The gymnastics analogy is a mischaracterization. The reason that gymnasts don't get even more injured given the crazy stuff they do (release skills, dismounts, strength skills in poorly leveraged positions, etc.) is that they have excellent range of motion, including strength and stability at that end range of motion. Gymnasts do stretch, but that's part of a larger circuit that may include eccentrics, overcoming isometrics, and compound movements meant to utilize the temporarily increased range (e.g., pancake -> press to handstand). I know I've definitely seen strongmen doing some similar exercises, e.g., reverse nordic curls.
Imo it's flawed conclude that because a gymnast is more frequently injured than a soccer player that it has something to do with mobility. You should compare injuries of the individual sports with those who stretch and those who don't within the same sport.
I agree, I feel like a lot gymnastic injuries are trauma related in which mobility has very little contribution to prevention of traumatic injury. It’s like saying I got injured in a car crash bc I can’t squat ATG.
Correlation is not causation. I used to do powerlifting, then I stopped. Sat a desk for 10 years and decided I needed to love life again and start lifting. I couldn't, my mobility was so bad that any movement tightened my hips so severely that my back hurt to the point I couldn't brace against a strong wind (not a euphemism, but an actual experience where a mild gust of wind knocked me over). So, every morning and night I took a very hot shower for 30 minutes, then did a full body stretch focusing on my hips with foam rolling. After a year I can walk 3 miles without being absolutely crippled and just in the past month am back to benching and squatting regularly ( 305 x 5, 410 x 5), yes moving was about 80% of the work however stretching all the while being only 20% provided 80% of the result I needed.
@@adamschneider868 Your anecdote says nothing. Your mobility would probably have progressed the same if you just started squatting, starting with full ROM with an empty bar.
The correct experiment to prove the point is comparing to gymnasts that do not stretch. I would say that gymnastics has a lot of injuries because it is so dangerous and taxing on the body and if you did not have the mobility and tried you wouldn’t make it one day.
In some way yes. But the problem is, that after you stretch over the neccessary healthy mobility you will use that range and will become more prone to injury. Its safer to stay in a healthy range of motion with basic archetype move and dont go further, tham that. At least this is his clame.
@@crazy10bears Correct, so you could never run the proper experiment with a large enough n to be significant. Therefore, Mitch’s statement that gymnasts stretch more than anyone and have the most injuries is misleading and an impossible to test statement to provide support for his thesis that stretching is unnecessary.
For context, I was a Hockey player for 12 years to include 2 years of SemiPro and I have been a United States Marine for over 4 years as of today. My life revolves around physical fitness due to my job as a Marine. I got through 12 years of hockey and the last 4 years in the Military without any major injuries. I attribute this primarily to two things. Number 1 is my belief that my body is not worth a personal record so if I am lifting, running, doing calisthenics, or just stretching, if it feels wrong or off, I stop and I do something else. Number 2 is my stretching. I have noticed a difference in how my body feels and how easily I move when I am stretched vs when I'm not. For me this looks like a few minutes of stretching in the morning while coffee is brewing to loosen my body and prepare for the day and then a few minutes after I workout to facilitate a better cooldown. I also do yoga for about 15-30 minutes a week but that's mainly for the balance and bodyweight training portion. I noticed that I feel better, I recover faster, and I am less sore when I stretch vs when I don't.
This is going to be a topic never agreed upon. I tore my calf in a strongman competition and PTs told me to stretch it slowly over time so it doesn't knot up/shrink too much- and it helped. Ultimately, if you never stretch and can deadlift 900 lbs without issue then keep going. If stretching helps you (at least mentally) to perform your tasks then do it. I've learned with strength and performance there is so much with diet, genetics, and intensity that it's too hard to pin it all on one or the other.
I stretch daily for work but rarely in the gym. I have found personally that stretching puts me more in touch with how my body is feeling that day. If I stretch my shoulder and feel an uncomfortable tinge, that gives me vital information before an injury occurs. Physiological benefits are one thing, but I think it's just as important to know what's hurting and keeping a good connection between mind and body.
Nit picking. His point is more related to weight lifters and making the distinction between the different sports based on those who HAVE mobility as a requirement and still getting injured with similar inuries (not that they aren susceptible to other injuries) over not being very beneficial for another field.
The comments and feed back are funny. Stretching is one of those topics we were taught young, and still hold on to. I realized I teach soccer kids to stretch, but don't believe in it myself, just because that is what has always been done. I need to rethink this. I love that you challenge our understanding of how the body works, and then prove it with title after title.
Hmm this is a very strong opinion and makes me think I'm a stretcher. But it's interesting to hear you say it's a waste. Then see guysblike shaw or Singleton say they always stretch before each training sesh
Maybe stretching doesnt prevent injury, but for me personally it makes little uncomfortable feelings in the knees or shoulders get better. But the more important thing is to move more and sit less.
Interesting take. I'm gonna keep stretching. Heard plenty of evidence on why it might not be as beneficial as traditionally thought. Didn't really hear anything convincing me it's an actual net negative. I'm not a dancer or gymnast. I don't compete against others in skills that test the limits of mobility and flexibility. I don't workout for hours and i usually stretch beforehand. So I only need the benefits to last a hour or two. That lines up perfectly with what I'm using stretching for. I understand only needing so much mobility but I didn't hear any reason not to have more. So if my choices are enough mobility or extra mobility, see no reason not to slowly work toward extra.
Just don't lose track of that fact that your anecdote is the only thing that actually matters for you, just the same as my experience is the only thing that really matters to me.
As a 61 year old guy with lots of old sports injuries I need to loosen things up before I go hard lifting in the gym and before go hard on bike climbs. I also know stretching helps my range of motion after I workout. Ice helps this old recovering body sleep well to. I am a believer in sretching. Feels better I can move easier, Itwill never replace lifting ur hard bike rides but still worth the effort
Your statement about gymnasts' rate of injury is a non sequitur - they are not getting injured due to being flexible, but because they perform dynamic, high impact movements that cause injury when not performed correctly - the examples you've shown in the video prove that. Stretching before a workout, esp. when you're not warmed up is a bad idea in itself, but done towards the end or after your workout is OK as long as it's not overdone. Muscles that get too tight from being worked out and not stretched have a reduced range of motion over time unless you stretch them, which increases the range of motion back to 100% if done correctly (there would be a point of diminishing returns, of course). Martins Licis seems to have the opposite POV of you in this regard, since he does a lot of stretching and mobility work pre, during and post workout.
If I stretch a muscle right after I'm done training it, DOMS won't be nearly as bad in the following days. I also do full nody stretching every morning to just feel good and more mobile.
Great video! The over complicating of fitness/Crossfit/PE class has helped lead us to this point. Most athletes and regular folks will take awhile to understand what you’re saying. As I’m hearing it, “save time by strength training over an adequate range of motion with proper warm ups and you’ll have lasting mobility/flexibility and reduce injuries”. Otherwise do whatever therapy (stretching included) you like after a proper strength & conditioning workout if it helps you recover.
While I wouldn't argue your approach/logic, personally I have found including regular yoga to be one of the best things I can do for injury prevention (60-90 min, 1x/wk). Maybe something connected to more total body stretching than focusing on a muscle/limb? Thoughts? Thanks for the great content and keep crushing it!
I do minor stretching in key areas (always including hip flexors - due to the fact we all sit down too much) before activity. I had a history of muscle twinges in that area when I was playing netball. I now play lawn bowls (lots of lunging) and recently took up weightlifting. I don't do a whole-body stretch before or after exercise. I only target areas that feel like they need attention.
Comparing injuries in sports with people are flying through the air and drawing paralelles to tight muscles isn't causes more injuries is bad. The rest is sound advive. Get the mobility you need - not excessive mobility.
Only reason I stretch daily is because my job destroys my body everyday in every way. Stretching and get serious blood flow in many areas has helped me tremendously
As a gymnast, yes there a lots of relatively minor injuries all the time even though we stretch lots. But stretching muscles isn't going to help with broken legs like in that clip on vault.
over the last year I've stopped stretching and doing yoga and focus more on weights in pull range of motion, especially kettlebells, and my injuries have gone and my mobility is better than when I did yoga everyday
I don't think the stretching example for gymnastics makes much sense when you compare it to a gym-lifting situation. People probably think that stretching can prevent injuries during a lift. Gymnastics however, I would guess, gets injured because of risky, high energy acrobatics. For soccer players also, of course stretching or not, when two persons runs into eachother head on, the stretching parameter doesn't really apply here. I also heard that stretching too much can make the muscles less tense, which could lower for example a squat 1rm, so that could be another aspect to consider when it comes to stretching.
I don't think showing a gymnast snapping his shin or one breaking an ankle supports your argument for not stretching. There injuries don't seem to be mobility related. Snapping a bone because of doing crazy flips and coming down hard is not due to stretching. And in soccer, getting your ankle snapped due to a slide tackle, is also not a good argument. I agree that if you don't have a reason for further mobility then what's the point, but, having said that, not great examples when the injuries aren't related to mobility/flexibility.
I barely know anyone who stretches, so I doubt people are stretching too much 😅Personally I just do 5min of dynamic stretch before lifting and I have started to exercises with more ROM. And thats about it.
I normally stretch before lifting. My reason has always been for mobility and being able to perform exercises properly with full rom. I always understood stretching was not really beneficial for strength. I don’t train for strength pr’s but I do train to put on muscle. This video definitely has made me realize there are some days I don’t need to worry about stretching as much as just warming up.
Why would 4x WSM 🌎 Brian Shaw use band stretching before he works out he's a big advocate for stretching before you workout . So don't think that's right
I'm not sure that showing a legbreak is the right injury to show mobility does or does not lessen the potential for injury. Im not sure anyone believes being more mobile helps prevent fractures and bone breaks. From my cursory research it would seem most of their injuries are to the joints and bones which makes sense given the impact forces they deal with such as in the clip you used. The fact they often suffer from shoulder instability does boost your point reference the injuries to more mobile shoulders.
I’ve never really stretched before doing anything my whole life but after getting into strength training the last couple of years and being in my forties I started stretching before each workout to help avoid injury. Only thing I really noticed is that I fatigue a lot sooner so do struggle to push my boundaries. So after watching this it’s back to not stretching. 😊
it won't prevent injury and might increase its risk. but if you want to be flexible, feel free to stretch - *after* your strength training, not before. but a better way to increase your functional mobility is to move through your range of motion and work on increasing it dynamically, not statically stretch.
It’s pretty well known you shouldnt stretch BEFORE a workout, unless you’re doing dynamic stretches. Static stretching is better after workout, but not immediately after
You could have made a much better video. First of all, by not starting with Stretching Is Making You Weaker. Warm-up with dynamic (elastic) not ballistic stretches (ballistic is uncontrolled). Do warm-up sets to prepare and make sure everything is safe (you mention this) before lifting heavy. End with static (plastic) stretches to retain flexibility (yes, this makes a difference). What you might want to do is step back and do a video on the importance of warming up before exercising. Gymnastics and ballet are similar to plyometrics so your comparison to strength athletes doesn't really work (strength competitions have at least one foot on the ground). You touch on functional movements (lifting overhead) but neglect to mention if you're not doing these movements often, you will lose flexibility and the ability to perform that movement properly. That you mentioned specific training for specific sports is excellent. That would make a great heading and a very useful subject to make a video on.
I have a movement disorder and used to spend a lot of time stretching. I feel it was all a waste of time. Now I’m just focused on staying active every day and am watching my range of motion get better and better in every joint. No stretching except when I noticed a particularly tight spot needs some help. Things like dancing, hiking barefoot, yoga, and weightlifting have all been far more effective at keeping my joints mobile and strong. Don’t use a cane anymore!
Younger me agrees with Mitch. Older me needs to so my ROM opens up. The older I get the more I’ve noticed my ROM get worse. Hips and ankles on squat days and rotator cuffs/upper back on overhead days. The rest of my main exercises are taken care of with warm up reps. ROM is usually maintained by doing the reps and exercises. The stretching I do is to get my ROM where I need to be and then use reps to get the rest in place.
I am obese. 6'2" and about 415lbs (mostly stomach). And I always thought I should be stretching a lot before working out (I do Strongman for fun), but have never really had the time. I try to be as careful as I can because I can't be out of work, so even without stretching, if I am just doing Deadlifts, I'm usually at the gym for at least 2 hours. I do a LOT of warmup sets, and if I were to add stretches, it would just take too long. I really appreciate this video because it lessens my anxiety about potential injuries from not stretching.
Do not worry. If you can do full ROM, if you won't be pushed into an otherwise unachieveable position by the weights, there is nothing to be concerned about. If you feel good, you are good. Anyway, man you're a BIG guy! 💪 I'm 5'8 and in the 190s, even going down to the low 180s at the end of this cut. What are you deadlifting anyway? Because you weigh 5 lbs more than my deadlift PR.
@@TheBcoolGuy thanks for the advice. And yeah, it is tight in the beginning, but that's why I do so many warm-ups. 135 for 3 sets of 10. 225 for 3 sets of 10. 315 for 2 sets of 4-5. And 405 for 2 sets of 2 is a general outline for my warmup. And my best 1RM on a standard Deadlift is 500. And that was when I weighed 340. Fell off the wagon and into some old bad habits unfortunately.
I do lighter warm up sets, I love the goblet squat for squat or deadlift warm up. But as far as actual stretching goes I do some twists and basic yoga for about 10 minutes 2x per week and swim once per week and that's it.
I've been in both camps and firmly believe stretching keeps you from getting tight. Stretching before is training is horrible but after is great. When I stopped stretching my knees started hurting over time and going down stairs was painful, same for back and hips.
I can’t talk for everyone, but I have personally experience great benefits from stretching and increased mobility. I used to get lower back discomfort during squat, elbow and shoulder discomfort, neck strain from OHP. Basically trying or subconsciously getting into compromised positions. I also view it as more athletic. Being constrained in a small ROM limits most forms of athleticism.
I agree with most of your points. I dont know if im convised that you can get just as strong, but its not anything better for injurys. I do MMA, and for that i do stretch a lot. To kick people in the head and to be more efficient when grapplig, geting out of a lock etc. Buuuut i can tell for damn sure that my hyper mobile shoulderblades is a pain in the ass. Sleeping on one side the whole night can fuck me up. And it seems to me that i have a much greater chanse of twisting something in general. Upperbody esspesially. Never had problems with my legs due to mobility i think, even tho i can do the splits and have so for the last 10 years.
Confidently wrong. Stretching only makes you weaker in the sense that the newfound range you're travelling in doesn't have the adaption that other tissue has for the same weight, but in the long run you're only going to get much stronger that way. Licis is an example of that.
I believe that it depends on the human and it’s genetics when it comes to stretching some people will require more than others,also it depends on what you’re taking and what you’re eating,it’s not so much as what works for one person but what that one person is doing overall,some substances and supplements can eliminate the need to stretch,while others might make you feel obligated to stretch in order to have a less rigid body,it’s a matter of overall from individual to individual,some days you might need it,some days you don’t,in my opinion stretching can help recovery but,excessive stretching can lead to injury since too much of everything isn’t good,look at women that do yoga,they probably aren’t all about strength training because their bodies are too relaxed. If you’re doing the proper exercises you won’t need stretching,just push you’re body to the limit and repeat.
I really only stretch a few times throughout my day, for maybe a minute or two when I feel my body needs it. Before my training session I only spend thirty seconds stretching before I start, and a couple of minutes after.
I have friends who never work out always telling me I need to stretch when I train, despite the fact that I have no mobility issues or limited range of motion what so ever... Should forward this video to these peeps.. 😄
This makes a lot of sense. For quite some time now I have not been doing much stretching at all but when I do Various things like kettlebell squats or any other kind of squatting motion I make it a point to try to get ass to grass And my overall hip and leg flexibility has gone up dramatically.
"You change the relationship between the mind and how much tension on the muscle you belive you should have". Brilliant mitch. A great explanation. Stretching doesn't change the muscle, it changes the relationship between the cns and the somatic nervous system. Brilliant.
A lot of people mistaken warming up with stretching. The stretching should be done after the training because the muscles are shortened after contracting multiple times under load, especially when sets to failure are achieved.
I was surprised the first time I heard this from a physical therapist after a running injury. He told me to eliminate most of the stretching I was doing, and I swear I have fewer issues running as a result.
I have been a Basketball player from 13 to 18 and then I have had a stretch as a part of a routine before and after the training. Injuries came only after complete exhaustion of muscles that have cramped and made me do the unnatural move to induce an injury eg. rolled ankle at the flat ground with no one around without changing a direction. Lived a life relativ injury free up until 30 Years old after all my build up strengt from days past has gone and I have had to work more at desk an everyday life beats the hell out of you and you go to play Streetball and your mind wants to do a movement that is strong and sudden and your body says "Injury". I am 41 now. I have constant lower back pain and still I don't exercise because of the Life. But I have a lot of fear of injury that make me just say, lay down, sit down and give up on a sporty life. I feel like a grandpa man :(
Hi, I am PT and and I have competed in 7 sports and coached in 5(mostly combat sports). My opinion is that you should plan stretching based on your sport. Also. Never do HEAVY stretching before workout. It massive increases the chance of injury. Usually optimal time to do light stretching is, around 3-5 hours after workout. You don't need to stretch everything all than time. Stretch the places you can experience problems, due stiffness. For example I have a friend who does powerlifting and BJJ and he had a lot of lower back pains, but they disappeared after he started stretching his hamstrings. I do both sports also, and I have bad neck due all the years in BJJ, and I absolutely must stretch my neck, shoulders and upper back, because of stiffness/headaches and nerve pains in the neck area, because without stretching, I can not even sleep at nights. I also absolutely can NOT stretch my lower back, If I do, I get massive lower back issues. So... analyze what are the areas, that require stretching and what shouldn't be stretched. Don't just stretch everything for the sake of stretching. Also. When stretching, you don't have to do it 100% every time. Sometimes just "opening up" some stiff muscles works much better. Overdoing it can be more harmful.
I do dynamic stretches/warm up for shoulders. My shoulder mobility limits my ability to get under a squat bar efficiently. Takes me a while just to be able to get into a decent position…
I stretch for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In that case it does prevent injury because the opponent is trying to move you past your range of motion on a joint. So if you have a greater range of motion you have more time to react.
In my experience, if you are lifting heavy (power lifting/body building) I don't know how you can get out of bed in the morning without doing some light to moderate stretching. You are always fighting some degree of muscle soreness and light exercise and stretching gets you moving to start the day. I think most lifters go through cycles where they stretch more and then less, you notice you've lost flexibility and you add that half an hour of deeper stretching after your workout. Three weeks to a month of deeper stretching lasts for a few months before inflexibility creeps up again. I would measure it my simple things, like can you touch you toes easily, can you do a sprinter's stretch, how does it feel when you do a cobra stretch. I think people get weakness (i.e. knees) mistaken for inflexibility.
There was a study. I will try and link it. Where 1000 athletes participated. 500 stretched 500 did not, and the injury rate was within 2% of the other, basically having the same outcome. I stretch for a few mins as I have tight hips, but as a coach, I do not sit and preach stretching. I do think there is a time and place, but I feel as a society, we over stretch!
mitch thoughts on being stronger when tired? sometimes i feel strongest when sleep deprived . do you think the tiredness could cause a disconnect between mind and muscle, therefor allow your body to unleash more strength for some people?
Is this an acute thing, meaning after only one or two nights of not enough sleep? That's kind of a common thing for certain people, and has happed to me, but I've yet to hear a good exxplanation as to why,
Not convincing to make me stop stretching in general; I stretch daily but not necessarily right around lifting. The way I see it more mobility allows for your body to get into better positions during your reps thus allowing you to do more high quality volume. A 5x5 where all of your squat reps are with rounded lower backs will not be as strength and hypertrophy inducing as one where the load is actually under the target muscles, the rounded back reps will also generate spinal pain and as Mitch said predisposes one to injury. Stretching and other mobile work is how you fix that, not just doing the movement more and hoping for the best. That strategy has gotten me nothing but more injuries and pain; its really individual though.
I stretch in the sense of doing a overhead press session I'd use a heavy band first, then maybe a Kettlebell and then the bar empty. Then add on weight. Same with a squat. Empty bar, kettlebell front squat with pauses and hip mobility etc.
I have a similar mindset to this with strength training. I'll do what I call "limbering up" before starting, where I don't really stretch, but briefly take all my joints and muscles through their range of motion. Also this way, anything that needs to pop/crack will, and I feel loosened up and ready to go.
Until you tear hamstring or growin or an ACL, or you hurt your hip or your back oh, your Achilles tendon or glute. I’ve been stretching almost nonstop for two years and it’s still not enough. You have to do the L sit, the v sit , quads, your calves, your hips, your glutes, your shoulders. I’ve hurt all of those body parts, but I never even thought about giving up a little bit. I just prayed and did positive affirmations to heal myself with my mind
Very much agree, the way i stretch is while doing the chosen excersise i pick about 50-60% of the weight i normally train at and do extremely slow reps and do a few pulses in between the rep. So for eg on a leg-press i pulse few times right at the top, then somewhere inbetween the top and middle, middle and then almost at the bottom but slighty higher up. Do this with multiple exercises and the muscle feels looser and activated and ready to go
Haven't really done any static stretching after I discovered mobility exercises, some of them you might call dynamic stretches thou... I'll do a mobility routine for the muscles/joints being used in the exercises for the day as a part of warming up. Then work up to the working weight of the compound lifts and then work out. It's a good way to get a feel of the range of motion for that day. You might have issues you didn't even realize, and you can work on them before the actual heavy lifts.
Most of my injuries have occurred from muscles that are too tight. Ever since I've started stretching after workouts or at night before I go to bed, my joint pain and injury rates have plummeted. Full ROM workouts helped as well.
I never, ever do any static stretching of any kind. I simply do like you say to do. I do several warmup sets from very light weight all the way up to moderate weight. Mostly low rep to very low rep to singles.
Unless you are a performer or athlete who requires your body to extend beyond normal ranges of motion (such as a circus acrobat, dancer or gymnast) you probably don't need stretching beyond what occurs in warm ups for an exercise session. As Mitchell suggests, the best way to warm up for squats is to squat, starting with light weight and gradually building up. This is of course based on the assumption that you have normal range of motion to start with. If you have been inactive for a long time or are very old that might not be the case. But even in these cases, the best approach is to perform the movement pattern (squat, hinge, push, pull) within whatever range of motion you have, and gradually improve that over time. Calling this stretching is a stretch, IMHO ;) One thing I find is that the more frequently I do a particular lift, the less warm up is required before tackling the top weight for the day.
Great video as always Mitch. What about stretching to combat muscle soreness or tightness felt in a resting state? Particularly as people get older, there are many who believe yoga and other stretching are one of the keys to staying fit and healthy.
As an Olympic weightlifter I basically never stretch I will do some basic squat holds and quad stretches before snatching to loosen up my hips and that’s it, I’ve found for mobility just practicing the movements is enough, I also feel as though load management is far more important for injury prevention than stretching an foam rolling
My friend studied kinesiology in school and told me that overstretching makes you weaker. Since then I only stretch any one muscle for 10-15 seconds. I remember in gym class they were telling us to stretch each for a full minute.
I have AS, benching is the biggest issue for me. I have to lay on the bench a bit to get the spine to "strech" and open up so my head can rest on the bench. Then after doing bar only and maybe 40kg I do those silly arms movements that Martins does before I lift heavier weights. Other than that its mostly just warming up with lower weights as everyone else. If I dont squat for a while, I can have problems with shoulder mobility to grab the bar, but comes back after 2 weeks or so.
I have said this for many years. You stretch your actin and myosin fibres beyond a reasonable contact to contact degree thereby reducing the ability to contract at your optimum ability, there is less contact. Finally, someone agrees with me. Mobility exercises, yes, mobilise the joint but don't over stretch the muscle fibres.
i believe that i understand what you’re saying, i suggest you to research fascia. But at the end as you said, you are still stretching, but with the intended movement instead of some stretching routine. I think for regulars stretching is important, because if they don’t, they will simply lose their ability to function, over time, they wont be able to bent down etc. But for an athlete/active person i agree, over doing is unnecessary and what dictates whether it is enough or not is, like you said, you being able or unable to practice the performance whatever it might be.
I think that you should get some people who have achieved flexibility. As a martial artist, I notice a profound increase in leg strength when my stretching is on point. I have also noticed a profound increase from students as well.
i only do active stretching with most exercises like going as far down as possible and holding it for a second or two when doing bench press. i basically just try to get from stretched to contracted whenever i do an exercise. shoulders are the only ones where i cant feel a stretch
The gymnastics analogy is a mischaracterization. The reason that gymnasts don't get even more injured given the crazy stuff they do (release skills, dismounts, strength skills in poorly leveraged positions, etc.) is that they have excellent range of motion, including strength and stability at that end range of motion. Gymnasts do stretch, but that's part of a larger circuit that may include eccentrics, overcoming isometrics, and compound movements meant to utilize the temporarily increased range (e.g., pancake -> press to handstand). I know I've definitely seen strongmen doing some similar exercises, e.g., reverse nordic curls.
Imo it's flawed conclude that because a gymnast is more frequently injured than a soccer player that it has something to do with mobility. You should compare injuries of the individual sports with those who stretch and those who don't within the same sport.
They have studied this to death and there is no correlation between injury rates and stretching.
I agree, I feel like a lot gymnastic injuries are trauma related in which mobility has very little contribution to prevention of traumatic injury. It’s like saying I got injured in a car crash bc I can’t squat ATG.
Correlation is not causation. I used to do powerlifting, then I stopped. Sat a desk for 10 years and decided I needed to love life again and start lifting. I couldn't, my mobility was so bad that any movement tightened my hips so severely that my back hurt to the point I couldn't brace against a strong wind (not a euphemism, but an actual experience where a mild gust of wind knocked me over). So, every morning and night I took a very hot shower for 30 minutes, then did a full body stretch focusing on my hips with foam rolling. After a year I can walk 3 miles without being absolutely crippled and just in the past month am back to benching and squatting regularly ( 305 x 5, 410 x 5), yes moving was about 80% of the work however stretching all the while being only 20% provided 80% of the result I needed.
Yeah, gymnasts push their bodies to the limits, that's the reason they get freaking injured lol.
@@adamschneider868 Your anecdote says nothing. Your mobility would probably have progressed the same if you just started squatting, starting with full ROM with an empty bar.
The correct experiment to prove the point is comparing to gymnasts that do not stretch. I would say that gymnastics has a lot of injuries because it is so dangerous and taxing on the body and if you did not have the mobility and tried you wouldn’t make it one day.
In some way yes. But the problem is, that after you stretch over the neccessary healthy mobility you will use that range and will become more prone to injury.
Its safer to stay in a healthy range of motion with basic archetype move and dont go further, tham that. At least this is his clame.
There's no such thing as gymnasts who don't stretch.
@@crazy10bears Correct, so you could never run the proper experiment with a large enough n to be significant. Therefore, Mitch’s statement that gymnasts stretch more than anyone and have the most injuries is misleading and an impossible to test statement to provide support for his thesis that stretching is unnecessary.
Of course. With all due respect to Mitch Hooper, this is the difference between having a M.S. in kinesiology and a Ph.D.
Snooker
For context, I was a Hockey player for 12 years to include 2 years of SemiPro and I have been a United States Marine for over 4 years as of today. My life revolves around physical fitness due to my job as a Marine. I got through 12 years of hockey and the last 4 years in the Military without any major injuries. I attribute this primarily to two things. Number 1 is my belief that my body is not worth a personal record so if I am lifting, running, doing calisthenics, or just stretching, if it feels wrong or off, I stop and I do something else. Number 2 is my stretching. I have noticed a difference in how my body feels and how easily I move when I am stretched vs when I'm not. For me this looks like a few minutes of stretching in the morning while coffee is brewing to loosen my body and prepare for the day and then a few minutes after I workout to facilitate a better cooldown. I also do yoga for about 15-30 minutes a week but that's mainly for the balance and bodyweight training portion. I noticed that I feel better, I recover faster, and I am less sore when I stretch vs when I don't.
This is going to be a topic never agreed upon. I tore my calf in a strongman competition and PTs told me to stretch it slowly over time so it doesn't knot up/shrink too much- and it helped. Ultimately, if you never stretch and can deadlift 900 lbs without issue then keep going. If stretching helps you (at least mentally) to perform your tasks then do it. I've learned with strength and performance there is so much with diet, genetics, and intensity that it's too hard to pin it all on one or the other.
I stretch daily for work but rarely in the gym. I have found personally that stretching puts me more in touch with how my body is feeling that day. If I stretch my shoulder and feel an uncomfortable tinge, that gives me vital information before an injury occurs. Physiological benefits are one thing, but I think it's just as important to know what's hurting and keeping a good connection between mind and body.
I'm curious as to what your work is if you don't mind. I used to stretch a lot because it was relaxing and mentally I just liked being flexible.
What do you do for work?
Comparing gymnastics to soccer is wildly off base as there are far too many variables to conclude that this proves anything about mobility.
Nit picking. His point is more related to weight lifters and making the distinction between the different sports based on those who HAVE mobility as a requirement and still getting injured with similar inuries (not that they aren susceptible to other injuries) over not being very beneficial for another field.
Great vid Mitch! Could you make a video about shoulder rehab and strengthening? It’s been a huge issue for me
likewise, i've had a shoulder injury in the past that likes to come back from time to time
Same here. Please help. My shoulder really inhibits my shoulder and pectoral training and at times will hurt after sleeping on it. Thanks!
Agreed. I know I can lift more but my shoulder won’t allow me
For real. That video is much needed
The comments and feed back are funny. Stretching is one of those topics we were taught young, and still hold on to. I realized I teach soccer kids to stretch, but don't believe in it myself, just because that is what has always been done. I need to rethink this. I love that you challenge our understanding of how the body works, and then prove it with title after title.
Hmm this is a very strong opinion and makes me think
I'm a stretcher. But it's interesting to hear you say it's a waste. Then see guysblike shaw or Singleton say they always stretch before each training sesh
I love Nick Best. He's like an old dog with a greying coat. But strong as hell!
Maybe stretching doesnt prevent injury, but for me personally it makes little uncomfortable feelings in the knees or shoulders get better. But the more important thing is to move more and sit less.
Can I move while sitting?
@@armwrestlingfan6804
It's called a wheelchair.
Use wheelchair for max strength gains
wheelchair hill sprints for huge tricep gains 💪
Couldn't agree more!
Interesting take. I'm gonna keep stretching. Heard plenty of evidence on why it might not be as beneficial as traditionally thought. Didn't really hear anything convincing me it's an actual net negative.
I'm not a dancer or gymnast. I don't compete against others in skills that test the limits of mobility and flexibility. I don't workout for hours and i usually stretch beforehand. So I only need the benefits to last a hour or two. That lines up perfectly with what I'm using stretching for.
I understand only needing so much mobility but I didn't hear any reason not to have more. So if my choices are enough mobility or extra mobility, see no reason not to slowly work toward extra.
Just don't lose track of that fact that your anecdote is the only thing that actually matters for you, just the same as my experience is the only thing that really matters to me.
As a 61 year old guy with lots of old sports injuries I need to loosen things up before I go hard lifting in the gym and before go hard on bike climbs. I also know stretching helps my range of motion after I workout. Ice helps this old recovering body sleep well to. I am a believer in sretching. Feels better I can move easier, Itwill never replace lifting ur hard bike rides but still worth the effort
Your statement about gymnasts' rate of injury is a non sequitur - they are not getting injured due to being flexible, but because they perform dynamic, high impact movements that cause injury when not performed correctly - the examples you've shown in the video prove that. Stretching before a workout, esp. when you're not warmed up is a bad idea in itself, but done towards the end or after your workout is OK as long as it's not overdone.
Muscles that get too tight from being worked out and not stretched have a reduced range of motion over time unless you stretch them, which increases the range of motion back to 100% if done correctly (there would be a point of diminishing returns, of course). Martins Licis seems to have the opposite POV of you in this regard, since he does a lot of stretching and mobility work pre, during and post workout.
If I stretch a muscle right after I'm done training it, DOMS won't be nearly as bad in the following days. I also do full nody stretching every morning to just feel good and more mobile.
Same exact thing for me. If I don’t stretch afterwards the muscle soreness I get is 10% worse.
Great video! The over complicating of fitness/Crossfit/PE class has helped lead us to this point. Most athletes and regular folks will take awhile to understand what you’re saying. As I’m hearing it, “save time by strength training over an adequate range of motion with proper warm ups and you’ll have lasting mobility/flexibility and reduce injuries”.
Otherwise do whatever therapy (stretching included) you like after a proper strength & conditioning workout if it helps you recover.
While I wouldn't argue your approach/logic, personally I have found including regular yoga to be one of the best things I can do for injury prevention (60-90 min, 1x/wk). Maybe something connected to more total body stretching than focusing on a muscle/limb? Thoughts?
Thanks for the great content and keep crushing it!
Sounds right to me!
I do minor stretching in key areas (always including hip flexors - due to the fact we all sit down too much) before activity. I had a history of muscle twinges in that area when I was playing netball. I now play lawn bowls (lots of lunging) and recently took up weightlifting. I don't do a whole-body stretch before or after exercise. I only target areas that feel like they need attention.
Comparing injuries in sports with people are flying through the air and drawing paralelles to tight muscles isn't causes more injuries is bad. The rest is sound advive. Get the mobility you need - not excessive mobility.
Only reason I stretch daily is because my job destroys my body everyday in every way. Stretching and get serious blood flow in many areas has helped me tremendously
As a gymnast, yes there a lots of relatively minor injuries all the time even though we stretch lots. But stretching muscles isn't going to help with broken legs like in that clip on vault.
over the last year I've stopped stretching and doing yoga and focus more on weights in pull range of motion, especially kettlebells, and my injuries have gone and my mobility is better than when I did yoga everyday
I don't think the stretching example for gymnastics makes much sense when you compare it to a gym-lifting situation. People probably think that stretching can prevent injuries during a lift. Gymnastics however, I would guess, gets injured because of risky, high energy acrobatics. For soccer players also, of course stretching or not, when two persons runs into eachother head on, the stretching parameter doesn't really apply here. I also heard that stretching too much can make the muscles less tense, which could lower for example a squat 1rm, so that could be another aspect to consider when it comes to stretching.
I don't think showing a gymnast snapping his shin or one breaking an ankle supports your argument for not stretching. There injuries don't seem to be mobility related. Snapping a bone because of doing crazy flips and coming down hard is not due to stretching. And in soccer, getting your ankle snapped due to a slide tackle, is also not a good argument. I agree that if you don't have a reason for further mobility then what's the point, but, having said that, not great examples when the injuries aren't related to mobility/flexibility.
I barely know anyone who stretches, so I doubt people are stretching too much 😅Personally I just do 5min of dynamic stretch before lifting and I have started to exercises with more ROM. And thats about it.
I've always warmed up rather than stretched
I normally stretch before lifting. My reason has always been for mobility and being able to perform exercises properly with full rom. I always understood stretching was not really beneficial for strength. I don’t train for strength pr’s but I do train to put on muscle. This video definitely has made me realize there are some days I don’t need to worry about stretching as much as just warming up.
Why would 4x WSM 🌎 Brian Shaw use band stretching before he works out he's a big advocate for stretching before you workout . So don't think that's right
I'm not sure that showing a legbreak is the right injury to show mobility does or does not lessen the potential for injury. Im not sure anyone believes being more mobile helps prevent fractures and bone breaks. From my cursory research it would seem most of their injuries are to the joints and bones which makes sense given the impact forces they deal with such as in the clip you used.
The fact they often suffer from shoulder instability does boost your point reference the injuries to more mobile shoulders.
Wow not even a like or answer from Hooper, seems like he don't want to talk to his fans ?
Love it. I definitely want to see a published rebuttal to "Supple Leopard" 😄
I’ve never really stretched before doing anything my whole life but after getting into strength training the last couple of years and being in my forties I started stretching before each workout to help avoid injury. Only thing I really noticed is that I fatigue a lot sooner so do struggle to push my boundaries. So after watching this it’s back to not stretching. 😊
it won't prevent injury and might increase its risk. but if you want to be flexible, feel free to stretch - *after* your strength training, not before. but a better way to increase your functional mobility is to move through your range of motion and work on increasing it dynamically, not statically stretch.
It’s pretty well known you shouldnt stretch BEFORE a workout, unless you’re doing dynamic stretches. Static stretching is better after workout, but not immediately after
@@2010Failbrids yup
This is good news for me. I guess I’ve been instinctively opting for warm up sets over “stretching “
You could have made a much better video. First of all, by not starting with Stretching Is Making You Weaker. Warm-up with dynamic (elastic) not ballistic stretches (ballistic is uncontrolled). Do warm-up sets to prepare and make sure everything is safe (you mention this) before lifting heavy. End with static (plastic) stretches to retain flexibility (yes, this makes a difference). What you might want to do is step back and do a video on the importance of warming up before exercising. Gymnastics and ballet are similar to plyometrics so your comparison to strength athletes doesn't really work (strength competitions have at least one foot on the ground). You touch on functional movements (lifting overhead) but neglect to mention if you're not doing these movements often, you will lose flexibility and the ability to perform that movement properly. That you mentioned specific training for specific sports is excellent. That would make a great heading and a very useful subject to make a video on.
Glad you agree stretching is mostly a waste of time. But God dang strict pressing 225 behind the neck I had to rewind and see that again lol
Thank you! I've been telling my clients and practising to just use and explore your ROM to maintain mobility for years!
I have a movement disorder and used to spend a lot of time stretching. I feel it was all a waste of time.
Now I’m just focused on staying active every day and am watching my range of motion get better and better in every joint. No stretching except when I noticed a particularly tight spot needs some help. Things like dancing, hiking barefoot, yoga, and weightlifting have all been far more effective at keeping my joints mobile and strong. Don’t use a cane anymore!
Younger me agrees with Mitch. Older me needs to so my ROM opens up.
The older I get the more I’ve noticed my ROM get worse. Hips and ankles on squat days and rotator cuffs/upper back on overhead days. The rest of my main exercises are taken care of with warm up reps. ROM is usually maintained by doing the reps and exercises.
The stretching I do is to get my ROM where I need to be and then use reps to get the rest in place.
I am obese. 6'2" and about 415lbs (mostly stomach). And I always thought I should be stretching a lot before working out (I do Strongman for fun), but have never really had the time. I try to be as careful as I can because I can't be out of work, so even without stretching, if I am just doing Deadlifts, I'm usually at the gym for at least 2 hours. I do a LOT of warmup sets, and if I were to add stretches, it would just take too long. I really appreciate this video because it lessens my anxiety about potential injuries from not stretching.
You can incorporate stretching or increased range of motion in your warmups.
That’s what I do.
@@Ont785you can but you don't have to and I think that's the point
Do not worry. If you can do full ROM, if you won't be pushed into an otherwise unachieveable position by the weights, there is nothing to be concerned about. If you feel good, you are good. Anyway, man you're a BIG guy! 💪 I'm 5'8 and in the 190s, even going down to the low 180s at the end of this cut. What are you deadlifting anyway? Because you weigh 5 lbs more than my deadlift PR.
@@TheBcoolGuy thanks for the advice. And yeah, it is tight in the beginning, but that's why I do so many warm-ups. 135 for 3 sets of 10. 225 for 3 sets of 10. 315 for 2 sets of 4-5. And 405 for 2 sets of 2 is a general outline for my warmup. And my best 1RM on a standard Deadlift is 500. And that was when I weighed 340. Fell off the wagon and into some old bad habits unfortunately.
I do lighter warm up sets, I love the goblet squat for squat or deadlift warm up. But as far as actual stretching goes I do some twists and basic yoga for about 10 minutes 2x per week and swim once per week and that's it.
I would injure myself holding the dumbell, plus none heavy enough even exist. Goblet squat is out for me.
I've been in both camps and firmly believe stretching keeps you from getting tight. Stretching before is training is horrible but after is great.
When I stopped stretching my knees started hurting over time and going down stairs was painful, same for back and hips.
Of all strongmen this Mitch needs to get on Mark Bells podcast the most. Would be super interesting to hear him talk at length with them.
Hey Mitch love the videos! I was wondering if you could do a video on hinging?
Very helpful! Thank you!
Thanks Mitch.
I can’t talk for everyone, but I have personally experience great benefits from stretching and increased mobility. I used to get lower back discomfort during squat, elbow and shoulder discomfort, neck strain from OHP. Basically trying or subconsciously getting into compromised positions. I also view it as more athletic. Being constrained in a small ROM limits most forms of athleticism.
Subscribed. Very informative Mitch!
I do some dynamic warm ups with bands, then barbell warm ups, only really stretch if there is a mobility issue
i was not ready for the injury visuals
I agree with most of your points. I dont know if im convised that you can get just as strong, but its not anything better for injurys. I do MMA, and for that i do stretch a lot. To kick people in the head and to be more efficient when grapplig, geting out of a lock etc. Buuuut i can tell for damn sure that my hyper mobile shoulderblades is a pain in the ass. Sleeping on one side the whole night can fuck me up. And it seems to me that i have a much greater chanse of twisting something in general. Upperbody esspesially. Never had problems with my legs due to mobility i think, even tho i can do the splits and have so for the last 10 years.
Confidently wrong. Stretching only makes you weaker in the sense that the newfound range you're travelling in doesn't have the adaption that other tissue has for the same weight, but in the long run you're only going to get much stronger that way. Licis is an example of that.
Dude your a genius. I also have a kinesiology degree. The way you explain this is stellar and I love your insights
I believe that it depends on the human and it’s genetics when it comes to stretching some people will require more than others,also it depends on what you’re taking and what you’re eating,it’s not so much as what works for one person but what that one person is doing overall,some substances and supplements can eliminate the need to stretch,while others might make you feel obligated to stretch in order to have a less rigid body,it’s a matter of overall from individual to individual,some days you might need it,some days you don’t,in my opinion stretching can help recovery but,excessive stretching can lead to injury since too much of everything isn’t good,look at women that do yoga,they probably aren’t all about strength training because their bodies are too relaxed. If you’re doing the proper exercises you won’t need stretching,just push you’re body to the limit and repeat.
Dudes doing flips and rotations get hurt due to mobility? Or is it flying through the air doing flips and spins
I really only stretch a few times throughout my day, for maybe a minute or two when I feel my body needs it. Before my training session I only spend thirty seconds stretching before I start, and a couple of minutes after.
I have friends who never work out always telling me I need to stretch when I train, despite the fact that I have no mobility issues or limited range of motion what so ever...
Should forward this video to these peeps.. 😄
Legit the best news ever.
This makes a lot of sense. For quite some time now I have not been doing much stretching at all but when I do
Various things like kettlebell squats or any other kind of squatting motion I make it a point to try to get ass to grass And my overall hip and leg flexibility has gone up dramatically.
The gymnastics example doesn't really do much for your overall point, which i do tend to agree with.
"You change the relationship between the mind and how much tension on the muscle you belive you should have". Brilliant mitch. A great explanation. Stretching doesn't change the muscle, it changes the relationship between the cns and the somatic nervous system. Brilliant.
Stretching my tight hamstrings help me relieve low back pain in deadlifts or low bar squat. So I’ll keep going
A lot of people mistaken warming up with stretching. The stretching should be done after the training because the muscles are shortened after contracting multiple times under load, especially when sets to failure are achieved.
I was surprised the first time I heard this from a physical therapist after a running injury. He told me to eliminate most of the stretching I was doing, and I swear I have fewer issues running as a result.
I have been a Basketball player from 13 to 18 and then I have had a stretch as a part of a routine before and after the training. Injuries came only after complete exhaustion of muscles that have cramped and made me do the unnatural move to induce an injury eg. rolled ankle at the flat ground with no one around without changing a direction. Lived a life relativ injury free up until 30 Years old after all my build up strengt from days past has gone and I have had to work more at desk an everyday life beats the hell out of you and you go to play Streetball and your mind wants to do a movement that is strong and sudden and your body says "Injury". I am 41 now. I have constant lower back pain and still I don't exercise because of the Life. But I have a lot of fear of injury that make me just say, lay down, sit down and give up on a sporty life. I feel like a grandpa man :(
Great video and I love your accent👍💪
Hi, I am PT and and I have competed in 7 sports and coached in 5(mostly combat sports). My opinion is that you should plan stretching based on your sport. Also. Never do HEAVY stretching before workout. It massive increases the chance of injury. Usually optimal time to do light stretching is, around 3-5 hours after workout. You don't need to stretch everything all than time. Stretch the places you can experience problems, due stiffness. For example I have a friend who does powerlifting and BJJ and he had a lot of lower back pains, but they disappeared after he started stretching his hamstrings. I do both sports also, and I have bad neck due all the years in BJJ, and I absolutely must stretch my neck, shoulders and upper back, because of stiffness/headaches and nerve pains in the neck area, because without stretching, I can not even sleep at nights. I also absolutely can NOT stretch my lower back, If I do, I get massive lower back issues. So... analyze what are the areas, that require stretching and what shouldn't be stretched. Don't just stretch everything for the sake of stretching. Also. When stretching, you don't have to do it 100% every time. Sometimes just "opening up" some stiff muscles works much better. Overdoing it can be more harmful.
I do dynamic stretches/warm up for shoulders. My shoulder mobility limits my ability to get under a squat bar efficiently. Takes me a while just to be able to get into a decent position…
I was NOT prepped for that gymnastics leg snap lmao
I stretch for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In that case it does prevent injury because the opponent is trying to move you past your range of motion on a joint. So if you have a greater range of motion you have more time to react.
In my experience, if you are lifting heavy (power lifting/body building) I don't know how you can get out of bed in the morning without doing some light to moderate stretching. You are always fighting some degree of muscle soreness and light exercise and stretching gets you moving to start the day. I think most lifters go through cycles where they stretch more and then less, you notice you've lost flexibility and you add that half an hour of deeper stretching after your workout. Three weeks to a month of deeper stretching lasts for a few months before inflexibility creeps up again. I would measure it my simple things, like can you touch you toes easily, can you do a sprinter's stretch, how does it feel when you do a cobra stretch. I think people get weakness (i.e. knees) mistaken for inflexibility.
There was a study. I will try and link it. Where 1000 athletes participated. 500 stretched 500 did not, and the injury rate was within 2% of the other, basically having the same outcome. I stretch for a few mins as I have tight hips, but as a coach, I do not sit and preach stretching. I do think there is a time and place, but I feel as a society, we over stretch!
mitch thoughts on being stronger when tired? sometimes i feel strongest when sleep deprived . do you think the tiredness could cause a disconnect between mind and muscle, therefor allow your body to unleash more strength for some people?
Is this an acute thing, meaning after only one or two nights of not enough sleep? That's kind of a common thing for certain people, and has happed to me, but I've yet to hear a good exxplanation as to why,
I never stretched and had issues with muscle knots all over. Stretching has helped with getting rid of the knots.
Not convincing to make me stop stretching in general; I stretch daily but not necessarily right around lifting. The way I see it more mobility allows for your body to get into better positions during your reps thus allowing you to do more high quality volume. A 5x5 where all of your squat reps are with rounded lower backs will not be as strength and hypertrophy inducing as one where the load is actually under the target muscles, the rounded back reps will also generate spinal pain and as Mitch said predisposes one to injury. Stretching and other mobile work is how you fix that, not just doing the movement more and hoping for the best. That strategy has gotten me nothing but more injuries and pain; its really individual though.
I’m so inclined to agree with this because I can never be bothered stretching
I stretch in the sense of doing a overhead press session I'd use a heavy band first, then maybe a Kettlebell and then the bar empty. Then add on weight. Same with a squat. Empty bar, kettlebell front squat with pauses and hip mobility etc.
You and Jujimufu should discuss this topic
I have a similar mindset to this with strength training. I'll do what I call "limbering up" before starting, where I don't really stretch, but briefly take all my joints and muscles through their range of motion. Also this way, anything that needs to pop/crack will, and I feel loosened up and ready to go.
Im stretching every time before i start my training.
And all my numbers go up 💪🏼.
Can't you argue that the type of movement rather than the stretching is what causes gymnastics to have more injuries?
Until you tear hamstring or growin or an ACL, or you hurt your hip or your back oh, your Achilles tendon or glute. I’ve been stretching almost nonstop for two years and it’s still not enough. You have to do the L sit, the v sit , quads, your calves, your hips, your glutes, your shoulders. I’ve hurt all of those body parts, but I never even thought about giving up a little bit. I just prayed and did positive affirmations to heal myself with my mind
Very much agree, the way i stretch is while doing the chosen excersise i pick about 50-60% of the weight i normally train at and do extremely slow reps and do a few pulses in between the rep. So for eg on a leg-press i pulse few times right at the top, then somewhere inbetween the top and middle, middle and then almost at the bottom but slighty higher up. Do this with multiple exercises and the muscle feels looser and activated and ready to go
Haven't really done any static stretching after I discovered mobility exercises, some of them you might call dynamic stretches thou... I'll do a mobility routine for the muscles/joints being used in the exercises for the day as a part of warming up. Then work up to the working weight of the compound lifts and then work out.
It's a good way to get a feel of the range of motion for that day. You might have issues you didn't even realize, and you can work on them before the actual heavy lifts.
Most of my injuries have occurred from muscles that are too tight. Ever since I've started stretching after workouts or at night before I go to bed, my joint pain and injury rates have plummeted. Full ROM workouts helped as well.
I never, ever do any static stretching of any kind. I simply do like you say to do. I do several warmup sets from very light weight all the way up to moderate weight. Mostly low rep to very low rep to singles.
Unless you are a performer or athlete who requires your body to extend beyond normal ranges of motion (such as a circus acrobat, dancer or gymnast) you probably don't need stretching beyond what occurs in warm ups for an exercise session. As Mitchell suggests, the best way to warm up for squats is to squat, starting with light weight and gradually building up.
This is of course based on the assumption that you have normal range of motion to start with. If you have been inactive for a long time or are very old that might not be the case. But even in these cases, the best approach is to perform the movement pattern (squat, hinge, push, pull) within whatever range of motion you have, and gradually improve that over time. Calling this stretching is a stretch, IMHO ;)
One thing I find is that the more frequently I do a particular lift, the less warm up is required before tackling the top weight for the day.
Great video as always Mitch. What about stretching to combat muscle soreness or tightness felt in a resting state? Particularly as people get older, there are many who believe yoga and other stretching are one of the keys to staying fit and healthy.
I spend about 10 minutes stretching to lossen up..before I lift weights. I feel better starting with it so I will keep doing it.
I could use some insight into injured muscle Vs tendon, and the use of stretching with that, combined with training.
As an Olympic weightlifter I basically never stretch I will do some basic squat holds and quad stretches before snatching to loosen up my hips and that’s it, I’ve found for mobility just practicing the movements is enough, I also feel as though load management is far more important for injury prevention than stretching an foam rolling
My friend studied kinesiology in school and told me that overstretching makes you weaker. Since then I only stretch any one muscle for 10-15 seconds. I remember in gym class they were telling us to stretch each for a full minute.
I have AS, benching is the biggest issue for me. I have to lay on the bench a bit to get the spine to "strech" and open up so my head can rest on the bench. Then after doing bar only and maybe 40kg I do those silly arms movements that Martins does before I lift heavier weights. Other than that its mostly just warming up with lower weights as everyone else. If I dont squat for a while, I can have problems with shoulder mobility to grab the bar, but comes back after 2 weeks or so.
@5:45 the wholesome level of this video skyrockets.
I have said this for many years. You stretch your actin and myosin fibres beyond a reasonable contact to contact degree thereby reducing the ability to contract at your optimum ability, there is less contact. Finally, someone agrees with me. Mobility exercises, yes, mobilise the joint but don't over stretch the muscle fibres.
Finally, someone said it!
Do you have a video on hip mobility for squatting? To prevent lower back and hip injuries?
i believe that i understand what you’re saying, i suggest you to research fascia. But at the end as you said, you are still stretching, but with the intended movement instead of some stretching routine. I think for regulars stretching is important, because if they don’t, they will simply lose their ability to function, over time, they wont be able to bent down etc. But for an athlete/active person i agree, over doing is unnecessary and what dictates whether it is enough or not is, like you said, you being able or unable to practice the performance whatever it might be.
I think that you should get some people who have achieved flexibility. As a martial artist, I notice a profound increase in leg strength when my stretching is on point. I have also noticed a profound increase from students as well.
i only do active stretching with most exercises like going as far down as possible and holding it for a second or two when doing bench press. i basically just try to get from stretched to contracted whenever i do an exercise. shoulders are the only ones where i cant feel a stretch