How many of you stretch before working out ?

[KappaRaider]

i do light shoulder press warmups before i start a workout. Thats about it.

 

[DeathB4Dishonor]

even if it doesnt help you, i do it as a precaution

same here man, even if it doesnt help i just do it so i dont pull anything.

 

[drgoodbody]

it is...

ESSENTIAL for me to stretch or I will certainly strain something... usually a shoulder, quad, hammy or my neck... 5min usually does the trick along with a 5-10min of light cardio to get the blood circulating... of course I'm old...

DrG

 

[FatChops]

I used to be one of those guys that would just come in and jump into the bench or squat rack. Shit...now I bike for like 5-7min then I stretch for about 20 minutes. Man is helps a lot, and makes me feel good. I am going to start yoga class. Don't laugh pussies because when I get older I don't want to be hurtin'

chops

 

[bigdelt69]

muscles must be stretched for some things, like martial arts and dance. but unless you have injured a muscle in the past i would recomend doing warmup sets only. someone once said that if you stretch before a workout you kill the reflex action of the muscle.

 

[PURE EXTRACT]

it is essential to stretch prior and post training

 

[alien amp pharm]

Then in college I took a lot of dance classes... intense dance... all my teachers were Broadway performers or had their own dance companies... there I got an explanation and an education.

We don't care about your 'Riverdancing' days.......

I just do a couple of warm-up sets to get everything in order before I start lifting heavily.

The only stretching I do is post-workout where I STRETCH out on the couch!

 

[THeMaCHinE]

Yes, I stretch before and during. I also do warmup sets. I feel both of these steps are crucial for staying healthy in the long run. Also do yoga (wife teaches) -- which is actually pretty hard, but has paid off tremendously in terms of core strength conditioning, breathing through sets, stretching muscle fascia, increasing range of motion and retaining/improving flexibility. Drops stress levels too.

 

[strider364]

I always stretch before hand, I use it as a time to mentally prepare for my lift.

 

[gsxr]

I always thought stretching and warm ups where for pussies. Well my shoulder injury was a wake up call. Now I always stretch and warm up. Injuries really suck and will destroy your hard earned gains, do all you can to prevent them.