Should you stretch before training?
A few days ago, I posed this question in a story, and the (very good) responses were pretty diverse. It seemed the broader conversation around whether one should stretch before training lacked nuance.
Hence this text, where I try to write something clever about the topic, that you may find valuable! 🤞
Firstly, I want to differentiate between static stretching (SS) (holding a position for +30ish seconds at (near) end range of motion (ROM)) and dynamic stretching (moving in-and-out of end ranges).
Now, dynamic stretching acutely increases performance (Behm et al. 2015) and should pretty much always be a part of a warm-up!
On the other hand, SS has been shown to increase acute AND chronic ROM, but may also impair acute force production (Matsuo et al. 2023, Behm et al. 2015, Kay et al. 2012).
So, should a person use SS pre-workout? Well, it depends on the context!!:
What's the purpose of the workout?
What are the person's goals?
Does the person have adequate ROM?
Let's take a scenario: "a person has limited ROM in the hips which means trouble getting into proper squat positions." In this case, I would probably be willing to sacrifice a bit of power for increased ROM, allowing for better positions and safer lifts.
On the other hand: "A person is about to compete/event/max-intensity training day." Here I would probably advise against too much SS.
In (my) conclusion:
1. Dynamic stretching should (almost) always be a part of the warm-up.
2. SS can be a part of the warm-up if:
- Your ROM is poor = unable to reach good positions, and you are willing to sacrifice a little force/power.
- The SS is part of a more rounded and dynamic warm up. A solid warm up including SS has been shown to eliminate the negative effect on force production (Blazevich et al. 2018).
- You enjoy SS and it works for you!
3. Using SS to chronically improve ROM should primarily be done post-workout or on rest days, especially if your gym time is limited.
I hope you found this useful. 💪
Please share your thoughts and/or questions, and let me know if there are other topics you would like me to dive into.