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I have read over the discussion of stretching on this website but am wondering if there are any further conclusions elsewhere about static stretching in particular; what exactly does it do to the muscle, does it increase injury rate if performed before an activity requiring maximal speed mucular contraction, does it inhibit a maximal contraction as done in powerlifting where the contraction velocity may be slow?

Seems like there are a lot of conflicting opinions and resolution would be the best but any information would be appreciated.

Ryan,

Seems like there is a lot of conflicting opinions about most topics :)

I could not pick any of the options you provided so I will explain here the role of static stretching in my program.

I don't stretch immedialy pre or post workout. Pre WO didn't seem to help my workouts and I have read that it caused all those negative things you listed above so I stopped. Post WO didn't make sense because it is difficult to relax and get a good stretch. So after recently reading this: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=639853 I started incorportaing it with my eveninig shower.

I really liked the idea because the shower is a passive warm-up! which further helps with getting a good stretch.

I have also experimented with stretching the antagonist before performing an exercise for the agonist (stretching lats before BP sets). I will experiment with this some more.

Ryan

I chose "as it's own workout" ..although that is not quite true.

I also, most often, do my stretching at a different time from my workouts.

I have some exceptions to that rule though. If I am going to do some kind of ~demanding~ cardio..like taebo..then I like to have my muscles as flexible as possible.

However, I will generally put in 5 or 10 minutes of elliptical time or some such thing FIRST, in order to warm up before stretching.

Also.. if I've done a long walk/run (I don't really run<g>) I might do a short stretch after.

It's a pretty rare thing for me to stretch after a lifting workout, and never before.

dian

Hi Ryan. Well, here is an article out of "The Physician and Sportsmedicine" entitled The myths and Truths of stretching. A few things in there I may not have previously taken a s true or false, but it does contain a bibliography with tons of refernced published studies
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/200 ... shrier.htm
Good reading
Tim

Here are some other links which pertain to this topic....

http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/stretchpaper.htm

http://www.defrancostraining.com/articl ... -round.htm

I do some stretching during my workout, in-between sets.I know it's supposed to reduce strength, but I sometimes get cramps, so there's no choice.
If I hadn't stretched my quads during my last workout, I would have given up on squatting for the day-guess my tendons need to readjust after my lay-off.

I do about 10-15 minutes worth of stretching after my workout, starting at my head and working down to my legs, preferably after 5 minutes of light work on an exercise bike as a cooldown.

I've noticed it's really helped me stretch better than ever before. I've never been able to touch my toes with my legs straight before, but I can now.

I just found this forum and see that I am a little behind in the disucssion. For what it is worth - my 2 cents: Static stretching should primarily should be used to correct muscle imbalances. To address your questions directly, a muscle cannot contract maximally if it is overactive (tight). What may lead to increased rate of injury is neglecting a proper static stretching protocol before AND after training. Additionally, powewrlifting (ie. maximal strength training) requires extremely fast muscle contraction as you attempt to recruit 100% of muscle fibers over a short peroid of time. Again, what will inhibt this max contraction is a muscle that is shortened. A detailed structrual movement assessment (ie. overhead squat) should give you sufficient clues to muscles that are tight (overactive) and need to be statically stretched, and muscles that are weak (lengthend) and need to be strengthend.
Just some thoughts from my studies and experiences - hope it helps.

What studies do you have supporting a static stretching routine before maximal lifting?

All literature I have read supports a negative effect on maximal strength production following a static stretching routine due to the fact that maximal force production requires a maximal contraction and static stretching does exactly the opposite, a maximal relaxation. Therefore unless you are doing stretching to inhibit the contraction of a muscle that opposes the muscle you are trying to maximally activate, the stretching should probably be saved for afterward.

Hello Ryan:
I do not have studies supporting static stretching pre maximal lifting, however I see that my response was not entirely clear. I did not mean to imply that one should static stretch before the actual maximal lifting session. I intended only to reinforce the importance of a properly guided and stuctured static stretching routine before one begins a maximal lifting periodization. All imbalances should be addressed and corrected with static stretching (and foam rolling) weeks before a maximal lifting regime begins. I think that we can agree that imbalances cannot be corrected in one static stretching session. If imbalances are corrected and proper length-tension relationships are achieved well before maximal training begins - would you agree that you may not need a static stretching routine during this periodization? A light active and mostly dynamic stretching warm up pre workout would seem sufficient, safe and smart. In Health-Paul

Ah yes, I misunderstood.

I agree that one should address muscle imbalances first. I am currently in the process of exactly this, doing lighter weights, emphasis on perfect technique followed daily by stretching and mobility routines.

Thanks for the posts

Hi ryan! please see my answer to serenity's strectch routine!

nc :0)

This is incorrect.

Reseach inidicates that stretching prior to a movement is counter productive to power output. Doing so inhibits the stretch reflex, mytatic reflex.

The stretch reflex is like rubber bands. As Einstein noted for every action, there is an opposite reaction.

This means when one does a slight bounce off the chest in a bench press, the stretch reflex provides more power when you drive up. The data shows up to 20% more power is evoked with this method.

Stretching prior to an exercise, dulls the strtech reflex. It like stretching the elastic out of a rubber band. The rubber band does not "spring back."

A better method is ballistic prior to a workout. This primes the stretch reflex to produce more power.



The research does not indicated that streching prior to a workout decreases injury. See the article Tim provided on stretching.

A static stretch after works best. Tendons and ligaments are like string cheeze. They are much more supple when heated.

One inteesting theory is that of John Parrillo. Parrillo believes in stretching (fascial stretching) after each set of an exercise. Hie view is that doing so allows for greater muscle grow.

I think there may be something to this.

Kenny Croxdale

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Thanks TimD.