

You should stretch after workout.

Fletcher, I.M., and R. Anness. The acute effects of combined static and dynamic stretch protocols on fifty-meter sprint performance in track-and-field athletes. J. Strength Cond. Res. 21(3):784-787. 2007.

"It was concluded that passive static stretching in a warm-up decreases sprint performance, despite being combined with dynamic stretches, when compared to a solely dynamic stretch approach."

[Defiant1]

I saw this on another site:

--
Stretching In The Middle Of Workout. Not a good idea. DO NOT stretch between the sets or right after work out. Your muscles are build in a way that they extend in a certain pattern during the workout. Stretching during the time when muscles are extended and tight after the set is damaging to the muscle tissues. Have you ever seen a professional athlete stretching between exercises. Doubtful. You will almost always see athletes jumping and moving their arms to keep the muscles warm if the next exercise is not right after the previous one, but you can never see them stretch during the training or between the sets. Do a lot of stretching before the workout, not in the middle or after. You can stretch after workout, but you have to let time pass a little. About 2 hours is enough. So you want to stretch, perfect, excellent, great - Stretch BEFORE or about 2 hours and more after work out.
---

The research I have read lately says the opposite... do NOT stretch before a workout because your muscles are cold. Always just do warm up sets. Stretch AFTER a workout when they are warm so you can get the maximum results from your stretching.

What do you think?

This in my view is a non-issue anymore.

Stretch only when you are warmed-up, meaning during and after your workout.

Plenty of bodybuilders give great credence to stretching during training, especially back (lats).

Have I seen professional athletes stretching between exercises? Plenty.

http://jp.physoc.org/cgi/content/abstract/508/1/253

Heady, but basically says the higher the temperature of a muscle, the more flexible it is

[BOLT.]

Great bump SDflip very helpful. Admin really seems to know a lot about this!

[HoosierBoy]

I try to stretch 3x per day.