A Time and Place for Static Stretching

We've come a long way since static stretching was all the rage. Practices like yoga and foam rolling have grown in popularity over the years, but there's still space for static stretching in your routine. Today we explore the optimal warm-up and cool-down practices for peak performance and recovery.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, team, static stretching has seemingly fallen to the waist side.
It's certainly not the nineties, where guys and gals and
matching champion sweatsuits crowd the gym floor is performing toe
touches and groin stretches. I missed the sweatsuits, though not
the vocalized groin stretches. Alternative practices have gained popularity, such
as yoga, foam rolling, or modern mobility routines. Though there

(00:22):
is still a time and place for static stretching when
it comes to lifting weights, keep it simple, dynamic before
the workout, static after the workout. It's important to not
go heavy on lengthening your muscles prior to loading them
with weight. This can lead to a higher risk of
injury and potentially a decrease in performance. Think of your
muscles as a slingshot, and for the sake of this analogy,

(00:44):
think of your ham shrinks as a slingshot for your squat.
If you're overstretching prior to hitting the rack, you're decreasing
available power output. Prior to lifting, perform a dynamic warm
up mimicking movement patterns within the workout itself. I typically
start on the floor for core activations because every lift
requires core recruitment. Then I progress into a kneeling position

(01:05):
for mobility jills and round out the warm up with
dynamic movements to increase heart rate and blood flow. Gone
are the days when a couple of reps with the
bar would do the trick. If there's anything that's more
popular than skipping the warm up, it's skipping the cool down.
I get it. You just pump some iron, you're feeling strong,
and you want to leave the gym with your newfound high.
Pause and hit the deck for your static or foam

(01:27):
rolling session. Contrary to what the goal was prior to
the session, Now is the time to length and fatigue
muscle groups after an hour plus of tearing them apart,
literally show them the love they earn to set the
stage for a successful recovery. The same rules apply for cardio.
Focus on appropriate activations and mobility exercises followed by a

(01:48):
dynamic warm up, especially prior to higher intensity pushes like
running and sprinting. Put in a few minutes of zone
one in two before ramping efforts into three, four, and five.
If you're ready to unlock new more warm up and
cool down routines, head to the bodybeilling dot com and
take a class of course with one of our coaches.
Until next time.