Pre-class stretching information

[Darkranger85]

Ok, I read somewhere that static stretching before class is actually a bad idea.

I'm hoping that someone can confirm this and point me toward some good references for it that I can bring into class.

The stretching we normally do is:

Sitting with one leg out and stretch toward the toe.

Standing and hanging toward the floor.

Cobra forward stretch

And things like that.

I appreciate any and all info!

[Wastelander]

Here are a few.

Boston University:

http://www.bu.edu/today/2015/stretch-before-exercise-not-so-fast/

MIT:

http://web.mit.edu/tkd/stretch/stretching_5.html

University of Nevada:

https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/stretching-truth

[Darkranger85]

Thank you wastelander!

So, the kinds of stretching that I gave examples of, is this the kind of stretching that would be considered bad before a class?

[Spartacus Maximus]

A good training session ought to included both types of stretching, but any sort of static stretching should be at the end. The most intense and dynamic part should be the first 5 minutes.

Non-stop speed combinations kick/punch or repetitions of single techniques are excellent for this. It is much harder than it seems and most beginners will struggle with a single minute.

After doing that the body is warmed up and loose enough. Next in order is the usual programme of drills, kata etc and finally static stretches such as splits or other similar exercise.

Doing it first makes little sense because the muscles are cold. One does not warm up by stretching cold. Warm up and increase heart rate, and then stretching is the correct way.

A simple experiment to try is to attempt a stretch cold and see how far one can stretch. Try again at the end of the training session and compare.

[126barnes]

We usually start with a warmup , which transessions into dynamic stretching. On with the class and finish with static stretches.

[JR 137]

I took a graduate exercise physiology class about 6 years ago, and my professor had 2 studies confirming that static stretching before competition decreases performance. They were long, professional journal articles. Those studies were submitted by university professors. I can email him and ask him for links if you'd like.

But people have varying understanding of what is actually implied by that. The 3 articles linked to above aren't very clear to me. Two of them state/imply don't static stretching before warm-up, and the other says to static stretch after warm-up and before dynamic stretching, thus static stretching before actual competition/performance is good.

Let the head scratching continue...

What I've found in the research presented to me was any static stretching done before competition/performance decreased performance. It wasn't like short distance sprinters were minutes slower or powerlifters dropped 20 lbs of their max by any means. But static stretchers consistently did worse than when they didn't static stretch before performance.

Everyone is agreeing that static stretching should be done after the body is sufficiently warm. What's sufficiently warm? Forget degrees; if you're sweating, you're warm enough. If you're not sweating, you're not ready to stretch (talking about pre-performance stretching, not stretching after a few hours at a desk).

I worked in sports medicine for 15 years, most of those years with NCAA Div I men's soccer and men's basketball, with a few years of football thrown in the mix. Anecdotally speaking (not empirically), static stretching before performance (game or practice) was a waste of time. Guys didn't get more flexible, and didn't decrease injuries. Working up a bit of a sweat with things like jogging, high knees, butt-kicks, straight legged kicks to the hands, then doing dynamic stretching was far more beneficial. Flexibility increased, and muscular injuries were less. Add cool-down and finish with static stretching, and the results were the best.

Again, that was strictly my observation. I didn't keep statistics. I didn't pay much attention to it until an old boss pointed it out, then I watched for it for a while. Different coaches do different things, and they have their ways. I didn't interfere with what they did. I offered advice when asked, and didn't dwell on it.

So to make a long post short...

Break a sweat, do some dynamic stretching, practice/compete, cool-down, then static stretch to finish. I know a few strength & conditioning coaches at the professional level (NBA, NFL, NHL), and they all follow that routine in their unique ways.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Current recommendations say that you should be wary of static stretching during warm up. Whilst dynamic stretching is better for your muscles.

But both have the risks of injury during warm up and cool down. During my clinical pracituum hours for Exercise Science and during classes we are told to limit static stretching unless the client (not patients) is sore and needs to help reduce the soreness and tightness.

Be aware that athletes and non-athletes have different requirements in terms of stretching.

Research has progressed a lot in the last 4-5 years and stretching will always be a side of research. But there is a clear indication that static stretching can reduce peformance

[bushido_man96]

We usually start with a warmup , which transessions into dynamic stretching. On with the class and finish with static stretches.

This is what I hear more and more as being the standard practice. Dynamic stretching during warm-ups, and static stretching at the end of a workout to help improve flexibility, seems to yield the best results.

[126barnes]

We usually start with a warmup , which transessions into dynamic stretching. On with the class and finish with static stretches.

This is what I hear more and more as being the standard practice. Dynamic stretching during warm-ups, and static stretching at the end of a workout to help improve flexibility, seems to yield the best results.

We were always told static stretching leads to tired muscles and tried muscles will leads to injuries/ poor performance when worked hard. Don't know if this is true but so far it's held up for me.

[sensei8]

How do we choose, as to what is good and what is bad. Amongst the experts, expert 'A' will say one thing, and expert 'B' will say another thing. Being a layperson, how does one choose beyond the gut feeling(s)?!

Most perplexing, to say the least!!