Stretching before lifting weights
allother94
Posts: 588 Member
It stretching before weight lifting a good idea or waste of time?
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Replies
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If it were me, I'd do some light cardio before lifting weights rather than stretching.
If I'm going to stretch, I stretch after ... when I'm warm.2 -
You want to do more of a dynamic warmup than stretching. Bands, alternate movements, lighter weight set, etc.4
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I do a light jog. Just wondering if stretching after the lite jog is a waste of time...0
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It really depends on the lifts you’re targeting that day.
For instance, the answer can be as simple as rear delt activation before a bench press for better back stability to push off of all the way to as complex as neck, wrist, ankle, hip activation and mobilization etc before doing front squats.
What are your main lifts that you start with usually?1 -
Total body, mix it up every day.0
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I’d also say it depends on age and mobility in addition to what you’re training; I have to do 15-20 mins foam rolling and warm up with bands and poles before getting into my Olympic lifts. People half my age seem to be able to go straight into it.3
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Nope. I warm up by using just the bar with no weight on. Then kept adding weight incrementally till I get to my working sets. There’s no decent evidence I’m aware of that indicates stretching is better than the warm up I’ve described.2
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Recent studies show that static stretching before lifting isn’t a great idea and lowers your strength. Dynamic stretching and activating muscles is what you want.2
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Combined with your other thread about "workout too long" and having a very extensive set of exercises there's a big danger you are just flitting around the gym doing bits and pieces with no real focus.
You are (or should be) seeking to achieve an appropriate lifting volume at a suitable intensity and I'm thinking all the many elements you are doing is making that less likely.
Things to think about......- What does the light jog achieve for you?
- What does the stretching do for you? (BTW - Static stretching or dynamic warmup stretches? Different things for different purposes.)
- What do all the many isolation exercises do for you that switching more time/volume of your workout to compound exercises wouldn't achieve more efficiently?
PS - personally when I lift my warmup is warmup sets. When I stretch in the gym it's after lifting not before but mostly it's a separate activity at home so as not to "waste" gym time. When I do cardio I just do cardio. I far prefer to fully focus on one aspect of fitness at a time.
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claireychn074 wrote: »I’d also say it depends on age and mobility in addition to what you’re training; I have to do 15-20 mins foam rolling and warm up with bands and poles before getting into my Olympic lifts. People half my age seem to be able to go straight into it.
This^^^ I'm 65 with OA and wake up stiff. I do a stretching routine early in the morning 3 times a week. The days I go to the pool or gym without I can tell. The days I stretch before I can get right into my workout and push it. I'm old, but I take my exercise seriously.
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Stretches outside the lift you are about to perform itself is a waste of time. The only exception in most cases is if you're lifting in a cold climate then I might suggest a couple minutes on rowing machine or stationary.
So if you are barbell squatting for first lift of the day, the most specific and beneficial stretch you could do is empty barbell squat or perhaps air squats if working through a injury or health conditions that require less intensity to begin warming up. Followed by working up in weight until you are ready to hit your working sets.
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I do a dynamic warmup and it really makes a difference for me:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3B-3Khbht5s 0 -
cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »Nope. I warm up by using just the bar with no weight on. Then kept adding weight incrementally till I get to my working sets. There’s no decent evidence I’m aware of that indicates stretching is better than the warm up I’ve described.
^this.
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What does the light jog achieve for you?
A couple of minutes just to warm up the body and get me in the mood.What does the stretching do for you? (BTW - Static stretching or dynamic warmup stretches? Different things for different purposes.)
I don’t stretch before lifting. Sound like I should continue to not stretch based on some of the responses here.What do all the many isolation exercises do for you that switching more time/volume of your workout to compound exercises wouldn't achieve more efficiently?
If you are suggesting deadlifts and squats, my trainer said to build a better base before doing these. If you mean something else, please let me know what exercises you consider compound.
FWIW, I just enjoy working out. I enjoy the feeling I get after working out and the health benefits. Also, I paid a trainer to give me some direction, so hopefully I’m not just moving around the gym without a purpose.
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allother94 wrote: »What does the light jog achieve for you?
A couple of minutes just to warm up the body and get me in the mood.What does the stretching do for you? (BTW - Static stretching or dynamic warmup stretches? Different things for different purposes.)
I don’t stretch before lifting. Sound like I should continue to not stretch based on some of the responses here.What do all the many isolation exercises do for you that switching more time/volume of your workout to compound exercises wouldn't achieve more efficiently?
If you are suggesting deadlifts and squats, my trainer said to build a better base before doing these. If you mean something else, please let me know what exercises you consider compound.
FWIW, I just enjoy working out. I enjoy the feeling I get after working out and the health benefits. Also, I paid a trainer to give me some direction, so hopefully I’m not just moving around the gym without a purpose.
Unless you have a specific medical issue you should do squats and hip hinge (deadlift) motion. These are basic human movements. You won't get a better "base" without doing the movement.
That said you don't have to load a bar on your back to train the squat. Bodyweight, goblet squats, etc are great ways ti build a base..2 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »allother94 wrote: »What does the light jog achieve for you?
A couple of minutes just to warm up the body and get me in the mood.What does the stretching do for you? (BTW - Static stretching or dynamic warmup stretches? Different things for different purposes.)
I don’t stretch before lifting. Sound like I should continue to not stretch based on some of the responses here.What do all the many isolation exercises do for you that switching more time/volume of your workout to compound exercises wouldn't achieve more efficiently?
If you are suggesting deadlifts and squats, my trainer said to build a better base before doing these. If you mean something else, please let me know what exercises you consider compound.
FWIW, I just enjoy working out. I enjoy the feeling I get after working out and the health benefits. Also, I paid a trainer to give me some direction, so hopefully I’m not just moving around the gym without a purpose.
Unless you have a specific medical issue you should do squats and hip hinge (deadlift) motion. These are basic human movements. You won't get a better "base" without doing the movement.
That said you don't have to load a bar on your back to train the squat. Bodyweight, goblet squats, etc are great ways ti build a base..
This seems to be the common idea. I practice squats once a week or so. I’m just taking it slow given how strong my trainer pushed me not to do them. I figure I’ll slowly ease them in over the next year.
I’ve only been lifting 1.5 years and only did machines before I went to a trainer a couple of months ago. Getting familiar with free weights for a period of time before moving to the big boy stuff probably isn’t the worst idea...0 -
{quote}
If you are suggesting deadlifts and squats, my trainer said to build a better base before doing these. If you mean something else, please let me know what exercises you consider compound.
FWIW, I just enjoy working out. I enjoy the feeling I get after working out and the health benefits. Also, I paid a trainer to give me some direction, so hopefully I’m not just moving around the gym without a purpose.
[/quote]
A bit broader than just squats and deadlifts - which are fine examples of compound lifts but not the only ones.
To build a base I would suggest majoring in compound lifts which work primary and secondary muscles involved in the lifts and vastly reduce all the isolation lifts you do.
I'd regard isolation lifts as accessory lifts for a particular weakness or focus after you have buillt a strength base. If you look through expert designed beginner focussed programs do you see mostly a small selection of compound lifts or a vast array of isolation lifts?
Will you progress with what you are doing? Yes of course - that's the benefit of setting up programs for beginners, just doing something/anything yields results if people turn up and train. If you enjoy flitting around the gym doing a variety of different things that's absolutely fine, not an optimal use of your time though. Enjoyment is a sensible thing to consider, an optimal routine that bores you to the point you won't stick to it is no longer optimal for you.
That you paid for your trainer doesn't unfortunately mean you got good advice IMHO. It's a profession with wildly varied skill levels, disciplines and areas of expertise. There's a lot of PTs in my gym I wouldn't go to for lifting advice, it's simply not what they are good at (doing or teaching).0 -
{quote}
If you are suggesting deadlifts and squats, my trainer said to build a better base before doing these. If you mean something else, please let me know what exercises you consider compound.
FWIW, I just enjoy working out. I enjoy the feeling I get after working out and the health benefits. Also, I paid a trainer to give me some direction, so hopefully I’m not just moving around the gym without a purpose.
A bit broader than just squats and deadlifts - which are fine examples of compound lifts but not the only ones.
To build a base I would suggest majoring in compound lifts which work primary and secondary muscles involved in the lifts and vastly reduce all the isolation lifts you do.
I'd regard isolation lifts as accessory lifts for a particular weakness or focus after you have buillt a strength base. If you look through expert designed beginner focussed programs do you see mostly a small selection of compound lifts or a vast array of isolation lifts?
Will you progress with what you are doing? Yes of course - that's the benefit of setting up programs for beginners, just doing something/anything yields results if people turn up and train. If you enjoy flitting around the gym doing a variety of different things that's absolutely fine, not an optimal use of your time though. Enjoyment is a sensible thing to consider, an optimal routine that bores you to the point you won't stick to it is no longer optimal for you.
That you paid for your trainer doesn't unfortunately mean you got good advice IMHO. It's a profession with wildly varied skill levels, disciplines and areas of expertise. There's a lot of PTs in my gym I wouldn't go to for lifting advice, it's simply not what they are good at (doing or teaching).[/quote]
Just curious, What does your program look like? How long have you been lifting?0 -
Just curious, What does your program look like? How long have you been lifting?
You don't want to copy my routine which is designed for a slightly broken middle aged man who prioritises cycling higher than lifting!
I started in the 1970's as a young teenager.
At the moment my routine is mostly alternate days cycle training and upper body lifting and I ansolutely wouldn't recommend it to others with different goals and restrictions. Doing far more stretching than normal to address compromised ROM from this years knee and back injuries (but as a separate activity).
But I still build my routine around compound lifts with a balance of push/pull exercises. Accessory and isolation lifts this year in particular are mostly for specific injury rehab reasons.3 -
Stretches outside the lift you are about to perform itself is a waste of time. The only exception in most cases is if you're lifting in a cold climate then I might suggest a couple minutes on rowing machine or stationary.
So if you are barbell squatting for first lift of the day, the most specific and beneficial stretch you could do is empty barbell squat or perhaps air squats if working through a injury or health conditions that require less intensity to begin warming up. Followed by working up in weight until you are ready to hit your working sets.
TRooth.1
https://youtu.be/o0_DoicHg2E
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