Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
Mike_Rojas
New member
slobberknocker said:
Yeah, me too. An hour a day of stretching seems excessive to me. My workouts themselves only take 45 minutes or so.
overhead
New member
louden_swain said:
I think light stretching is a good idea, but anything beyond that would seem to inhibit stretch reflex of the muscle. If the rubber band where attached to a solid object at both ends and the distance between the two points did not change, then over strecthing the rubber band would seem to create more "slack" in it which would lower the energy it could produce through the reflex. But we are talking about living tissue for the most part, so I am not sure. I could see where over strecthing of connective tissue could cause joint problems due to a reduction in support.
Can't wait for the weekend!
Let me start by saying that I don't stretch before working out and only a little bit during and/or after. Nevertheless, at 50 I can still touch my palms to the ground. Anyway, I did a little hunting and found this:
Jim and Phil Wharton, trainers of a number of Olympic and professional athletes and co-authors of The Whartons' Stretch Book, are proponents of a slightly different angle on stretching. They call their method Active Isolated Stretching (AIS).
AIS combines some principles of active, dynamic and facilitated stretching with a slightly different philosophy. The Whartons really focus on stretching as a means to increase range of motion. “The key is we only work within our own range of motion,” says Phil Wharton. “It's a progression.”
As with active and passive stretching, the terms agonist and antagonist are important for understanding AIS.
Here's how AIS incorporates traditional techniques:
The Whartons believe that the stretch should begin with contracting the muscle that is opposite the one you want to stretch the agonist. This relaxes the antagonist and makes it ready to be stretched.
They also encourage the use of an experienced partner for assisting in stretches.
They support the notion that stretching should never hurt.
Here's where AIS differs from the mainstream:
The Whartons encourage holding the stretch for only two seconds, because they believe the myotatic, or stretch, reflex kicks in at that point.
They believe that triggering the myotatic reflex is so detrimental to muscles that you should be stretching only before it kicks in.
They also suggest doing 10 repetitions of each exercise.
Active Isolated Stretching: a little something different
Though all the exercises in AIS are active, you do you use your hands and sometimes a rope to assist the very last part of the stretch. Partners in AIS do not push you into your stretch, but just gently assist at the end of the stretch.
The Whartons have trained many elite athletes. How did AIS help their performance? Both the Whartons and other experts agree that pinpointing one aspect of training that improved performance is difficult. However, there are some cases where AIS seems to have helped.
While in training for the Olympics, sprinter Michael Johnson was not able to get full power off the turn in the 200 meter race, because his hip rotator muscles were tight and, therefore, unable to take his legs through the full range of motion on the turn. Johnson used AIS techniques along with his existing training regimen and was able to unlock the muscles and tendons in his hips to get full power in that turn. He then broke the world record for the 200-meter race in the 1996 Olympic trials and won the gold medal in the 200- and 400-meter races in the 1996 Olympics Games in Atlanta.
Let me start by saying that I don't stretch before working out and only a little bit during and/or after. Nevertheless, at 50 I can still touch my palms to the ground. Anyway, I did a little hunting and found this:
Jim and Phil Wharton, trainers of a number of Olympic and professional athletes and co-authors of The Whartons' Stretch Book, are proponents of a slightly different angle on stretching. They call their method Active Isolated Stretching (AIS).
AIS combines some principles of active, dynamic and facilitated stretching with a slightly different philosophy. The Whartons really focus on stretching as a means to increase range of motion. “The key is we only work within our own range of motion,” says Phil Wharton. “It's a progression.”
As with active and passive stretching, the terms agonist and antagonist are important for understanding AIS.
Here's how AIS incorporates traditional techniques:
The Whartons believe that the stretch should begin with contracting the muscle that is opposite the one you want to stretch the agonist. This relaxes the antagonist and makes it ready to be stretched.
They also encourage the use of an experienced partner for assisting in stretches.
They support the notion that stretching should never hurt.
Here's where AIS differs from the mainstream:
The Whartons encourage holding the stretch for only two seconds, because they believe the myotatic, or stretch, reflex kicks in at that point.
They believe that triggering the myotatic reflex is so detrimental to muscles that you should be stretching only before it kicks in.
They also suggest doing 10 repetitions of each exercise.
Active Isolated Stretching: a little something different
Though all the exercises in AIS are active, you do you use your hands and sometimes a rope to assist the very last part of the stretch. Partners in AIS do not push you into your stretch, but just gently assist at the end of the stretch.
The Whartons have trained many elite athletes. How did AIS help their performance? Both the Whartons and other experts agree that pinpointing one aspect of training that improved performance is difficult. However, there are some cases where AIS seems to have helped.
While in training for the Olympics, sprinter Michael Johnson was not able to get full power off the turn in the 200 meter race, because his hip rotator muscles were tight and, therefore, unable to take his legs through the full range of motion on the turn. Johnson used AIS techniques along with his existing training regimen and was able to unlock the muscles and tendons in his hips to get full power in that turn. He then broke the world record for the 200-meter race in the 1996 Olympic trials and won the gold medal in the 200- and 400-meter races in the 1996 Olympics Games in Atlanta.
Tiervexx
New member
rjl296, I am sorry but that article is pure bullshit. In many ways the quickest and most dexterous people on the planet are elite martial artists. There is no such thing as a martial artist that is not EXTREAMLY flexible.
I know from my own experience that shoulder flexibility is essential. I can think of many times when I developed a searing pain in my shoulders that prevented me from doing some exercises only to figure out that the pain quickly went away when stretched at just the right angle.
Also, before I started stretching everything I got a bad pec strain benching. After I started stretching it went away and never came back. I have not been injured once sense then.
I know from my own experience that shoulder flexibility is essential. I can think of many times when I developed a searing pain in my shoulders that prevented me from doing some exercises only to figure out that the pain quickly went away when stretched at just the right angle.
Also, before I started stretching everything I got a bad pec strain benching. After I started stretching it went away and never came back. I have not been injured once sense then.
theoak01
New member
I can squat so my ass is touching just above my achillies and do light stretches during a workout and I have had no real problems lately, that approach seems quite excessive to me.
and remember when stretching warm up the muscle first,stretching a cold muscle is worse than not stretching at all.
and remember when stretching warm up the muscle first,stretching a cold muscle is worse than not stretching at all.
Synpax
Well-known member
Stretching is silly, especially cold muscles. All you really need is to get on the treadmill for 5 minutes before you workout to warm the muscles up.
I also do a substantial amount of running and there is a very brief stretching routine only AFTER running at a slow pace for half mile to two miles. And I don't stretch at all for lifting because the impact on my leg muscles for a long run is not at all like the impact on your arms for a brief lifting session.
If you think about it, strength training is, in itself, stretching.
Besides, those guys I see stretching at the gym always look like complete pussies.
I also do a substantial amount of running and there is a very brief stretching routine only AFTER running at a slow pace for half mile to two miles. And I don't stretch at all for lifting because the impact on my leg muscles for a long run is not at all like the impact on your arms for a brief lifting session.
If you think about it, strength training is, in itself, stretching.
Besides, those guys I see stretching at the gym always look like complete pussies.
rjl296
New member
Tiervexx said:
so you're sayign there quickness is derived from their flexibility ??
maybe they would be faster if less flexible ?? dunno.
i would see why a martial artist, gymnast, etc would need hyper-mobility. most do not
Tiervexx said:
i dont stretch ( except for hip flexors ) and i dont have injuries, nor do i incurr the same amount of soreness as before
Similar threads
