FITNESS COLLEGE
If you were to ask 10 different people how to stretch, you would probably receive 10 different answers. Well, here at FitnessCollege.com, I will attempt to answer your questions regarding this very important, but often, overlooked part of training.
First things first, do NOT stretch cold muscles. This might seem counterintuitive or against traditional theories you may hold, but it is an important point to remember. You need to warm up the body part you are about to train before you stretch that body part. It does not matter if you are about to train legs, chest, or your cardiovascular system…WARM UP that body part. For example, if you are going to train your legs today, ride the stationary bike for 5-10 minutes before you start training.
Notice, I did not say to stretch after you properly warmed up. FitnessCollege takes the stance that stretching is a 2-part weightlifting activity, and neither part is performed prior to your workout. If you are not lifting weights (i.e. running, swimming, etc.), then you should simply go to Part 2 below.
Part 1 -- When you start your workout, acclimate your body to the workout weight (see Exercise 101). During these acclimation sets, you should stretch the muscles being trained. Also, you should continue stretching in between your workout sets. Arnold Schwarzenegger practiced this throughout his bodybuilding career. He would perform a set then, while resting for his next set, stretch the muscle(s) being worked. He said he did this to lengthen the muscle.
Part 2 -- AFTER your workout, you should stretch as part of your cool down. Stretching after your workout allows you to work some of the lactic acid out of the just-trained muscles. It also allows you to start repairing all of the little tears in the muscle(s) you just trained.
I heard a perfect analogy to remember about stretching on FitTV’s FitNation. Imagine that your muscle is a piece of taffy. If you were to take a piece of taffy out of the refrigerator (i.e. cold muscles) and try to stretch it, what happens? The taffy does not stretch, but rather breaks! Now, take a piece of taffy out of the refrigerator, set it on the countertop, and let it reach room temperature. Once it reaches room temperature (i.e. proper warm up), what happens when you try stretching it? The taffy stretches now with ease.
Technique: In general, slowly stretch to the point where tension is felt in the muscles being stretched. Do not stretch to the point of pain, rather just tightness. Hold the stretch for about 10 seconds, making sure to breath throughout the stretch. One of the safest ways of stretching is through a slow, sustained stretch. Bobbing and bouncing is NOT recommended and can lead to muscle damage.
So, at your next workout, remember to warm up properly, start your workout, stretch in between sets (if applicable), and save the stretching to aid your recovery for your cool down period.
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