Does Stretching Really Matter?

[SF1900]

Does stretching really prevent injury? I recently read there is no correlation between stretching and injury prevention.

I mean, a lion does not warm up before it attacks on a deer or wilderbeest.

[visualizeperfection]

I have pulled things when I fail to stretch. Achilles and hamstring.

[robcguns]

 IMO no,never stretched anything.I think stretching a cold muscle is dangerous.

[Henda]

Never stretched in my life and suffered no ill affects off it

[IroNat]

There are different types of stretching.  Static, dynamic, isometric.

Static stretching doesn't prevent injury.  It can even make injury more likely particularly if you stretch before you workout.

Dynamic stretching, however, is good before you workout.  Getting blood into a joint and muscles before working can prevent injury.

If you want to do static stretching do it after you work out when your muscles and joints are warmed up.

What stretching does is make you more flexible which is beneficial to certain activities like martial arts.

Flexibility is good for some things but detrimental to other things.  Excessive flexibility is generally detrimental to strength and power training.

[Humble Narcissist]

There are different types of stretching.  Static, dynamic, isometric.

Static stretching doesn't prevent injury.  It can even make injury more likely particularly if you stretch before you workout.

Dynamic stretching, however, is good before you workout.  Getting blood into a joint and muscles before working can prevent injury.

If you want to do static stretching do it after you work out when your muscles and joints are warmed up.

What stretching does is make you more flexible which is beneficial to certain activities like martial arts.

Flexibility is good for some things but detrimental to other things.  Excessive flexibility is generally detrimental to strength and power training.

Listen to this guy. 

Stretching Scientifically by Thomas Kurz is a great book that covers all of these different stretches.

[oldtimer1]

You need a range of motion so you won't get injured. Anything extra is a waste. Too much flexibility is a sign of weakness. Dynamic stretching is the way to go. You will never see a sprinter do static stretches prior to running. They do bouncing stretches that for decades the "experts" say was dangerous. Static stretches can decrease power.

[Kahn.N.Singh]

Stretching is for the foolish and naive. I believe that one turns to stretching only when there is an inner genetic inadequacy or an outer impediment to development: in either case, the jelg will always be on you.

[wes]

Never did a bit of stretching.

As a result,I have zero flexibility even when I was much younger.

[B_MyT_2]

Does stretching really prevent injury? I recently read there is no correlation between stretching and injury prevention.

I mean, a lion does not warm up before it attacks on a deer or wilderbeest.

I'll say this much...since returning to the gym after my bicep tendon tear, I start every workout with about 10-15 minutes of band, cable, very light dbells, and stretching movements that I was put through when I did PT.  If I am training back or arms, I go to the gym that has the hand-bike (which is how every PT session started) for 1 minute forward then 1 minute backward for each arm before that other stuff.  The shoulder and elbow nagging pains that I had for almost all of my heavy training years and into my 30's & 40's has improved by I'd say 65-75% if I had to put a number on it.

My lower back, and legs are another story, but I think that's just part of creeping to 50.  I need to get back to yoga like I did when I was around 38.  Just took around 20 poses that I got from 3 different dvds, and did that 3-4 times a week in the mornings.  Only takes 25-30 minutes tops, and made a huge difference.  It's just a pain in the ass to get in the habit of doing that on top of cardio in the a.m.

As for your theory on the lion....that's not true.  Watch your cat or dog when they get up from resting.  They stretch almost every time as every waking moment is instinctually about being ready to find food.

[SF1900]

Never stretched in my life and suffered no ill affects off it

Same here. Never stretched and never had any injuries, other than the minor aches and pains that come with lifting.

[B_MyT_2]

Same here. Never stretched and never had any injuries, other than the minor aches and pains that come with lifting.

It's coming.  Age gets everyone.


Maybe having MPD works to your advantage in this regard?   You don't stay in one personality long enough to agonize your joint pain or muscle aches.

[Dave D]

As for your theory on the lion....that's not true.  Watch your cat or dog when they get up from resting.  They stretch almost every time as every waking moment is instinctually about being ready to find food.

Please dont compare domesticated pets to the king of the jungle.

Dogs and cats eat from bowls provided for them. You ever see a lion eat from a bowl?

I try to use that hand bike on pressing days, I dont think its very effective. What are you setting the resistance at?

[SF1900]

Please dont compare domesticated pets to the king of the jungle.

Dogs and cats eat from bowls provided for them. You ever see a lion eat from a bowl?

I try to use that hand bike on pressing days, I dont think its very effective. What are you setting the resistance at?

I have never seen a lion stretch, then immediately pounce on another animal. It's usually from stalking the prey, right to full on sprint. I have never seen a lion stalk a prey, stop to stretch, then spring toward the prey. 

[B_MyT_2]

Please dont compare domesticated pets to the king of the jungle.

Dogs and cats eat from bowls provided for them. You ever see a lion eat from a bowl?

I try to use that hand bike on pressing days, I dont think its very effective. What are you setting the resistance at?

I'm just making a simple analogy for a simple mind....relax.

As for the hand bike question, I don't know.  It just has a knob you turn with  + and - symbols on it.  It's not to warm up my muscles, it's for my tendons.  It's a stand up one so I kind of keep positioning myself at different angles while doing it.  The resistance level is probably pretty minimal compared to what you're using it for from the sound of it.  I just never want to feel and hear a tendon pop free again.

[B_MyT_2]

I have never seen a lion stretch, then immediately pounce on another animal. It's usually from stalking the prey, right to full on sprint. I have never seen a lion stalk a prey, stop to stretch, then spring toward the prey. 

Do you spend a lot of time in Africa watching lions to know all of this?

[Dave D]

I have never seen a lion stretch, then immediately pounce on another animal. It's usually from stalking the prey, right to full on sprint. I have never seen a lion stalk a prey, stop to stretch, then spring toward the prey. 

The only time I've EVER seen Lions stretch was before practice or a game. And these are pro football players so that should tell you something.

But this also reminds me of a story my grandfather would tell me when I was growing up:

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up and instinctively knows it must out run the fastest lion or be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up and knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't make if you're the gazelle or the lion, when the sun comes up you'd better be running.

Nothing about either one of them stretching.

[Dave D]

I'm just making a simple analogy for a simple mind....relax.

As for the hand bike question, I don't know.  It just has a knob you turn with  + and - symbols on it.  It's not to warm up my muscles, it's for my tendons.  It's a stand up one so I kind of keep positioning myself at different angles while doing it.  The resistance level is probably pretty minimal compared to what you're using it for from the sound of it.  I just never want to feel and hear a tendon pop free again.

It's a tendon warm up? The gyms I visit have both the standing and seated versions. I never see anyone use them so i'm not entirely sure I use it correctly.

I'll Google a video and see what I can learn. Thanks bro

[Dave D]

Do you spend a lot of time in Africa watching lions to know all of this?

Do you spend a lot of time watching cats and dogs all over the world to know this, or have you ever considered the possibility you might have lazy pets?

[SF1900]

The only time I've EVER seen Lions stretch was before practice or a game. And these are pro football players so that should tell you something.

But this also reminds me of a story my grandfather would tell me when I was growing up:

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up and instinctively knows it must out run the fastest lion or be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up and knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't make if you're the gazelle or the lion, when the sun comes up you'd better be running.

Nothing about either one of them stretching.

haha lol.

Agreed. Your grandfather is wise beyond his years and apparently knows a lot about animal behavior. Was he an ethologist or zoologist?

[Royalty]

haha lol.

Agreed. Your grandfather is wise beyond his years and apparently knows a lot about animal behavior. Was he an ethologist or zoologist?

That quote is not his own. It’s a famous saying

[SF1900]

That quote is not his own. It’s a famous saying

Dave D just committed plagiarism.

I shall report him to the appropriate Getbig authorities.

[Dave D]

That quote is not his own. It’s a famous saying

I said my grandfather told me that story Royalty, if thats even your real name.  how do you know my grandpa wasnt the originator of that story? Hes older than the internet

Did you ever consider the saying is famous because my grandfather repeatedly told it to others iver the course of his life and that those people repeated the story and so on....?

Dave D just committed plagiarism.

I shall report him to the appropriate Getbig authorities.

I did not plagiarize. My grandpa told that story. Dont report me.

[Royalty]

I said my grandfather told me that story Royalty, if thats even your real name.  how do you know my grandpa wasnt the originator of that story? Hes older than the internet

Did you ever consider the saying is famous because my grandfather repeatedly told it to others iver the course of his life and that those people repeated the story and so on....?

I did not plagiarize. My grandpa told that story. Dont report me.

David D please relax,   It’s a famous saying... that is all. Relax.

[IRON CROSS]

Do you spend a lot of time in Africa watching lions to know all of this?

Actually lionesses do all the work, lion just come to eat , then bonk them