The stretching issue has been raised again by a few new members, so I thought I would republish this post as a bit of an explanation. Please feel free to ask for more info at Bootcamp or on the forum.
Sometimes I am asked if stretching during warm up or after a workout is necessary. All the research tells us that is DOES NOT PREVENT INJURY OR DECREASE MUSCLE SORENESS. Yes it feels good at the time. But it does not prevent injuries. Some injuries are actually worsened by stretching.
Static stretching before a workout or as part of a warm up is an outdated tradition that has been proven to actually decrease strength and co-ordination during the subsequent training session, which may even contribute to an injury. Static stretching is not used anymore in elite sports as part of a warm up. These people know their stuff. They know the research.
What about stretching afterwards? Well as previously stated, it has never been proven to lessen or decrease the risk of injury. Stretching has been proven to increase flexibility if undertaken regularly however. But on all questionaires and surveys that have been completed by my clients, not one has stated increased flexibility as a goal for their training.
If you have time to stretch after a workout, it will not do any harm, unless you further aggravate any pre-existing injuries. It even feels really good to stretch after a workout. So I repeat, if you have time, do it if it makes you feel good.
I prefer to spend an extra 5-10 minutes on productive tasks that get me and my clients closer to their goals-namely improving fitness, losing body fat, increasing strength and adding muscle mass. I usually include some kind of dynamic stretching in my warm ups eg. wide side stepping, easy squats (yes you are stretching those muscles,) windmills, twists etc. I feel that these serve to 'wake up' the body especially if the training session is held shortly after getting out of bed. I never do static stretching in a warm up.
I also do a cool down after a session by walking till the breath has returned to normal and sweating has ceased-usually about 3-5 minutes depending on the last activity performed. Also, some exercises such as lunges and deep squats serve to stretch the leg muscles in a much more productive way than static stretching. I often include them towards or at the end of a workout. You will rarely stretch your muscles with static stretching as efficiently as you will in a deep squat or lunge exercise or while carrying a weigh overhead or doing full pushups chest to the ground (think shoulder flexibility)
I hope this has helped to clear up some of the confusion out there and to explain why I do not usually include static stretching in most of my Bootcamp workouts. Most participants have improved their flexibility by an amazing amount since they started, just by going further and further into the different exercises. It is one of the first things I see improving in all of you.
I carefully plan each workout to include a good mix of upper and lower body strength work and cardio work depending on my goals for the session. I aim to promote fat burning and metabolism enhancing activities depending on the individuals needs while gradually and progressively improving the fitness, strength, endurance and balance of everyone. Workouts are often changed on the spur of the moment too, to accomodate different levels and abilities. All of this is done using a variety of activities and tools to keep you all interested and prevent boredom as we all know that consistency and committment together with the correct training methods are what will help us all get to where we want to be.
My workouts are challenging, but achievable. If you are looking for a quick fix and are not willing to put in the effort, please look elsewhere. Now who wants to get rid of that spare tyre?
If you have any comments about this or any other matter regarding my Bootcamp workouts, please comment below or send me an email joanne@fitterfasteronline.com
I will be only too willing to answer your questions.
Jo
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