Is It Good or Bad to Stretch Before Training?
Should you stretch before working out? There was a time when stretching seemed mandatory and I felt the need to tell you guys that it’s okay . But the pendulum has swung the other way and influencers are telling you that stretching KILLS your PROFIT, and that’s not entirely true either. Let’s break down the pros and cons of stretching before a workout so you can figure out what you should do the next time you hit the gym.
Stretching can increase your range of motion while performing the necessary exercises.
The best reason to stretch before a workout is to prepare for that particular workout. For example, many people find it difficult to squat as deep as they would like , and the reason is often that they need better ankle mobility so they can bend their knees while their feet are on the floor. If this sounds familiar, a few stretches for your calves and Achilles tendons will go a long way.
Stretching increases your short-term range of motion, which you’ll notice if you try to touch your toes 10 times in a row. Your first attempt may not bring your hands very far to the ground, but by the 10th attempt you will be much lower than you started with.
This effect does not last long. Later today you will be tense again. But that’s why it’s good to stretch right before your workout. Get increased mobility, then use it while you have it. More flexible ankles will allow you to squat better, which means your legs will get a much better workout than if you didn’t stretch.
You can also increase your long-term range of motion through stretching. Stretching before a workout can help with this, although it can also be helpful to do stretching and other flexibility exercises after a workout (or as a separate workout) if that’s your goal.
Stretching may reduce strength slightly in the short term.
However, it is possible to stretch too much before exercising. Let’s take an example of a workout in which you plan to do squats. Stretching your ankles is good because it will help you get into a deeper squat. But you don’t want to overstretch your quadriceps (the muscles on the front of your thighs) because these are the muscles that will have to work the most during squats.
As I said earlier , stretching has a small temporary effect of reducing the amount of energy you can get from the stretched muscle. But to be clear, this requires you to do a fairly deep stretch of the exact muscle that will be affected by the strength exercise, and do this right before the strength work. If you do this, yes, you will notice that you cannot lift as much.
But it’s important to remember two things. First, you probably don’t stretch very deeply immediately before strength training. (If so, I’d say you might want to stop.) But second, the performance hit is very minor. Even if you stretch your quads right before you squat, you won’t negate the benefits of squats.
Stretching is not necessary to prevent injury
There is an old myth that stretching prevents injury. This has been pretty thoroughly debunked , so if you only stretch before a workout because you think it’s necessary for safety and health, you may want to skip this part. We all have limited time in the gym, so it’s probably best to use that time to do a few warm-ups to get you ready for your workout and then continue your workout for the rest of the day.
Stretching alone will not warm you up.
Moving your body to get into position for your favorite stretches may be a good way to warm up. But that’s because any movement helps, not because stretching is the best way to warm up your muscles and get your joints moving smoothly.
Instead, try dynamic stretching . I secretly believe that the benefit of them is that they get you moving, not that they involve stretching. You can also do any other gentle movements that will help you feel less stiff, such as jogging or doing quick yoga exercises.
What to do before training
I’ve written a guide to help you determine what you need to warm up, and it won’t necessarily be the same for every workout. Before my overhead training, I do a shoulder stretch . Before training for squats, someone who has difficulty squatting deep enough should probably do some stretching of their calves and ankles .
So, find out if there are movements that could benefit from additional range of motion in a given body part. Some workouts may not require mobility work, and that’s okay—for example, if you do bench presses and bicep curls, you can get by without stretching during your warm-up. (However, some back stretches can help you get into a stronger position on the bench press , which in turn stabilizes your shoulders. Just saying.)
For workout-specific stretching, you can do static stretching (where you hold a position for a few seconds). It’s also a good idea to do dynamic stretching if you feel that works better for you, or even foam rolling for mobility. Find out what works for you.