It looks very plausible that stretching before you exercise doesn’t do much for you. Multiple older surveys suggested this.
Annoyingly, the studies linked in the previous paragraph are 2 decades old, and somehow I can’t find a large, well controlled, trial.
static stretching is for cool down & recovery, with the goal of increasing mobility when you’re already warm and loosened up.
dynamic warmups, especially in your specific problem areas (knees/shoulders), will help prevent pain and injuries.
source: 20 years of lifting and rugby with enough injuries for a minor in PT. I’ve learned my lesson(s).
absolutely this!
I also think static stretching has its place in injury prevention for day-to-day sprains and injuries. Longer, more pliable muscles = not tearing your hamstring if you accidentally fall into a split. They can be great teaching tools too, and can incorporate some core training.
But otherwise foam rolling, banded distractions, dynamic warmups get the job done just fine. Even just starting right into a warmup set if the motion feels good already.
At that point then stretching is a different form of working out or exercise. Which makes a certain kind of sense.
love a good foam roll sesh. it’s usually the first part of my warmup. I know the science is out on it’s actual benefits, but nothing helps with soreness and getting the body going like working out all the kinks on a roller.
sameeeee! It’s a form of self-massage, and massage is well understood more generally. it won’t make muscles longer but it’ll help a lot with adhesions, tender points and postural tension.
recently I’ve been getting some great results out of using a harder plastic massage ball for some areas, seems to get deep into my psoas, quads and calves especially. also love using a racked barbell to mobilize triceps, rotator cuff, and hamstrings! it hurts so good!
I still keep an old lacrosse ball in the gym bag for that exact reason
This! I’m disabled, so when I started powerlifting, I took extra care to ensure I was doing things safely. Although it can be hard to parse the research, everything that I read supported what you describe (and the strategy seemed to work well for me, given that I didn’t end up crippling myself further)
love to hear it. muscles are definitely akin to springs - stretching them out before a lift or sports can limit your ability to perform. powerlifting and mobility are incredible tools for longevity and it sounds like you found the right combo.
There is more to stretching though, it provides a different type of strength, not quite evident unless you do deep stretch, holding a position for an hour.
fair enough. I meant more so in the context of pre/post workout, but I agree. mobility work is the same as weight training in that more consistent you are, the better you get at it. the seasons I would do hot yoga on off days made me stronger and more stable in everything else, especially lower body power.
I also still sit in a deep squat a few times a day, to make sure I’m a comrade found. if you’ve got an electric toothbrush with a 2 minute timer, holding that deep squat for the full time period is an excellent way to get a little mobility work and it calms my ADHD need to multitask.
That hot yoga is just too hot, in the’90s would Be nice, 105, one degree under brain damage level Is too hot for me.
you’re not wrong. a lot of the places I’ve been to have different temp classes - when I first started I’d do the 105° classes but there have been plenty of times I needed to step out and take a break to cool off.
last place I used to go to had 95° classes that were more fitness/strength focused, and that was definitely my sweet spot. plus, nothing prepares you for running in the heat like holding a plank in a hot room.