Static Stretches for After Your Workout

Here are some common and useful stretches to do after you workout to maintain flexibility and possibly even reduce muscle recovery time and soreness. Note: Although not shown in the following pictures, using a roller is one of the best ways to keep blood flowing to your muscles and reduce the resulting soreness of a workout. A roller is most commonly on the hips, legs and buttocks. 

When stretching, you should hold each position for about 10-30 seconds before moving on to the next stretch. The following are suggested stretches for keeping blood flowing to whatever muscles you may have worked out previously. The picture above illustrates a stretch that primarily works your obliques, but also stretches your lower back, and shoulder. When doing any of these stretches, repeat on the opposite side immediately after finishing to stimulate both sides of your body.

The picture above is of a stretch that primarily stimulates the hamstrings on the side you face as well as your deltoids. Be sure to keep your feet facing forward!

This next stretch is a variation or continuation of the previous one in which you lean as far down as you can without pain and attempt to hold your ankle (The two following pictures highlight this). This stretch works almost every dorsal muscle in the leg (i.e. the hamstrings, and calf muscles). It also works your rear obliques and glutes. 

The picture below illustrates another variation of the previous stretch. This stretch stimulates both sides at once and concentrates more on the lower hamstrings. Use this as a way to transition between the left and right versions of the stretch above.

The stretch below is for stretching the front parts of your leg. You will feel stimulation in your quadriceps and groin. Your hip adductors and abductors will also feel stimulation. Be sure to keep your back and neck straight up and face forward. The further you rock forward, the more effective this stretch will be, but don't over do.

You can transition into the stretch below by shifting your weight back and leaning forward to make your back parallel to the ground. this will stretch the hamstring, glute and calf of the opposite leg. Keep in mind that the reason so many of these stretches are for the legs is because the leg muscles are some of the most important to stretch after working out especially for beginners.

A really easy stretch to preform is the one below in which you stand perpendicularly to a wall and use one hand to support yourself. Use the other hand to hold up your same sided foot, causing that leg's quad to be fully stretched. Be sure to stand up straight and keep your hips in line with your back.

Below are some sitting stretches that will primarily work your groin. This is a very important muscle group to keep flexible for leg workouts especially when preforming squats. Note: Keep your toes pointed upward rather than forward for these stretches.

Below is a variation of the previous stretch that will help concentrate your hamstrings to whichever side you lean. Keep your head down and your hands on the sides of your knee as seen below.

Below is a stretch commonly referred to as the "Sumo Stretch," because of the stance that it resembles. The sumo stretch is an excellent stretch if done correctly. To do it correctly, act like your sitting down and go into the squat position, but with your feet facing outwards at about 45 degree angles. Use your elbows to brace your upper body, and keep your back arched backwards and postured up as much as possible. This stretch will really work your groin, and secondarily other parts of your hips and legs.

After doing the stance above you may rock from side to side while maintaining the same form to stretch each side of your groin even more as seen below.

Another extension of the sumo stretch can be seen below. This will stretch your lower obliques, upper back, and rotator cuffs of the shoulders. Fully extend your arm with your hands on your knee, and rotate your shoulders accordingly to one side.

I figured I'd end with a good upper body stretch for you guys to end this series. The stretch below is actually a great stretch for your upper body that stimulates the chest, shoulders, front and back of the arm, traps and lats. I recommend this stretch after any upper body workout.

Stretching for Your Workout

Want a better workout? Then don’t stretch beforehand!

How NOT to Stretch

As mentioned previously by Justin in his guest post, there are different kinds of stretches, most commonly divided into static and passive or dynamic stretches. Many people take it for granted that they should start their workouts with some stretching, hoping it will loosen them up, but most fitness experts now agree that static stretching before working out is not only counter-productive, but potentially harmful (Cheng 2012 paragraph 1).

Why?

Static stretches often cause the muscles to tighten rather than relax – exactly the opposite of what you want for physical activity. (Cheng paragraph 2) Kieran O’Sullivan, an exercise expert at the University of Limerick in Irleand, who has studied various types of stretching and their impact on athletes said stretching helps with flexibility, but people should only do it when they aren’t about to exercise, like after a workout, or at the end of the day (paragraph 6). Even Jonathan Cluett, M.D., who thinks people should stretch before working out, claims that it is important to substantially warm up before stretching to prevent injury (Cluett 2009). The point is, don’t start out with stretching before first engaging your body in some kind of activity (sometimes that activity can be a stretch itself i.e. dynamic stretches).

Further Evidence

People are often told to stretch during warm-up, yet there is little scientific evidence to support the usefulness of this, unless used for an activity that involves positions that require abnormal flexibility (i.e. diving or gymnastics)(Knudson 2012).

 How and When to Stretch

“...The latest exercise research shows you should stretch after workout,” said Glassey, co-owner of X-Gym, “Studies actually show that stretching before a weight-lifting workout will make you weaker and less effective. You don’t get the same benefit from the workout” (Condor 2007 paragraph 4). Instead, do your static stretching after you’re done working out. After your workout, cool down and hold a stretch until you feel the muscle slightly pull but without any pain (Quinn 2011 paragraph 11).  While holding the stretch, the muscle will relax, and as you feel less tension you may increase the stretch again until you feel the same slight pull. Hold this until you feel no further increase.

My next post will demonstrate some examples of good static stretches to do post workout and how to do them correctly.

Sources:

Cheng, M. (n.d.). Want a better workout? Don't stretch before - Health - Fitness - msnbc.com. msnbc.com - Breaking news, science and tech news, world news, US news, local news- msnbc.com. Retrieved March 29, 2012, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36553174/ns/health-fitness/t/want-better-workout-dont-stretch/#.T6FiyTJYtYs

Cluett, J. (n.d.). Stretching - How to Stretch Out Properly. About Orthopedics. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sports

Condor, B. (n.d.). Living Well: Stretch after workout, says trainer - seattlepi.com. Seattle news, sports, events, entertainment | seattlepi.com - seattlepi.com. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/health/article/Living-Well-Stretch-after-workout-says-trainer-1244967.php

Knudson, d. (n.d.). Stretching During Warm Up: Do We Have Enough Evidence? - Research and Read Books, Journals, Articles at Questia Online Library. Questia - The Online Library of Books and Journals. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5002330115

Quinn, E. (n.d.). When to Stretch - Why Experts Recommend Static Stretching After Exercise. Sports Medicine, Sports Performance, Sports Injury - Information About Sports Injuries and Workouts for Athletes. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/flex

Guest Blogger, Justin L. Mutinta on Stretching

Stretching:

When it comes down to exercising, one of the things you’ll have to keep in mind is stretching. What muscles to stretch and when to stretch are just as important as what workout you are about to do or have just completed. Simply going through the motions is not enough to get the benefits, you must also know where to focus your stretches and know what benefits they are giving you.

So why should we stretch?

According to the website ukpmc.ac.uk:

“Competitive and recreational athletes typically perform warm-up and stretching activities to prepare for more strenuous exercise…” (Shellock FG, Prentice WE 1985)

So pretty much, it warms up and gets you body ready for whatever exercise you are about to perform. By doing this, your body is better able to absorb any sudden shocks and is more prepared to fight off any new tension put on it. However, not all stretches can be said to be good for you.

In the article “The Importance and Dangers of Stretching” by Josh Hewett, he introduces to us two kinds of stretches, active and passive. Passive is “… when you use an outside force other than your own muscle to move a joint or limb beyond its active range of motion, to put you body into a position that you couldn’t do by yourself…” (Hewett, 2008) and that active stretching “…involves using your own muscles to achieve range of motion… this is a safe, effective, and recommended method of stretching.” (Hewett, 2008). So when stretching, keep that in mind.

The other good thing about stretching is that you do not need a lot of space to do it. But aside from warming up the muscles and stretching, another benefit according to the mayoclinic.com is that it “…also increases blood flow to the muscle.” (Mayo Clinic staff, 2011). With increased blood flow, a muscle will be able to function better and be stronger.

Some research however has come out to prove that stretching has no impact on your workout.  The article “Effects of stretching before and after exercising…” by Rob Herbert and Michael Gabriel goes on to say “…Stretching before or after exercising does not confer protection from muscle soreness. Stretching before exercising does not seem to confer a practically useful reduction in the risk of injury, but the generality of this finding needs testing. Insufficient research has been done with which to determine the effects of stretching on sporting performance…” (Herbert R., Gabriel M., 2002)

At the end of the day, stretching is important to your workout, but you should be careful to decide what kind of workout you do, and how it affects you.

Justin L. Mutinta

http://simpleexercisesforpeople.blogspot.com

Sources:

Hewett, J. (2008, april 25). The importance and dangers of stretching: The long and short of it. Retrieved from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/stretching_types.htm

Mayo Clinic staff. (2011, February 23). Stretching: Focus on flexibility. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/HQ01447

Shellock FG, Prentice WE. (1985). Warming-up and stretching for improved physical performance and prevention of sports-related injuries.. Retrieved from http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/3849057

Herbert R., Gabriel M. (2002, March 21). Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: systematic review. Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/325/7362/468.short

Interview: Beginning to Workout with Aaron

Aaron Jeanes -- Applied Exercise Physiology / Cardiac Diagnostics. Deals with how the body responds to exercise, how it recovers from injuries (athletic, heart attacks, strokes), and specializes in diagnosing problems with the heart via EKG interpretation. 

P: Should everyone meet with a physician in preparation for starting to workout?

A: Before beginning a training regimen, everyone should get medical clearance from a physician. This is especially true for men over the age of 45 and women over 55, as well as anyone having any significant risk factors for health (i.e. diabetes, family history, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol).

P: What kind of exercises should beginners plan to do?

A: A balance between cardiovascular training and resistance training is important for anyone looking to get healthy. Those who are looking to gain muscle mass should concentrate on heavier, lower repetition lifting where as those looking to lose weight should perform higher intensity, longer duration exercising. Diet plays a pivotal role in both.

P: What should beginners avoid in the gym?

A: Beginners should avoid heavy lifting and plyometric exercises, both of which require strong and flexible muscles as well as high bone density that is normally not there for those just beginning a training regime. 

P: How intense should beginners’ workouts be and how long should they workout?

A: ACSM guidelines suggest 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days/week or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise 3 days/week. As for resistance training, at least 2-3 days a week concentrating on all major muscle groups is recommended. Each day should have 12-24 sets of exercises (8-15 repetitions per set). Beginners should continue these guidelines for at least 6 weeks. 

P: What will change about their workout after that first 6 weeks?

A: Intensity, duration, and frequency of exercises and lifts can be gradually increased. 

P: What’s your take on beginners using workout supplements?

A: Supplements should never be consumed unless directed to do so by a doctor. Whey protein after lifting is safe, but others should be avoided. The FDA does not regulate supplements, and so, they are allowed to make any claims they want as to what they say their product does for the user. In addition, our bodies work off of a negative feedback system. By putting hormones and certain substances in our body, our body will shut off the natural production of those same hormones/nutrients because it thinks we already have enough. This can lead to all sorts of physiological problems. 

P: Let’s end the interview with the best tip you can give beginners:

A: Everyone should set goals! With all the different type of training regimens out there, it is important to know exactly what you want to accomplish (i.e. increasing muscle mass, speed, endurance, weight loss) and design your workout accordingly.

Safety

Introduction

Weight training is a safe form of exercise when done correctly. Whether you are new to exercise or are an experienced weight lifter, it is very important to understand and use these four main elements of weight lifting safety.

Form

Form is the most misunderstood element of safety in the gym. Beginners (and even experienced weight lifters) commonly use bad form to “cheat” their way through the last reps of an exercise. Using bad form can shift the strain to smaller muscles that cannot handle the weight. For example, the squat and the deadlift are used to exercise the largest muscles in the body–the leg and buttock muscles–so they require substantial weight. Beginners are tempted to round their back while performing these exercises. Relaxing the back in this way can potentially damage the spinal discs. Using improper form for any exercise may result in injury. Weight lifting should not result in any sharp pain. If sharp pain is felt, immediately stop whatever exercise you are doing, and don’t work that muscle group for awhile. I will go into further detail about form for specific exercises later on in a future entry.

Stretching/Warm-up

Weight trainers commonly spend five to twenty minutes warming up their muscles before starting a workout. Stretching the entire body to increase overall flexibility is common; however, many people stretch just the area being worked that day. I will exclusively discuss stretching in a future entry.

Warm up sets are also very important. For example, a weight trainer working on their chest would be advised to complete at least two warm up sets prior to hitting their “core tonnage.” Core tonnage refers to the heavier lifts that actually strain your muscles. When properly warmed up the weight trainer will then have more strength and stamina since the blood has begun to flow to the appropriate muscle groups.

Breathing

Breathing shallowly or holding one’s breath while working out limits the supply of oxygen to the muscles and the brain, decreasing performance ability and, under extreme stress, risking a black-out or a stoke by aneurysm (DeLee p. 151). Weight trainers are sometimes advised to conscientiously “exhale on effort” and to inhale when lowering the weight. Breathing this way ensures that the weight trainer breathes through the most difficult part of the exercise, when it is most tempting to hold their breath (p. 152).

Hydration

Hydration is an important aspect of weight training, as it is with sports. Weight trainers should avoid dehydration by drinking water, not only during their workout, but throughout the day as well. Athletic trainers say that athletes should drink seven fluid ounces every 15 minutes while training and about 80 throughout the day. Hydration will be different for each individual however. Hydration can be maintained perfectly if your fluid intake is equal to your rate of perspiration, simple right? Weigh yourself accurately before and after a workout if you want to know how much water you sweat off.

Sources:

Name. (n.d.). Weight-Training and Weight-Lifting Safety -- FamilyDoctor.org. Health Education | Illnesses, Diseases & Conditions -- FamilyDoctor.org. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/exercise-fitness/sports-safety/weight-training-and-weight-lifting-safety.html

Lombardi, V. P. (1989). Beginning weight training: the safe and effective way. Dubuque, IA: W.C. Brown.

Lamberti, I. (1983). Pumping iron without pain: a preventive and self-care guide to weight training. New York: Leisure Press.

Kennedy, R., & Weis, D. B. (1986). Mass!. Chicago: Contemporary Books.

Hatfield, F. C. (1993). Hardcore bodybuilding: a scientific approach. Chicago: Contemporary Books.

DeLee, J. C. (2003). DeLee and Drez's orthopaedic sports medicine: principles and practice. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.

Interview: Beginning Tips with Larry

Larry Hall is a certified personal trainer (AMFPT) that works at Texas Family Fitness in Plano. I’ve decided to ask him some questions about working out for beginners.

P: Lets start out with preparation. What are some things that someone with little or no experience in the gym should do to prepare a workout plan?

 L: First meet with a physician to make sure your health is adequate enough to begin exercising. Next set a few goals for yourself, short term and long term. Then build a training routine to achieve your goals. If you don’t know how to build a training routine then hire someone to do it for you (i.e. personal trainer, nutritionist, etc.). Researching fitness information on the inter net is “hit and miss”. By that I mean there is a lot of crap out there and a little bit of truth so you will have to sort through it. Someone with little or no experience in the gym probably doesn’t know what is good information and what is bad so it’s best to ask for help from someone at the gym.

P: Okay, well what kind of essential exercises should beginners include in their workout plan?

L: Beginners should focus on compound exercises that involve multiple muscle groups and avoid isolation exercises that involve only one muscle group. Examples of compound movements would be squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, chin ups, dips, etc.

P: Are these different for gainers than losers? What about males and females?

L: People wanting to lose weight and people wanting to gain weight should perform the same lifts; only their nutrition will differ. Also, gender makes no difference in exercise selection especially for a beginner. These points are some of the most misunderstood in the fitness industry.

P: What should beginners avoid in the gym?

L: Beginners should start with moderate weights and intensity in their workout program. They should continue progressing slowly as their body adapts to the weight and stress of their program. This will prevent overtraining, injuries, and help develop correct lifting form. Avoid going too heavy too fast unless you don’t want to get results. Never perform an exercise or lift a certain way just because you noticed someone else in the gym doing it. Chances are they don’t know what they’re doing.

P: How many days per week should a beginner workout on average and for how long each day?

L: it depends on the fitness level of the beginner, but usually three days per week is plenty. Try not to workout for more than an hour and get plenty of rest.

P: About how many weeks should the beginner continue the same workout routine?

L: 4-6 weeks is usually about how long it takes for someone to “plateau” and results diminish. However beginners may be able to continue for several more weeks or possibly months without hitting a plateau. It depends on the individual.

P: If a beginner chooses to change up their routine after so many weeks, what kinds of things should they change about it?

L: First they should re-evaluate their goals and rebuild around them. After a few months the beginner is no longer a beginner and can start incorporating new exercises into their routine. Be selective when choosing new lifts and always have a purpose.

P: Would you recommend workout supplements for beginners?

L: Yes but beginners should only take a multivitamin, fish oils, and whey protein, nothing else. Fitness levels of beginners will improve quickly without the need for excess supplementation.

P: Before we are done, what are some common issues or problems that beginners tend to have in the gym and what general tips might you have for avoiding or fixing them?

L: Good form and light weights are always better than bad form and heavy weights. Don’t try to go too heavy too fast because you will end up with an injury and/or your progress will be less than optimal. Don’t neglect your cardio and nutrition too. These are vital if you want results and should be of high importance.

History of Weight Training

Terminology

Strength training is a term that describes all exercises used to increase physical strength. Strength training that uses weights rather than elastic, eccentric­ (the lowering phase of an exercise), or muscular resistance is called weight training. Weight training is a type of strength training, which is just one type of exercise. Other types include:

-       Endurance training (associated with aerobic exercise)

-       Flexibility training (i.e. yoga or Pilates)

Genealogy

Weight training can be traced back to the beginning of written history where man’s fascination with physical abilities can be found in many ancient writings. Weight training used as progressive resistance training dates back at least to Ancient Greece, when legend has it that wrestler Milo of Croton trained by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until it was fully grown (Dreschler 2011). Strength training exercises using halteres (an early form of Greek dumbbell) date back to the 2^nd century.

Ancient Greek sculptures also depict lifting feats (Todd 1995). The weights were generally stones, but later gave way to dumbbells. Dumbbells were later joined by the barbell in the later half of the 19^th century. Barbells originally had hollow globes that would be filled with sand or lead shot, but by the beginning of the 20^th century these were replaced by the plate-loading barbell commonly used today.

Modern evolution of weight training

Strength training gyms began to pop up in the 1950s, but they were scarce (MSNBC 2012). The still-rare strength training gyms saw the gradual introduction of exercise machines during the 1960s. Weight training became increasingly popular in the 1970s, following the release of the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron, and the later popularity of Arnold Schwarzenegger (Schwarzenegger 1999). Gyms have greatly increased in number over the course of the last few decades, but weight training has not changed very much since then, besides the introduction of new kinds of exercise machines.

Sources:

Delavier, F. (2001). Strength training anatomy. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Dreschler., A. (n.d.). The History of Weightlifting | USA Weightlifting. USA Weightlifting. Retrieved March 14, 2012, from http://weightlifting.teamusa.org/about-us/the-history-of-weightlifting

Gaines, J. (n.d.). Milo of Croton | | Black Box StrengthBlack Box Strength. Black Box Strength | Feel the Good. Retrieved March 15, 2012, from http://blackboxstrength.com/2012/02/29/milo-of-croton/

Schwarzenegger, A., & Dobbins, B. (1999). The new encyclopedia of modern bodybuilding. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Sculpted trend spurs women to pump iron - Health - Fitness - msnbc.com. (n.d.). msnbc.com - Breaking news, science and tech news, world news, US news, local news- msnbc.com. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13956966/#.T2-kR0qfCPk

Todd, J. (1995). From Milo to Milo: A History of Barbells, Dumbells, and Indian Clubs. Iron Game History, 3(6). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/IGH/IGH0306/IGH0306c.pdf