When to stretch?

TravelsWithHuckleberry

Hi All,

I'm getting some mixed messages about when to stretch.

Web searches come up with varied answers, and the folks I've talked to also don't always agree. Some say to do it right after the workout to help get muscles back to their original shape to help recovery, and some say to wait until the next morning (I lift at night) to keep that hard earned muscle tension.

As far as I can tell, neither "Starting Strength" nor "New Rules of Lifting for Women" discuss stretching (though I haven't read every page, so forgive me if I'm wrong on this).

Any direction or advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
Courtney

PS -- An what about foam rolling? Do you do both stretches and rolling?

suremeansyes

I rarely stretch before lifting. I foam roll at the gym right before squats, and I foam roll at home as well, as needed. I do the warm ups and I find that is good enough for me.

If I do stretch, it's dynamic before cardio/cross fit class/hiit and static afterwards.

canadianlbs

when i had whiplash, the chiro/kinesiologist who treated me said that i should do my stretching when i woke up. his explanation went: the body creates most of your new muscle fibres while you're asleep, but it just kind of dumps them in that general zone without any specific configuration. so morning stretching encourages the new fibres to align themselves correctly with the existing muscle, which creates smoother muscle tissue and (in the case of injury) prevents adhesions from forming. he was a pretty good, hard-science kind of practitioner, not much given to bro-science and burning smudges and similar new-agey stuff. so i keep meaning to start doing this, and keep not bothering.

i have heard that stretching BEFORE exercise isn't the greatest idea as it can expose you to injury. i have been going through a light set of limbering-up stuff before though. and i do use selective serious stretches sometimes, mostly on my quads. just to stifle my over-dominant muscles a bit and give the weaker ones a better kick at the can. but bear in mind too: i'm currently benched.

bruerin

I rarely stretch before lifting. I foam roll at the gym right before squats, and I foam roll at home as well, as needed. I do the warm ups and I find that is good enough for me.

If I do stretch, it's dynamic before cardio/cross fit class/hiit and static afterwards.

Like suremeansyes, I don't stretch before lifting. I may do some dynamic stretching if I've been sitting for awhile or on the mornings I work out first thing. I foam roll afterwards and that is sufficient for me on lifting days.

On cardio days, I always do static stretching afterwards and follow that with foam rolling.

girlie100

yep me too, foam roll and then lift :bigsmile:

spirit095

I do dynamic stretching before any of my workouts and then static stretching after I'm done. I also use a massage roller stick when I feel like I need it.

Leadfoot_Lewis

A tight muscle is a short muscle, which means it's a weak muscle. I have areas on my body that are just tight thanks to sitting @ a PC all day - Traps, Rhomboids, Lats, & Shoulders. I always stretch them statically before (and after) lifting and then a little SMR if needed. I do this not because I'm afraid to get injured, but because I want full ROM around my joints, which is the point of stretching in the first place. BTW - stretching will not increase your chances of injury. If nothing else, it will help prevent them because your Synergist (secondary muscles in a lift) aren't having to step in for a tight, weak Agonist (the main muscle in a lift). That is one way people get injury and also why they have muscle imbalances.

TravelsWithHuckleberry

All of this is really helpful -- thanks very much!

C.