@@exerrbebetter florence kendall muscle testing & function. Go read that, and you'll learn why stretching is important for muscular imbalances and posture, which overalls improve your body's function, which leads to a more effective body to get stronger.
I sit basically all day and find that if I don't stretch my hip flexors daily, the anterior pelvic tilt catches up with me and hinders my squat / deadlift. Anyone else experience this?
Kevin Kostyk i have apt too and without streching, i get bad lower back pain and cant maintain form on my pulls. i have to strech before every workout and throughout the whole day.
Kevin Kostyk yeah same here, but i don't stretch in the gym. 8-10 minute dynamic warm up and then i get under a bar. I understand why some people want to do their whole routine in the gym though.
Ya but thats a problem you have and that youre adressing, a guy who doesnt have anterior pelvic tilt shouldnt be dedicating same amount of time doing the same stretches that you do..
SeekingJustice: I'll throw a dip in. Some people say they squat til they puke, well I let the Copenhagen snuff company aid me in that. One good set of front squats will dislodge my wad and hurlTown here I come!
Is he describing just stretching "in the gym" as a waste? If so I sort of agree. If he thinks stretching in general is a waste, he's dead wrong. My squat has improved considerably since I started a routine of dynamic and static stretching, about 10 minutes at night. Makes a huge difference when you sit on your ass all day at work.
Stretching is important in preventing injury and increasing mobility. But doing it before lifting is a waste of time, as it's a lengthy process and actually will make you WEAKER since you won't be able to properly use your stretch reflex.
*Pre - workout* stretching and mobility work is a waste of time in the pursuit of strength. In his own book “practical programming for strength” Mark goes over the benefit of post workout stretching and mobility, as well as how to program it. I love SS and the Texas method, I will continue to do it my entire life. But this is the reason rip still isn’t taken seriously after being a strength coach for 143 years.
yeah i think he needs flexibility of the mind even more than flexibility of his muscles, his mind has been consumed by dogmatism. i think he's right that stretching is often a waste of time, but he doesn't address at all how poor the range of motion is nowadays for the average person who spent their life in front of a computer. he's used to people who grew up in the 70s and 60s where sitting all day wasn't an issue.
I’m 36 and have been powerlifting for several years and lifting consistently for the past eight years; I never stretch and have never had any injuries or mobility issues. After writing this I’ll probably tear something tomorrow during squats...
@@noahmccormick525 strengthening different muscle groups increases contractile forces (including resting tone) resulting in synergistic relaxation of associated muscle groups. The most obvious example being the biceps/triceps group. If you curl a weight, you simultaneously relax and lengthen the tricep, and vice versa for exercises that contract your tricep. This is otherwise known as "reciprocal inhibition"
A couple of minutes of mobility work (read: NOT STRETCHING) before warm-up sets is not a bad idea, especially for at-risk joints like the shoulders and knees. Also, one may have increased mobility as a goal in itself, in which case it does matter even if one is already flexible/mobile enough for full ROM barbell work. Having said that, I agree that stretching, as normally understood and performed, is practically useless and often dangerous, and that anything longer than a 5 minute pre-workout warm-up is overkill.
I have to stretch out my right shoulder in order to get into the low bar squat position. The lower extremity is warm from warm ups. So I mostly agree with you, things might change if you get old and stiff and/or injured.
Mark Ripppetoe's rhetorical style is the perfect blend of informative, persuasive, and entertaining, and for that reason alone is worth studying. Of course I also respect and agree with a lot of what he says.
And simultaneously coming off as an old head that doesn't wanna accept new things and only focus on one thing in life as if it's most important for everybody. But you do make some points
During my exercise science studies in college we had a professor who was younger definitely strong and he made the statement that stretching is a waste of time we all thought he was crazy we all disagree but he was absolutely right I have not stretched in the last year I have zero back pain and I’ve got nothing but stronger It was really funny watching the athletes in the classroom smirk and laugh at him and honestly I agreed but now being older and wiser and a little help from rip I can honestly say he was 100% correct peace love and rock ‘n’ roll
1) There are some warmups and stretches I do, specifically prescribed by my physiotherapist to control my femoral ace-tabular impingement, which are not a waste to time. Unless prescribed specifically, *stretching is a waste of time.* 2) Warm-ups are dependent on the exercise being done. For lifting? *The more sessions you have per week, the less time you need to spend warming up.* 3) Progressing weights is something most people fail to do, because they think what they are doing will work best.
@@MrDanielWP yes you can. For the first 3 months of training as a novice. Growth is rapid. After that. You can't do 5lbs per workout for press and bench but you can do so for deadlifts and squat
The joint capsule can arguably lengthen over time with stretching (see gymnasts) and thus increase joint ROM. Musculature has been shown to lengthen with eccentric strength exercise. Correctly, static stretching merely stretches fascia and connective tissue momentarily, which is not sustained post stretch.
I don't think that he's saying stretching is a waste of time, he's saying it's a waste of time in the gym. I personally stretch after sleeping and some mobility in the morning, mobility warms me up and keeps me limber, sleeping after flexibility seems to bring me faster to goals (I'm take a lot from gymnastic training).
I don't agree, since i stretch/mobility i think it heped me avoiding injuries (specialy on the low back, i get to the positions requiered confortably now) that where somewhat frecuent. Limber 11 of De franco works really well
Stretching in the gym is maybe waste of yours and everyones time, but stretching at home is not. Through years of training I found out that stretching is essential for me, it releviates pain, I feel better, I perform better.
Is there some distinction being drawn between a 'warm up' and a stretch, and pre vs post stretching? Some light warm up, to get the body primed for exertion, would seem common sense. Athletes typically have a warm up before they run/ jump. That doesn't mean they are stretching their muscles necessarily, more like getting heart rate going, getting the body moving etc.
February 2016, can't squat at all, life spent sited on a bench June 2016, can squat, without weights, maximum is 10 and hearth goes to 180bpm November 2016, said fuck it all, drooped the personal trainer, went to a strength training, squating the bar only for 3x5 and having a hard time. February 2017, squating 2 plates, proud of it, but stoping, why? Injuries, not from the strenght training, but from the previous training with an personal trainer that made me do bullshits. Mai 2017, back to hard work, squating only a plate, feeling pissed off and almost dropping the gym. Today, squating 3 plates for 3x5 (and trying to keep it there while I loss the fat).
stretching is good, excessive stretching is bad. there's a reason why we stretch in the morning when we wake up. flexible things are harder to break than stiff things; after a good stretch your muscles start contracting during your warmup sets
"there's a reason why we stretch in the morning when we wake up" Yeah, so does my dog. But that's not what is being discussed here. The podcast is not about how you should stop stretching in the morning when you get up.
You're not supposed to stretch before exercise, it increases the risk of damage because the muscles are weaker after being stretched, it's okay however to stretch at any point after it, I know that I used to not be able to touch my toes and after having done so my strength hasn't increased or decreased, but I don't want to stretch before going under a bar after getting jelly legs from stretching my hamstrings. Fuck that.
Great example of "confirmation bias" Most likely, just like with resistance training, you did something wrong, whether instructed to do so erroneously, or not.
I listened to your pod casts. Most of your thougths are correct. However it has been my experience Kettle Bells to work and stretching helps me from injuries. That said keep up the good work.
Without fail, I'll see several people stretch for at least 45 minutes in my gym, sometimes even longer, then invariably go on to of course lift light weights that don't require limbering up to begin with. My theory is that these people just want the ability to brag they 'work out for over an hour every day at the gym' to their friends.
I would do jogging and I used to stretch. I also used to get achilles injuries caused by achilles stretches. Stopping that particular stretch allowed me to run longer distances. The fact that I probably shouldn't be running long distances is beside the point. As I say to anyone who stretches before jogging, for me, the jogging is the stretch.
Stretching is a MUST as you get older. It releases the fascia (connective tissue) which gets drier and makes muscles stick together instead of moving smoothly.
1. Stretching; instead use foam rolling or active release therapy. 2. Warm-up; instead do 2-3 minutes on rower/stationary bike if cold. Use practice sets to prepare the nervous system/muscles for the movement. 3. Failure-to-progress; instead make steady incremental improvements by adding weight each time.
15:20 --- On the third point about stopping with a certain weight, he mentions 90 pounds, and not going further because of a PERCEIVED as harder, or increased or perception of being too hard... Rip says "90 will be easy when 135 is hard and not before then, and the way you get to... and staying at 90 is not training, it is merely fooling around at the gym"; if you cannot force yourself to load another few pounds to the bar then you cannot get to where 90 is easy. I have an idea that the PERCEIVED effort on all weight you use for your 5x5 is the same, I used to have to think twice before attempting a 315 squat, and now I have the same MENTAL issue with 425 pounds... the effort seems to be the same, the anxiety BEFORE getting under the bar is the same when it was 225 as it is now that is twice as much, though recovery takes more days, and I add weight once a week, 10 pounds. I haven't reached a limit, so I'll keep going. So the PERCEIVED effort or hardness of the lift is always the same after the novice period?? Does this ring true for anyone here?? or something similar.... explain.
i guess because you are always using 100% effort to achieve your lift? you maybe lifting more but it requires the same % as effort as when you were lifting less
not everybody has the potential to keep going up and up like he says every single workout. Sometimes it will take a month or two to go up as my body gets used to the weight. He's speaking in pretty broad terminology. Everybody is different but it is what it is as long as you don't stay at the same weight for every workout forever.
Stretching and warming up is fine if you keep it light. A couple minutes total. Done. Most people will not add weight progressively though because most people are pussies. I know this to be true. I've been seeing them in the gym for decades.
I have downtime in the gym. I have a timer on my phone set for 40 second intervals with 10 sec in between. I finish a set, load the next weight, do 2 stretches, hit my next set. I never stretch the muscle group I'm working on. If I'm working upper body I stretch my lower body (defranco's hip mobility series is a big one for me). If I'm working legs I stretch my upper body primary focusing on my shoulders. I've actually found nothing is better for chest flexibility than illegal wides so I try to incorporate illegal wides inot my chest routine bi-weakly. We do not want to trigger the inverse stretch reflex in the muscle we are working as that significantly weakens you over a significant period of time. So thats why I stretch the muscles groups that are not being worked that day. Having this stretching program helps me maintain the tempo I want during my weight work. I'm also naturally a tight bastard so I need a disciplined stretching program to maintain effective flexibility. Injuries occur in the least and most flexible groups. I'm naturally in the least flexible group without some mobility work. I think its a question of time management. I don't have the time in my life to do a 10-20min mobility program. I certainly don't have the time in to do such at the end of my workouts. By stretching a resting muscle group for that day during my rest interval between sets I feel I'm using my time better.
I have gone into "maintenance mode" on a few things, still intending to increase weight but over weeks rather than days. Not sure if this falls under #3 time waste, but I reckon it's better than not lifting at all.
It really depends on how long you have been lifting. Someone who’s just starting can go up every time they Lift but Eddie Hall doesn’t set a new deadlift WR every time he works out.
You're prolly putting the bar too low. SS doesn't teach powerlifting low bar. It's more like "medium bar" where your elbows are high, your grip thumbless and the bar sits on top of your rear delts and at the bottom of your upper traps. This does not require any above avg mobility.
Rip only believes in the 5 rep range right?. Because i mean you could get stronger by adding reps each work out til you get to say ten reps with that weight and then up the weight to bring the reps back down.
EskiLdn not that I know. He believes sets of five across are the best method for novices and early intermediates to develop strength and some accompanying size I a relatively short time. Higher volume training is advised for bodyweight and assistance exercises in later stages of training :)
The majority of people dont even run rips 5 rep range, ive had idiots come up to me in the gym telling me i should be doing more than 5 reps lol. But it should depend on the person, like for me there was no way i could add 1kg to my db bench press each session because it would get to the point of not being able to do 1 rep, i would have to lower the weight, up my reps then up my weight and lower the reps. The graph would still be showing that my strength is on the up which rip advocates that the line should always be going up which means you are progressing.
Well i think you've just stated an opinion there as fact buddy. I'm an intermediate lifter and have moved away from the bench press for awhile but you are right about DBs and i sort of knew it when i was typing the message but the point still stands that you're still progressing when you add more reps.
3 biggest true wastes of time in 2023 that I see in the gym. 1) Phone 2) Chatting to everyone you know instead of giving a head nod and carrying on 3) Staying at easy weights
when i go to the gym I am not able to perform the squat with correct form before stretching and warming up a bit. Not everyone is that flexible. Rips opinions are always so extreme
No, he stated as long as you already have the necessary ROM, then it's not necessary. Everyone completely misses that part, albeit probably on purpose to have something to complain about.
@@brandonwhitfield1278 This is what you're saying: Rip is saying that if you don't need to stretch, then you don't need to stretch. If that was his true meaning, this video was the real waste of time.
Rip puts out some of the best content out there in his field but take it in context. If you are primarily focused on strength and NOT athleticism/health the warmup and stretching can take a back seat. If you are an athlete and doing general strength and conditioning sessions focus on everything but realize energy you could be using to get stronger is being used to acquire other abilities.
disregarding the possibility of needing some mobility work as we age and stiffen seems pretty stupid to me, so many people I know, myself included, have had tangible benefits from a bit of yoga or pilates.
... and again truth is preached by the master chief! I know so many guys/girls who could benefit from this, if their minds were only open for arguments.
I need to stretch before my weightlifting training and I repeat this again WEIGHTLIFTING... not powerlifting not biceps curling but snatch and clean&jerk. Stretching and mobilization are together very useful and it will help you regardless what are u training for. (if u know when and why) peace
People doing "recliner sets" between leg press sets is so annoying. And people using a swim lane to float and do zero gravity water pushups against the pool wall.
Ivan Georgiev Well if it's preventing you from doing the conventional strength movements, find exercises that feel comfortable and just start doing those. That's what I would do at least. You don't have to do the big there to be strong.
Akalion Well it doesn't prevent me, just the more mobile upper body doesn't catch to the strength of my lower body. I deadlift 172,5 kg for five, and my bench is only 95 kg for four reps.
I agree that static stretching is a waste of time unless you have true muscle tightness that is severely restricting ROM.. I STRONGLY DISAGREE that mobility work or dynamic stretching does not benefit before a workout specifically movements like squatting and deadlifting Its not about ROM its about making sure the muscles that control internal/external rotation at the hips and shoulders are SWITCHED ON.. your hips are open and flat, you don't have locked up thoracic or forward head position etc. before you lift Lifting hundreds of pounds or kg is not gonna straighten these out its going to exacerbate them
MrSammy to my understanding, you should be able to make much bigger jumps than two pounds until well into your training progression. Ten or five pound jumps are more appropriate.
It probably depends on the exercise. Over head press might progress more slowly than the other exercises. But yeah you can get very small plates. My gym has 0.5kg plates (a bit more than 1lbs) for example.
Yoga is not just stretching. Thats a myth and yoga can increase strength in ways that greatly complement weight lifting. And too much flexibility is not a problem most americans are going to face. The opposite is true. I personally need to do some light dynamic stretching before squatting, benching, and pressing because i, like many modern people, lack significant flexibility in my hips, back, and shoulders. I agree we dont necessarily need a ton of stretching, but a lot of people would benefit from a small amount of stretching done daily to increase flexibility in the long term.
You probably don't need to stretch before a workout, but you might need to stretch. Forinstance, the next day, when your muscles are sore and you want additional blood in there to encourage healing and prevent stiffening of the muscles.
Write down your worksets on a workout log. Study videos of your own sets, try to identify form issues. Bring a small list of cues with you to the gym, evaluate whether you followed them or not.
If you think yoga and pilates are just stretching then chances are you've never done them. There are loads of muscles in the body and doing only bilateral single plane movements does not effectively train them all. Yoga is fantastic for shoulder strength and pilates is great for learning how to move and hold your spine. Doing even 10 minutes of repetitive exercise like incline walking, cycling, rowing etc does have health benefits. Not only that but doing several minutes of this type of exercise will reduce the dramatic increase on heart rate and blood pressure that occurs when you go from doing nothing to squatting even just the barbell for reps. You will feel better for it. As for adding 5 pounds every workout. Beginner gains are great and that will work until it doesn't. At that point if you are not injured, chances are you've begun using shitty form just to try and do the required reps with 5 pounds heavier and will have to swallow your ego, drop the weight and relearn the movement pattern in order to continue to progress. Rip is great and entertaining, calls out a lot of bullshit but he has no nuance. Seen too many powerlifters who are jacked up from this mentality.
I can't recommend Starting Strength enough. Great program. But this channel has completed its journey in terms of being a supplement to the book. All of the recent videos are just Rip ripping on anything that isn't SS or that doesn't align with his world view. It's funny sometimes, but not helpful.
"...All of the recent videos are just Rip ripping on anything that isn't SS or that doesn't align with his world view. It's funny sometimes, but not helpful." Well ---- you are not arguing any points he makes, what is it that you disagree with?? That, and that alone, if substantiated SOMEHOW, would further the general KNOWLEDGE for everyone, even if you just fine tune it. He "Rips on anything that doesn't align with his world view..." but OF COURSE; for someone who has educated himself and read a lot on ANY subject, you have to "rip" on the things that have proven false.... you cannot hold on to the rest and at the same time have those EDUCATED views on how things are in your field. When you know about ANY subject you NECESSARILY narrow your views and opinions. If you say the earth is round, you cannot say it is flat, it doesn't "align" with what we know now, and what experience and science has SHOWED us. Just saying that this is "funny" isn't saying anything, it is almost a ridiculous comment, except I don't think you said it with bad intentions. so what's wrong or incorrect with what he said???
How the fuck is stretching not helping with soreness and in what universe would a few hip mobility exercises hurt you when you sit on your ass all day?
I disagree with Rip on stretching in general. Strong muscles make for strong joints by virtue of being strong, balanced and coordinated, and that joint being in a proper position. Tight muscles do not make strong joints! They tend to cause joint misalignment and other mechanical issues through movement of the joint.
Wrong. Stretching is not "just" about mobility of the joints. Stretching should be done in between sets, or at the end of the workout. It literally stretches muscles into their correct forms, allowing them to heal properly without getting knotted and twisted. It removes harmful biological biproducts by increasing blood flow through the muscle, and consequently aids healing and recovery - even between sets. By stretching your muscles into their correct, clean, unknotted and uninjured form, you gain the ability to transfer force through the entire range of motion without interruptions that dissipate your strength.
i overall like your material, but I can tell you have never done a real yoga routine. To overlook the fact that holding those position is a practice of balance and make for an isometric hold. yes there is stretching involved though and to watch someone who is well practice, making it look easy can tend to look as if they are stretching. Much of it is a mental exercise to push through some very uncomfortable poses.
Clarence Kennedy is "hyper flexible". And it seems to lift more than these "stiff" lifters. Although, Kennedy has stated several times that he only stretch for 5 mins at the most. "TIghter muscles can contract harder and faster" again, have you seen the explosiveness of Clarence? This guy can came out of the hole of 280kg squat like it was 45kg, he can power snatch 140kg like if it was a pvc pipe.
Well, I went a few months without doing any quad static stretches. I only foam rolled it. It got to a point where one of my quads got extremely tight and I couldn’t even do step ups with that leg. Sounds like bro science to me. I don’t stretch right before a workout though. Usually done an hour to 2 hours beforehand. I read somewhere that if you wait 45 minutes between your stretching and your workout, then your muscles will retighten and you won’t lose strength on your lifts
Then stretch and don't listen to this. Look, when Rip gets his first stripe on a BJJ white belt, he can tell me flexibility isn't important. However, you shouldn't be trying to become limber right before you lift. Stretch later, when your muscles are tight and sore.
Disagree with Mark on stretching. Helps me before any heavy lifting, and maintains good posture in my body. Read Florence kendal on muscular imbalances
I see Alan Thrall in the audience! Even though it's audio only!
@ Justin V This is an underrated comment.
Was he training untamed?
Alan Thrall has left the room.
Just like the commercial used to say "I saw it on the radio."
He’s a woke vegan now
"A subsequently injured joint is not healthy. It is injured."
some deep shit right there
Let me waste even less of your time and give you the top 3:
#1 - stretching
#2 - a lot of warm up
#3 - the failure to progress with your programming
Story of my life lol 😆
Stretching is not a waste of time.
Well, it is . . . .
@@exerrbebetter florence kendall muscle testing & function. Go read that, and you'll learn why stretching is important for muscular imbalances and posture, which overalls improve your body's function, which leads to a more effective body to get stronger.
@@connorw360 Do anyone have a symmetrical posture?
Any evidence that stretching actually lengthen the muscles?
I need a scientific evidence.
1) don't stretch
2) don't warm up to much
3) don't be a bitch, and add weights
Thank you
Sounds so easy, but nobody ever does it! lol 😄
How to get injured 101
Brian Mass
Yeah ive been oly lifting for 2 years now and we warm up as well. I think Mark is taking this "no bs and just train" thing too serious.
He's being a smartass the entire video. It was pretty obvious that he's making fun of all the other "guro's".
I sit basically all day and find that if I don't stretch my hip flexors daily, the anterior pelvic tilt catches up with me and hinders my squat / deadlift. Anyone else experience this?
Kevin Kostyk i have apt too and without streching, i get bad lower back pain and cant maintain form on my pulls. i have to strech before every workout and throughout the whole day.
Same here but I think that one should read Mark's opinion with the title in mind i.e. stretching in the gym is a waste of time.
Kevin Kostyk yeah same here, but i don't stretch in the gym. 8-10 minute dynamic warm up and then i get under a bar. I understand why some people want to do their whole routine in the gym though.
I'll do this tomorrow and get back to you with the results.
Ya but thats a problem you have and that youre adressing,
a guy who doesnt have anterior pelvic tilt shouldnt be dedicating same amount of time doing the same stretches that you do..
I warm up with a coffee and a cigarette. Admittedly, I sometimes have to pause mid-squat to hawk up some phlegm.
It's good to clean up your airways. Don't forget to also drink a dose of Hwisky.
LOL!
SeekingJustice: I'll throw a dip in. Some people say they squat til they puke, well I let the Copenhagen snuff company aid me in that. One good set of front squats will dislodge my wad and hurlTown here I come!
if you've ever met Rip in person you'll notice he is always snorting and coughing up phlegm....
@Reality Ray i would assume allergies....he probably thinks using tissues are for pussies! lol
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHWHYYYYYYYYYYY???
lol
Hwat? Hwen, or Hwich point in the video are you referring to?
Don’t forget some cool hhhhwhip on that apple pie
@@ebd8733 Haha, you go, Stewie ;-)
This made my morning 😄😄😄
Is he describing just stretching "in the gym" as a waste? If so I sort of agree. If he thinks stretching in general is a waste, he's dead wrong. My squat has improved considerably since I started a routine of dynamic and static stretching, about 10 minutes at night. Makes a huge difference when you sit on your ass all day at work.
Stretching as part of your "warm up" is a waste of time. Spending 20min before lifting to prepare certainly is.
Stretching is important in preventing injury and increasing mobility. But doing it before lifting is a waste of time, as it's a lengthy process and actually will make you WEAKER since you won't be able to properly use your stretch reflex.
what stretches do you perform?
@@bigsalty2003 dynamic stretching before workout static stretching after
Work construction
*Pre - workout* stretching and mobility work is a waste of time in the pursuit of strength. In his own book “practical programming for strength” Mark goes over the benefit of post workout stretching and mobility, as well as how to program it.
I love SS and the Texas method, I will continue to do it my entire life. But this is the reason rip still isn’t taken seriously after being a strength coach for 143 years.
yeah i think he needs flexibility of the mind even more than flexibility of his muscles, his mind has been consumed by dogmatism. i think he's right that stretching is often a waste of time, but he doesn't address at all how poor the range of motion is nowadays for the average person who spent their life in front of a computer. he's used to people who grew up in the 70s and 60s where sitting all day wasn't an issue.
I’m 36 and have been powerlifting for several years and lifting consistently for the past eight years; I never stretch and have never had any injuries or mobility issues.
After writing this I’ll probably tear something tomorrow during squats...
Wilko1991
Nope. Still good.
Lol
You still good?
Mike o Hearn said he doesn’t stretch , he said he uses the exercises as stretches so I think ur in good company
@@noahmccormick525 strengthening different muscle groups increases contractile forces (including resting tone) resulting in synergistic relaxation of associated muscle groups. The most obvious example being the biceps/triceps group. If you curl a weight, you simultaneously relax and lengthen the tricep, and vice versa for exercises that contract your tricep. This is otherwise known as "reciprocal inhibition"
people hate him because he's right....
Makes sense lol
David Thomspson was
*mostly wrong
A couple of minutes of mobility work (read: NOT STRETCHING) before warm-up sets is not a bad idea, especially for at-risk joints like the shoulders and knees. Also, one may have increased mobility as a goal in itself, in which case it does matter even if one is already flexible/mobile enough for full ROM barbell work.
Having said that, I agree that stretching, as normally understood and performed, is practically useless and often dangerous, and that anything longer than a 5 minute pre-workout warm-up is overkill.
Shehzad M Arifeen “mobility” is just strength over a range of motion. Mobility is trained by adapting to a stimulus over a full range of motion
That would mean you are not doing the program .Please go back to cross fit
You are the man Mark.
You crack me up...you rock brother. Thank you for what you do,Darryl Taylor
Cheers mate (I'm not in any way British lol). How have the last 4 years since u commented been to ya btw?
I have to stretch out my right shoulder in order to get into the low bar squat position. The lower extremity is warm from warm ups. So I mostly agree with you, things might change if you get old and stiff and/or injured.
Mark Ripppetoe's rhetorical style is the perfect blend of informative, persuasive, and entertaining, and for that reason alone is worth studying.
Of course I also respect and agree with a lot of what he says.
And simultaneously coming off as an old head that doesn't wanna accept new things and only focus on one thing in life as if it's most important for everybody. But you do make some points
U kinda right
Mark remimds me of Hank Hill
A man with common sense in a world without it
I admire the way you speak. Thank you Mark!
MY EXPERIENCE (that doesn't necessarily have a universal value) is that some yoga makes me feels better and perfectly integrate with my weightlifting.
Placebo is a hell of a drug.
During my exercise science studies in college we had a professor who was younger definitely strong and he made the statement that stretching is a waste of time we all thought he was crazy we all disagree but he was absolutely right I have not stretched in the last year I have zero back pain and I’ve got nothing but stronger
It was really funny watching the athletes in the classroom smirk and laugh at him and honestly I agreed but now being older and wiser and a little help from rip I can honestly say he was 100% correct peace love and rock ‘n’ roll
Everyone is different. Stretching has definitely helped get rid of my tendinitis and shoulder pain.
1) There are some warmups and stretches I do, specifically prescribed by my physiotherapist to control my femoral ace-tabular impingement, which are not a waste to time. Unless prescribed specifically, *stretching is a waste of time.*
2) Warm-ups are dependent on the exercise being done. For lifting? *The more sessions you have per week, the less time you need to spend warming up.*
3) Progressing weights is something most people fail to do, because they think what they are doing will work best.
Progressive weights, as described in this video, is not possible. You cannot add 5lbs every time you work out.
@@MrDanielWP yes you can. For the first 3 months of training as a novice. Growth is rapid. After that. You can't do 5lbs per workout for press and bench but you can do so for deadlifts and squat
Perfectly said. Thanx, Mr. Mark Rippetoe for good information.
"It is effectively impossible air condition a building in Houston."
This is true.
not today
Stretching deffinetly relieves my knee pain and makes my knees feel better
Cripple Minded - Same here. ☝️🥴 🦵💥
The joint capsule can arguably lengthen over time with stretching (see gymnasts) and thus increase joint ROM. Musculature has been shown to lengthen with eccentric strength exercise. Correctly, static stretching merely stretches fascia and connective tissue momentarily, which is not sustained post stretch.
I don't think that he's saying stretching is a waste of time, he's saying it's a waste of time in the gym. I personally stretch after sleeping and some mobility in the morning, mobility warms me up and keeps me limber, sleeping after flexibility seems to bring me faster to goals (I'm take a lot from gymnastic training).
Lot of people in the comments have a sad because of all the time they wasted stretching.
This guy is my new Guru
I don't agree, since i stretch/mobility i think it heped me avoiding injuries (specialy on the low back, i get to the positions requiered confortably now) that where somewhat frecuent. Limber 11 of De franco works really well
Stretching in the gym is maybe waste of yours and everyones time, but stretching at home is not.
Through years of training I found out that stretching is essential for me, it releviates pain, I feel better, I perform better.
Is there some distinction being drawn between a 'warm up' and a stretch, and pre vs post stretching? Some light warm up, to get the body primed for exertion, would seem common sense. Athletes typically have a warm up before they run/ jump. That doesn't mean they are stretching their muscles necessarily, more like getting heart rate going, getting the body moving etc.
February 2016, can't squat at all, life spent sited on a bench
June 2016, can squat, without weights, maximum is 10 and hearth goes to 180bpm
November 2016, said fuck it all, drooped the personal trainer, went to a strength training, squating the bar only for 3x5 and having a hard time.
February 2017, squating 2 plates, proud of it, but stoping, why? Injuries, not from the strenght training, but from the previous training with an personal trainer that made me do bullshits.
Mai 2017, back to hard work, squating only a plate, feeling pissed off and almost dropping the gym.
Today, squating 3 plates for 3x5 (and trying to keep it there while I loss the fat).
Since we're trying to save time, here are the 3 time wasters
1. Stretching
2. Warm up
3. Failure to progress with your programming
stretching is good, excessive stretching is bad. there's a reason why we stretch in the morning when we wake up. flexible things are harder to break than stiff things; after a good stretch your muscles start contracting during your warmup sets
"there's a reason why we stretch in the morning when we wake up"
Yeah, so does my dog. But that's not what is being discussed here. The podcast is not about how you should stop stretching in the morning when you get up.
You're not supposed to stretch before exercise, it increases the risk of damage because the muscles are weaker after being stretched, it's okay however to stretch at any point after it, I know that I used to not be able to touch my toes and after having done so my strength hasn't increased or decreased, but I don't want to stretch before going under a bar after getting jelly legs from stretching my hamstrings. Fuck that.
I enjoy this guy's attitude.He's just annoyed as hell ,but knowledgeable.
For me: (Pre-event) Dynamic warmups, and static stretching (post-event) are essential to injury prevention.
I have an agonising back spasm. I got it from yoga. I've since read a report that Yoga is bad for your health. I'm inclined to agree.
"You don't get to drive your car into a tree and then say that driving is bad"--Mark Rippetoe
Tell the people who wrote the report. I don't give a fuck.
Great example of "confirmation bias"
Most likely, just like with resistance training, you did something wrong, whether instructed to do so erroneously, or not.
the 3rd one got me gooodd
thx for the great podcasts :-)
i always enjoy listening to them on the way home from gym :-)
Thanks Rippetoe, so much time is placed on over complications of training! all training is simple and if its not its probably BULLSHIT!
I listened to your pod casts. Most of your thougths are correct. However it has been my experience Kettle Bells to work and stretching helps me from injuries. That said keep up the good work.
Without fail, I'll see several people stretch for at least 45 minutes in my gym, sometimes even longer, then invariably go on to of course lift light weights that don't require limbering up to begin with. My theory is that these people just want the ability to brag they 'work out for over an hour every day at the gym' to their friends.
I would do jogging and I used to stretch. I also used to get achilles injuries caused by achilles stretches. Stopping that particular stretch allowed me to run longer distances. The fact that I probably shouldn't be running long distances is beside the point. As I say to anyone who stretches before jogging, for me, the jogging is the stretch.
I have had good experience stretching overly sore body-parts on off-days, but never before training.
Stretching is a MUST as you get older. It releases the fascia (connective tissue) which gets drier and makes muscles stick together instead of moving smoothly.
1. Stretching; instead use foam rolling or active release therapy.
2. Warm-up; instead do 2-3 minutes on rower/stationary bike if cold. Use practice sets to prepare the nervous system/muscles for the movement.
3. Failure-to-progress; instead make steady incremental improvements by adding weight each time.
15:20 ---
On the third point about stopping with a certain weight, he mentions 90 pounds, and not going further because of a PERCEIVED as harder, or increased or perception of being too hard...
Rip says "90 will be easy when 135 is hard and not before then, and the way you get to... and staying at 90 is not training, it is merely fooling around at the gym"; if you cannot force yourself to load another few pounds to the bar then you cannot get to where 90 is easy.
I have an idea that the PERCEIVED effort on all weight you use for your 5x5 is the same, I used to have to think twice before attempting a 315 squat, and now I have the same MENTAL issue with 425 pounds... the effort seems to be the same, the anxiety BEFORE getting under the bar is the same when it was 225 as it is now that is twice as much, though recovery takes more days, and I add weight once a week, 10 pounds. I haven't reached a limit, so I'll keep going.
So the PERCEIVED effort or hardness of the lift is always the same after the novice period?? Does this ring true for anyone here?? or something similar.... explain.
i guess because you are always using 100% effort to achieve your lift? you maybe lifting more but it requires the same % as effort as when you were lifting less
not everybody has the potential to keep going up and up like he says every single workout. Sometimes it will take a month or two to go up as my body gets used to the weight. He's speaking in pretty broad terminology. Everybody is different but it is what it is as long as you don't stay at the same weight for every workout forever.
Stretching and warming up is fine if you keep it light. A couple minutes total. Done. Most people will not add weight progressively though because most people are pussies. I know this to be true. I've been seeing them in the gym for decades.
I have downtime in the gym. I have a timer on my phone set for 40 second intervals with 10 sec in between. I finish a set, load the next weight, do 2 stretches, hit my next set. I never stretch the muscle group I'm working on. If I'm working upper body I stretch my lower body (defranco's hip mobility series is a big one for me). If I'm working legs I stretch my upper body primary focusing on my shoulders. I've actually found nothing is better for chest flexibility than illegal wides so I try to incorporate illegal wides inot my chest routine bi-weakly.
We do not want to trigger the inverse stretch reflex in the muscle we are working as that significantly weakens you over a significant period of time. So thats why I stretch the muscles groups that are not being worked that day.
Having this stretching program helps me maintain the tempo I want during my weight work. I'm also naturally a tight bastard so I need a disciplined stretching program to maintain effective flexibility. Injuries occur in the least and most flexible groups. I'm naturally in the least flexible group without some mobility work.
I think its a question of time management. I don't have the time in my life to do a 10-20min mobility program. I certainly don't have the time in to do such at the end of my workouts. By stretching a resting muscle group for that day during my rest interval between sets I feel I'm using my time better.
I have gone into "maintenance mode" on a few things, still intending to increase weight but over weeks rather than days. Not sure if this falls under #3 time waste, but I reckon it's better than not lifting at all.
It really depends on how long you have been lifting. Someone who’s just starting can go up every time they Lift but Eddie Hall doesn’t set a new deadlift WR every time he works out.
I cannot low bar back squat if I don't stretch my shoulder
NimW So stretch it
No. Low Bar Squat 3x/Week until it stops working.
NimW actually the result you get it because you warm them
You're prolly putting the bar too low. SS doesn't teach powerlifting low bar. It's more like "medium bar" where your elbows are high, your grip thumbless and the bar sits on top of your rear delts and at the bottom of your upper traps. This does not require any above avg mobility.
i spend about 5 minutes warming up. I'm lazy to do reps so I usually do a few incremental pause squats.
Phlegm Atic That's enough to complete a heavy work set?
Rip only believes in the 5 rep range right?. Because i mean you could get stronger by adding reps each work out til you get to say ten reps with that weight and then up the weight to bring the reps back down.
EskiLdn not that I know. He believes sets of five across are the best method for novices and early intermediates to develop strength and some accompanying size I a relatively short time. Higher volume training is advised for bodyweight and assistance exercises in later stages of training :)
what is it again for us noobs? u said 5reps by 5 sets? 🐸
The majority of people dont even run rips 5 rep range, ive had idiots come up to me in the gym telling me i should be doing more than 5 reps lol. But it should depend on the person, like for me there was no way i could add 1kg to my db bench press each session because it would get to the point of not being able to do 1 rep, i would have to lower the weight, up my reps then up my weight and lower the reps.
The graph would still be showing that my strength is on the up which rip advocates that the line should always be going up which means you are progressing.
Well i think you've just stated an opinion there as fact buddy. I'm an intermediate lifter and have moved away from the bench press for awhile but you are right about DBs and i sort of knew it when i was typing the message but the point still stands that you're still progressing when you add more reps.
Whats up with the insults mate?. Do you know what "run your mouth" means?
3 biggest true wastes of time in 2023 that I see in the gym.
1) Phone
2) Chatting to everyone you know instead of giving a head nod and carrying on
3) Staying at easy weights
when i go to the gym I am not able to perform the squat with correct form before stretching and warming up a bit. Not everyone is that flexible. Rips opinions are always so extreme
No, he stated as long as you already have the necessary ROM, then it's not necessary. Everyone completely misses that part, albeit probably on purpose to have something to complain about.
@@brandonwhitfield1278 This is what you're saying: Rip is saying that if you don't need to stretch, then you don't need to stretch.
If that was his true meaning, this video was the real waste of time.
Rip puts out some of the best content out there in his field but take it in context. If you are primarily focused on strength and NOT athleticism/health the warmup and stretching can take a back seat. If you are an athlete and doing general strength and conditioning sessions focus on everything but realize energy you could be using to get stronger is being used to acquire other abilities.
But this program is supposed to be geared toward general strength lol
If I don't stretch I get stiff as a refrigerator from the workouts. Especially from heavy lifting.
The image is from a microphone or a dumbbell?
disregarding the possibility of needing some mobility work as we age and stiffen seems pretty stupid to me, so many people I know, myself included, have had tangible benefits from a bit of yoga or pilates.
... and again truth is preached by the master chief! I know so many guys/girls who could benefit from this, if their minds were only open for arguments.
Does a lion stretch out before attacking a deer? I don't think so. Stretching is a waste of time.
you moron
Thank you Tallahassee
I need to stretch before my weightlifting training and I repeat this again WEIGHTLIFTING... not powerlifting not biceps curling but snatch and clean&jerk. Stretching and mobilization are together very useful and it will help you regardless what are u training for. (if u know when and why) peace
Completely baseless claims, edit it and start with "I like".
False: I stretched my ACL, meniscus, and Patella tendons before.......... it was called a torn ACL, meniscus, and dislocated kneecap. ba-da-bum
False: it's ba-da-boom
People doing "recliner sets" between leg press sets is so annoying. And people using a swim lane to float and do zero gravity water pushups against the pool wall.
Just checking in to see in Rip’s still full of it.
I did not leave surprised.
Now excuse, it’s time to stretch before my workout.
Anyone else watching this while stretching
What about ballet dancers?
I have hyper mobility and I have been training for strength by using 3x5 and the Texas method. I gained 45 lbs. Should I continue training ?
Well why would you stop?
Akalion because I have hyper mobility
Ivan Georgiev Well if it's preventing you from doing the conventional strength movements, find exercises that feel comfortable and just start doing those. That's what I would do at least. You don't have to do the big there to be strong.
Akalion Well it doesn't prevent me, just the more mobile upper body doesn't catch to the strength of my lower body. I deadlift 172,5 kg for five, and my bench is only 95 kg for four reps.
Ivan Georgiev Well you know that's unfortunate, but it's not a good reason to just quit. Just gotta work with what you got.
I agree that static stretching is a waste of time unless you have true muscle tightness that is severely restricting ROM.. I STRONGLY DISAGREE that mobility work or dynamic stretching does not benefit before a workout specifically movements like squatting and deadlifting
Its not about ROM its about making sure the muscles that control internal/external rotation at the hips and shoulders are SWITCHED ON.. your hips are open and flat, you don't have locked up thoracic or forward head position etc. before you lift
Lifting hundreds of pounds or kg is not gonna straighten these out its going to exacerbate them
How do i progres with only 2 pounds? Are there plates that small🤔
MrSammy to my understanding, you should be able to make much bigger jumps than two pounds until well into your training progression.
Ten or five pound jumps are more appropriate.
It probably depends on the exercise. Over head press might progress more slowly than the other exercises. But yeah you can get very small plates. My gym has 0.5kg plates (a bit more than 1lbs) for example.
🐢 ok thx for the tips
You can buy 0.25 lb plates, 0.5 lb, 1 lb, etc. They make them for Olympic bars and you can take them in your gym bag.
Mark has to be the longest winded person.
*whinded
Daniel Cathers Hhhwhinded
Nope about 4 min in I kinda felt like the episode was going nowhere fast.
Not even close. Have you ever watched Nutnfancy? That guy can talk.
He is about as concise as possible, just that shitbags like you are lazy and flippant.
Doing olympic lifts you need good mobility to get the positions I recommened people to stretch.
Yoga is not just stretching. Thats a myth and yoga can increase strength in ways that greatly complement weight lifting.
And too much flexibility is not a problem most americans are going to face. The opposite is true. I personally need to do some light dynamic stretching before squatting, benching, and pressing because i, like many modern people, lack significant flexibility in my hips, back, and shoulders.
I agree we dont necessarily need a ton of stretching, but a lot of people would benefit from a small amount of stretching done daily to increase flexibility in the long term.
Nick Scurvy exactly
You probably don't need to stretch before a workout, but you might need to stretch. Forinstance, the next day, when your muscles are sore and you want additional blood in there to encourage healing and prevent stiffening of the muscles.
Apropos wasting time: what can i do between sets to not feel like wasting time?
Drink some water. Meditate on your life. Fool around with your m8's. Act like a douchebag. This just some ideas.
Write down your worksets on a workout log. Study videos of your own sets, try to identify form issues. Bring a small list of cues with you to the gym, evaluate whether you followed them or not.
Rói Hjaltalin antagonist movements or abs.
It's called a super set. Fill in the time you would otherwise waste on another strength exercise.
Visualize your next set.
If you think yoga and pilates are just stretching then chances are you've never done them. There are loads of muscles in the body and doing only bilateral single plane movements does not effectively train them all.
Yoga is fantastic for shoulder strength and pilates is great for learning how to move and hold your spine.
Doing even 10 minutes of repetitive exercise like incline walking, cycling, rowing etc does have health benefits. Not only that but doing several minutes of this type of exercise will reduce the dramatic increase on heart rate and blood pressure that occurs when you go from doing nothing to squatting even just the barbell for reps.
You will feel better for it.
As for adding 5 pounds every workout. Beginner gains are great and that will work until it doesn't. At that point if you are not injured, chances are you've begun using shitty form just to try and do the required reps with 5 pounds heavier and will have to swallow your ego, drop the weight and relearn the movement pattern in order to continue to progress.
Rip is great and entertaining, calls out a lot of bullshit but he has no nuance.
Seen too many powerlifters who are jacked up from this mentality.
Is stretching really good for nothing?
lol this guy rip is edgy as fuck and I love it!
In my experience, "lack of mobility" is mostly poor technique or an unchecked ego with too much weight in the bar.
Good stuff
Clicked on this vid because of the thumbnail.
RANDY!!!!!!
What are you talking about grandpa stretching does alleviate muscle soreness and does increase leverage to get stronger on certain lifts.
Based off what study? Lol.
GForceIntel
Citation needed.
GForceIntel He has actually studied. You should try it.
Brandon Whitfield he's actually correct. It's as simple as looking into it.
Thanks for the great content!
I can't recommend Starting Strength enough. Great program. But this channel has completed its journey in terms of being a supplement to the book. All of the recent videos are just Rip ripping on anything that isn't SS or that doesn't align with his world view. It's funny sometimes, but not helpful.
I have to agree with this. SS is great and this channel is entertaining but for useful stuff I go to Alan Thrall.
"...All of the recent videos are just Rip ripping on anything that isn't SS or that doesn't align with his world view. It's funny sometimes, but not helpful."
Well ---- you are not arguing any points he makes, what is it that you disagree with?? That, and that alone, if substantiated SOMEHOW, would further the general KNOWLEDGE for everyone, even if you just fine tune it.
He "Rips on anything that doesn't align with his world view..." but OF COURSE; for someone who has educated himself and read a lot on ANY subject, you have to "rip" on the things that have proven false.... you cannot hold on to the rest and at the same time have those EDUCATED views on how things are in your field. When you know about ANY subject you NECESSARILY narrow your views and opinions.
If you say the earth is round, you cannot say it is flat, it doesn't "align" with what we know now, and what experience and science has SHOWED us.
Just saying that this is "funny" isn't saying anything, it is almost a ridiculous comment, except I don't think you said it with bad intentions.
so what's wrong or incorrect with what he said???
And that's why I keep coming back....he's entertaining as hell!
How the fuck is stretching not helping with soreness and in what universe would a few hip mobility exercises hurt you when you sit on your ass all day?
Not everyone can always add weight every single time though.
I am doing 5/3/1 Jim wendler the foam rolling is real good for lower body !
Foam rolling feels good, but I would like to see some reproduced scientific studies with considerable sample size on the matter.
I disagree with Rip on stretching in general. Strong muscles make for strong joints by virtue of being strong, balanced and coordinated, and that joint being in a proper position. Tight muscles do not make strong joints! They tend to cause joint misalignment and other mechanical issues through movement of the joint.
Wrong. Stretching is not "just" about mobility of the joints.
Stretching should be done in between sets, or at the end of the workout.
It literally stretches muscles into their correct forms, allowing them to heal properly without getting knotted and twisted. It removes harmful biological biproducts by increasing blood flow through the muscle, and consequently aids healing and recovery - even between sets.
By stretching your muscles into their correct, clean, unknotted and uninjured form, you gain the ability to transfer force through the entire range of motion without interruptions that dissipate your strength.
i overall like your material, but I can tell you have never done a real yoga routine. To overlook the fact that holding those position is a practice of balance and make for an isometric hold. yes there is stretching involved though and to watch someone who is well practice, making it look easy can tend to look as if they are stretching. Much of it is a mental exercise to push through some very uncomfortable poses.
Just need Baz Luhrmann to add music to this.
Clarence Kennedy is "hyper flexible". And it seems to lift more than these "stiff" lifters. Although, Kennedy has stated several times that he only stretch for 5 mins at the most.
"TIghter muscles can contract harder and faster" again, have you seen the explosiveness of Clarence? This guy can came out of the hole of 280kg squat like it was 45kg, he can power snatch 140kg like if it was a pvc pipe.
You're just cherry picking ONE case to confirm your idea. One case of one particular individual doesn't make it a rule. It's anecdotal evidence.
He also lifts professionally, that is all he does. You can't copy his lifting style without copying his lifestyle.
Well, I went a few months without doing any quad static stretches. I only foam rolled it. It got to a point where one of my quads got extremely tight and I couldn’t even do step ups with that leg.
Sounds like bro science to me. I don’t stretch right before a workout though. Usually done an hour to 2 hours beforehand. I read somewhere that if you wait 45 minutes between your stretching and your workout, then your muscles will retighten and you won’t lose strength on your lifts
xHito Music I have seen it closer to 10 minutes
I stretch my glutes, pecs, hams and lats. Thats it
what if I want to be flexible though
Then stretch and don't listen to this. Look, when Rip gets his first stripe on a BJJ white belt, he can tell me flexibility isn't important. However, you shouldn't be trying to become limber right before you lift. Stretch later, when your muscles are tight and sore.
Amen
He didn't say stretching was a waste.
this is asmr for me
1. Doing cardio
2. Using machines
3. Performing more than 1 isolation exercise in a workout session
Lol, comment was entertaining, hopefully no one actually takes it seriously. Thank you
Disagree with Mark on stretching. Helps me before any heavy lifting, and maintains good posture in my body. Read Florence kendal on muscular imbalances
An 18+ minute talk about not wasting time... how ironic.