STATIC STRETCHING | Good or bad? Before or after?

[Haymaker]

I've heard a lot of different theories when it come to stretching either pre or post workout. I think the general consensus seems to be stretching after a workout is best and before could lead to injury. However, if I don't take the time to stretch before a workout I could never do the workout in the first place. My range of motion and flexibility are shit when I start in the gym and I feel like my stretching routine (10-15 min) is exactly what my body needs to warm up. Also if I try to stretch after a workout I feel like I'm straining and pulling the muscles to much and it's uncomfortable. I've been doing this for over a year and a half now and it seems to work for me but I'd like some feedback on it. What do you guys do? Am I screwing myself here and should change my habits?

 

[Lizard King]

Warm up sets with the bar, depending on what you are doing that day. My right shoulder sucks so I do work with a 5lb plate or dumbell, I stretch shoulders between sets slowly.

 

[shrtrack]

Current strength and conditioning research calls for an active/dynamic warm-up. Take a look at the Defranco Agile 8 as a start.

 

[shortz]

The reason kind of got lost in that "general rule". It's not about stretching after the workout, it's, more specifically, not stretching cold muscles (There are types of stretching on cold muscles, but that's a different topic).

In other words, warm up, then you can do your stretches at any point. For instance, hit the treadmill for 5 mins, then I warm up on bench. I start with bar for 20, 95lbs for 15, 135lbs for 10, all slow reps, then I use that 135lbs to stretch. I let it down slowly, allowing my shoulders to "seat" until the bar is on my chest. Hold it there and let it give me a good stretch, then rack the weight after about 10 seconds. Do your working sets, then do some deeper stretches if you like, but those are enough for me

 

[BrotherIron]

Do not warm up by doing the treadmill. That doesn't prep the body for anything other then walking or perhaps running on the treadmill. For example, if you're squatting you want to prep/prime the posterior chain. You do that by performing lateral walks, forward, and backwards with large steps all while utilizing a hip circle, performing goblet squats, glute bridges, etc. You are priming that group for the workout. After that then begin performing the movement with lighter weight, working up to your working sets.

To answer the question... stretching before working out... bad. Don't do it. Prime the body for the work that's about to ensue, perform your light work building volume, and then hit those working sets like a bat outta hell.

 

[Haymaker]

Thanks for all the feedback. Looks like I should change a few things in my routine, I'll start giving these suggestions a try and see if I can improve anything.

 

[ketsugo]

Some of the most serious injuries occur as result from stretching. Warming up IS NOT stretching, there is only one theory in my 30 plus years in teaching and training NEVER stretch a cold muscle. The only vague theories that differ are static vs dynamic- dynamic will increase flexibility far quicker but static still can be useful when done correctly

 

[shortz]

Do not warm up by doing the treadmill. That doesn't prep the body for anything other then walking or perhaps running on the treadmill. For example, if you're squatting you want to prep/prime the posterior chain. You do that by performing lateral walks, forward, and backwards with large steps all while utilizing a hip circle, performing goblet squats, glute bridges, etc. You are priming that group for the workout. After that then begin performing the movement with lighter weight, working up to your working sets.

To answer the question... stretching before working out... bad. Don't do it. Prime the body for the work that's about to ensue, perform your light work building volume, and then hit those working sets like a bat outta hell.

I have a pretty sedentary life outside the gym, so the treadmill isn't a horrible idea for me. It gets me moving and feeling better for my workout. I do agree with you, mostly, but there can still be some benefit to a treadmill warm up.

 

[smash]

I've heard a lot of different theories when it come to stretching either pre or post workout. I think the general consensus seems to be stretching after a workout is best and before could lead to injury. However, if I don't take the time to stretch before a workout I could never do the workout in the first place. My range of motion and flexibility are shit when I start in the gym and I feel like my stretching routine (10-15 min) is exactly what my body needs to warm up. Also if I try to stretch after a workout I feel like I'm straining and pulling the muscles to much and it's uncomfortable. I've been doing this for over a year and a half now and it seems to work for me but I'd like some feedback on it. What do you guys do? Am I screwing myself here and should change my habits?

Technically nobody knows exactly what stretching does. You may have heard a number of theories but the only valid ones are discussed here: http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/90/3/438.long

Stretching seems to help prevent the development of adhesions and trigger points. I base that statement on my own experience and also the book Muscle pain: understanding its nature, diagnosis and treatment by Dr's Mense and Simons. However, most studies don't particularly support my opinion on that lol

We do have a large amount of research which shows that stretching is mostly useless. Stretching before a workout and as part of a warm up where the stretches were held for 30-45 seconds 'imparted no significant effect' and in fact was detrimental to strength and performance when held for 60 seconds plus. I am basing that statement on this high quality systematic review.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21659901

Stretching does not prevent injury
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15782063
http://www.usatf.org/stretchStudy/StretchStudyReport.pdf

Stretching does not help recovery or reduce delayed onset muscle soreness whether the stretching is before or after exercise
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21735398

If you need it for range of motion in the exercises you wish to perform (for example in Olympic lifting) then I would try stretching separately to your workouts. It may alter your sensation (essentially of pain) and you might achieve a better ROM, but then again you may not lol.

 

[smash]

Apologies, it wouldn't let me edit

Edit : You may have heard a number of theories but most are unreliable as they are based on personal experience. The only valid explanations of the mechanisms of muscle extensibility are here http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/90/3/438.long

 

[tanu]

I always stretched before, along with and in between some warm up sets, research or not I didn't get any injuries I could attribute to them... That's including some heavy, low rep periods among almost 20yrs of training on and off.. just my experience anyway.. Stretches aren't always to the max either, within the limits of your current range of motion still feels like it helps. Aimed at bodyparts to be trained that workout too.

 

[smash]

I always stretched before, along with and in between some warm up sets, research or not I didn't get any injuries I could attribute to them... That's including some heavy, low rep periods among almost 20yrs of training on and off.. just my experience anyway.. Stretches aren't always to the max either, within the limits of your current range of motion still feels like it helps. Aimed at bodyparts to be trained that workout too.

I don't disagree with you. I did not point to research saying that stretching prior, during or after leads to injuries. Whilst its pretty clear stretching doesn't prevent injury, that is an entirely different thing to the declaration that stretching prevents muscle pain. In my opinion stretching does lead to less muscle pain, whether that pain is from adhesions, contractures or trigger points, I think stretching helps. In terms of stretching itself causing injury the evidence that it happens doesn't really apply for guys like us and it doesn't apply to what we are discussing here. Having been in the gym for a long time we never seem to hurt ourselves when we stretch ourselves in that way and clearly it is very hard to strain a muscle if you move your body slowly into a stretch.

Back to the op's question. In the grand scheme of things whether he stretches or not is not going to matter much. And while I can share my personal experience and my opinions, they can NEVER trump the evidence of properly designed scientific studies if they exist.