Back in the day when I was just another jock in high school, I thought stretching was a waste of time. I was strong, could run fast, jump high, looked good, pretty much everything a high school dude wants to be physically. It wasn't until I joined up at an MMA gym that I realized stretching is just as vital to being a top physical specimen as the rest of your workouts are.
[B]Static stretching is okay.[/B]
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Static stretches are the stretches everyone learned as a little kid in physical education classes. In static stretches, you're just that, static. You sit (or stand) still and stretch a certain set of muscles for 10-15 seconds, then move on to another one. While these stretches serve as a decent warm-up (I advocate jogging/something that requires motion as a warm-up but whatever floats your boat), they don't do much for you cosmetically.
[I]Benefits:[/I]
You won't get bigger or anything like that just from static stretching. If you're more interested in the performance aspect of things, then static stretches are okay, just not as good as isometric or dynamic stretches. Most of you should know a bunch of static stretches from sports/PE classes/whatever. If you're looking to maintain flexibility, stretch 2-3 times a week. If you're looking to improve flexibility, stretch 4-5 times a week.
[B]Isometric stretches are good shit.[/B]
You're more flexible than you think.
However, the body has a stretch reflex that keeps the average person's muscles from being stretched to their maximum point. When the body feels a muscle being pulled, it freaks out and makes that muscle contract, which is why you tighten up like a motherfucker when you start getting close to your current range of flexibility. Isometric stretches help fight/train this reflex by essentially tiring out muscles as you stretch which causes them to relax, allowing you to get a much better stretch.
Think of it. Nothing attaches your legs together. There is no tendon that connects your left leg to your right leg and vise versa. Therefore, theoretically, if you can put one leg out to your side at a 90 degree angle, you should be able to put the other one out to the side and do the splits. However, your stretch reflex will most likely shit itself and you won't get anywhere close to doing the splits if you tried.
Isometric stretching is basically fighting the stretch. For example, if you're stretching your hamstring by putting your feet out in front of you and trying to touch your toes, you flex your hamstring as hard as possible while you stretch, almost like you're digging your heels into the ground. If you do them right, isometric stretches are a workout on their own. In fact, you shouldn't do isometric stretches as a warm-up because they really tire out your muscles quickly. Most people advocate warming up before doing isometric stretches.
[I]Benefits:[/I]
Isometric stretches are a great way to increase your strength, stamina, and flexibility at the same time. However, they are ridiculously demanding, and most people advise you to do them no more than 2-3 times a week. Definitely don't do them the day of or the day before a competition of any sort. There's tons of isometric stretching workouts available online, but the simplest way to do them is go through your static stretching routine while "fighting" the stretch by contracting the muscle you are stretching. Do sets of 3 with each stretch, you'll notice a difference in flexibility between sets as that stretch reflex is relaxed.
[B]Dynamic stretches are the bee's knees.[/B]
Dynamic stretches are my favorite type of stretches because they increase your flexibility [I]extremely fast[/I] when done frequently and make a lot of stabilizer/other hard to reach muscle groups stronger. However, most dynamic stretches target the legs and trunk, there isn't a lot of options when it comes down to the arms.
Dynamic stretches are simply stretches that involve a lot of movement. Most people are familiar with basic dynamic stretches, like high-knees, butt-kicks, lunges, and whatnot. Those are all good in the neighborhood, but if you want to see some insane progress, you'll stick to the magic three:
Front kicks, side kicks/leg swings, back kicks.
-Front kicks are simple and don't require a lot of room. Simply stand straight up, take a short step with the non-kicking foot, then kick forward with a straight leg, trying to get your foot up as high as possible. As with most dynamic stretches, you want to put a degree of force behind it, but don't throw your leg up so hard that you tear something.
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-Side kicks/leg swings require a wall or something to hold on to and quite a bit of clearance on each side. Brace yourself, then pick a leg and start swinging it side-to-side like a pendulum. It shouldn't swing too far overlapping your base foot, but it's important to get a stretch there too. Like front kicks, you don't need to swing your leg hard, but you want it to come up as high as possible to your side. When you get flexible enough, you'll need to point your base foot away from the direction you're swinging (so if you're swinging your right leg, your base foot is parallel to the wall pointing to the left) in order to orient your hips correctly.
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Even though actually kicking that high is a much different motion, that is exactly what you should look like at the peak of your leg swing (when you get flexible). Holding on to a bar or the wall allows you to swing your leg up higher than you'd be able to just standing free.
Back kicks are pretty simple. You simply grab on to something like a chair, lean forward, and bring a leg up behind you as high as you can.
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When doing dynamic stretches, it is important to [B]know your limits.[/B] When you first start doing them, take it easy while you discover just how flexible you really are. Don't throw your leg up has hard as possible without knowing how flexible you are and annihilate your hamstring. Dynamic stretches are actually kind of dangerous, make sure you're warmed up a bit before doing them.
Do 3 sets of 10 when doing dynamic stretches (with the kicking based ones, that's 10 per leg) 4-5 times a week and you'll see amazing improvements. I went from not being able to kick straight up higher than my waist to being able to front kick a chain that hangs a few inches above my head in just about 3 weeks. [B]Dynamic stretches aren't just a tool for martial artists[/B], when you're more flexible, simple actions like running actually become easier. Unlike static stretches, dynamic stretches train your muscles to operate in a wide range of motion, so you'll actually still have power behind your legs when they're fully outstretched.
I know I gave a lot more emphasis on dynamic stretching, but that's just because I believe it is the most superior form of stretching due to my personal experiences. Even if you aren't a martial artists or athlete and are just looking to get buff for the ladies, you can get a lot out of isometric and dynamic stretches. Like I said, they work a lot of different muscle groups. For example, leg swings work your obliques and hip flexors, among other things. If you're looking for something new, you can try yoga. Yoga is pretty much stretching with elements of balance and breathing management tossed in. Fast paced yoga is fucking [B]hard[/B], I can go quite a few rounds in a cage but 30 minutes of high intensity yoga wrecks my shit.
Plus, bitches be fucking awestruck when they see a guy do this:
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fyi i can do the splits , u jelly? tbh there was info in here i didnt know , gj . you should always stretch+ do warm up sets before you do any exercise ~_~
The crazy thing is that flexibility doesn't carry over between static and dynamic stretches.
For example, many guys (including myself) can kick up over their heads to a point where simply putting your hand out means touching the foot. However, they can't stand still and bend over to touch their toes without a lot of difficulty. I can barely touch my toes in a static stretch, yet I can axe kick perfectly well.
Same thing goes for splits and whatnot. Yes, being flexible in static stretches helps achieve height in kicks, but just how it is with front kicks, I can easily put my foot to someone's head with a roundhouse kick, yet I don't really even come close to doing the splits. I don't know the dynamics of everything all too well, but I think it has a lot to do with that stretch reflex I was talking about. My muscles are just fine with stretching for a brief moment, but they shit themselves when I try to do a sustained stretch.
There has actually been studies done to show that stretching pre-weightlifting makes you employ less muscle fibers or some shit when you do workout.
BUT I still stretch before working out everytime, I don't care if it makes my deadlift go down by 15 pounds, I'd rather be safe and stretched then maxing out and fuck up lol.
Pretty good guide. Stretching is def super important. I've also read a bunch of stuff about stretching before you sleep really helps and it really has helped me a great deal.
Also, stretching AFTER you workout is really good too, can prevent lactic acid build up. So you won't feel so sore the next day.
I do both static and dynamic stretching. It helps my work out alot better. And it's compulsory for my martial arts class.
The best cure is prevention!
[QUOTE=VQ35HR;28656463]Also, stretching AFTER you workout is really good too, can prevent lactic acid build up. So you won't feel so sore the next day.[/QUOTE]
What? I'd like you to test this. Try this for a week, after each workout, and tell me if you feel an improvement. Seriously.
I stretch after all of my workouts and I haven't had intense next day soreness in a looooong time. Always used to be super sore the day after rough workouts before I started stretching, I haven't felt that way since starting.
i never get sore after lifting, wtf is wrong with you people
I get sore but it's nothing really bad. I don't stretch right after. I may give it a shot.
I've never gotten sore after a purely lifting workout, but when you have a hard workout that incorporates lifting, high intensity cardio and other things, you're probably going to be sore the next day.
That sounds like climbing to me. So I guess that's probably part of it.
For me it depends on the volume really. If the volume is high, I get sore basically.
[QUOTE=Seith;28658235]What? I'd like you to test this. Try this for a week, after each workout, and tell me if you feel an improvement. Seriously.[/QUOTE]
Even if I am not sore post-workout, I do this and it works.
I don't do it all the time because I'm simply too lazy, but when I do, my muscles just feel less tense and more relaxed, especially the next day. Try it out for yourself.
I usually do a good number of stretches before and after my workouts. I usually do my ending stretches in the sauna (if there is one and there aren't many people in it). I usually have pretty good flexibility and that's probably because I have been one of the few that really stretches. When I say "the few", I mean people on my sports teams and gym class, they don't really do any stretching.
saunas :love:
I'm bad at warming up and stretching. That's probably why I have shin splints right now. :smith:
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