The Importance of Stretching

So you’ve been lifting weights for a while now, reading all the relative information so that you know everything about building muscle. You’re following a good workout routine, eating right, getting enough rest and remaining dedicated to working out week after week. But like most of us you’ve probably neglected the importance of stretching. Stretching is a vital component of your muscle building efforts and must be included in every workout routine.

Why do I Need to Stretch?

Stretching prevents injury, improves flexibility, increases muscle efficiency but more importantly increases muscle mass. Every muscle in your body is covered by tissue, this tissue is called fascia. The fascia is a protective material that covers your muscles and keeps them in the correct place. The facia is a very strong material and does not allow much room for your muscles to expand. Stretching allows the facia to expand, which in turn allows your muscles to expand (grow). By stretching your muscle you will at the same time stretch your fascia, which allows your muscle to grow. With this in mind lets look at the different ways you can stretch:

Passive Stretching

Passive stretching is when you use an outside force such as a wall, another person or a weight to help stretch your muscles beyond their active range of motion. This is typically the most common form of stretch used. Passive stretching has been scientifically studied, and results have shown that this form of stretching can actually decrease performance, dampen the nervous system and make the muscles become weaker for up to 1 hour after stretching. (See the American Physiological Society article) http://jap.physiology.org/content/89/3/1179.full

Active Stretching

Active stretching does not require any outside forces to perform the stretch, this type of stretch uses your own muscles to achieve range of motion. As the opposite (antagonist) muscle contracts the target (agonist) muscle lengthens, which is the safest and most effective method for stretching. Active stretching should be performed after your workouts, never before. A good example of an active stretch would be holding your arms above your head to stretch the lateral muscles.

Dynamic Stretching

Dynamic stretching is when you move body parts slowly and gradually increase the speed and/or reach of movement. Dynamic stretching is recommended before you lift weights and has been shown to increase nervous system activation and reduce muscle tightness. Two popular examples of dynamic stretches would be arm circles and lunges.
 

The Best Time to “Actively” Stretch

Never stretch before a workout or in between sets or exercises, doing so will tire your muscles, making them weaker and could lead to an injury. Yes you need to warm up before lifting heavy weights but you do this by lifting light weights, then gradually increasing the weights as you work through your warm up sets. The best time to perform active stretches is after you have completed your workout and doing so will make allow more blood to flow into the muscles at the time its most required.