All stretching is a waste of time.

That study was very dumb, I guess you didn't read it. Or at least has a very misleading title.

"For the more wide-ranging of the new studies, and to partially fill that knowledge gap, researchers at the University of Zagreb began combing through hundreds of earlier experiments in which volunteers stretched and then jumped, dunked, sprinted, lifted or otherwise had their muscular strength and power tested. For their purposes, the Croatian researchers wanted studies that used only static stretching as an exclusive warm-up; they excluded past experiments in which people stretched but also jogged or otherwise actively warmed up before their exercise session. "

No warm-up before stretching, that's often said to be bad. One should always warm up, or do the stretching after exercise. The whole study is pointless. It's common knowledge, at least I thought it was.

agip wrote:

"generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive"

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/reasons-not-to-stretch/?_r=0

"One, a study being published this month in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, concluded that if you stretch before you lift weights, you may find yourself feeling weaker and wobblier than you expect during your workout. Those findings join those of another new study from Croatia, a bogglingly comprehensive re-analysis of data from earlier experiments that was published in The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

Together, the studies augment a growing scientific consensus that pre-exercise stretching is generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive."

now hit me with some pro-stretching anecdotes.

'generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive'

Sounds like a hard, concrete, scientific conclusion to me.

Not to mention is says nothing of stretching AFTER the workout.

Sally Vixxxens wrote:

trollololol wrote:

Cool, you should post that in a weight lifting forum...This is a running forum.

Stretching before you lift weights may make you "weaker and wobblier"? LOL. You mean like Rich Froning? What kind of weakling must you be to be weaker and wobblier from doing a few stretches before you work out. That is too funny!

The problem with those studies is that the way the stretches are done in the studies or the stretches themselves is not what poeple are actually doing. Sure, if you hold a hard stretched position for longer than a minute, your muscles might feel wobbling immediately after. IN OTHER WORD, the studies seem to aim to over stretch the muscles then do the test to see if the muscles are weakened from that practice. Runners/weight lifters do pre-exercise stretches to loosen up not to tighten up.

Want an anecdote experience that beat these eggheads' claim from the studies? Why don't you go to a weight room and start lifting heavily right away without any warm up. see it yourself.

Overly stretched muscles can lose elasticity temporally, is that something need to be proved?

On the other hand, is there any harm doing say a 15 sec stretch to loosen up muscles (the regular pre-exercise stretch)? Prove it!

trollololol wrote:

So why do nearly all mammals stretch?

Even ants do stretch! Modern runners might be the only exception in the animal kingdom.

I could believe stretching before does not add anything to a good warmup. But flexibility from stretching after/in general seems important

There are all kinds of wacko compulsions, routines, and superstitions people have in regard to the activities they participate in.

If stretching happens to be one of those for you then go ahead and indulge yourself if it makes you happy.

I've always found a good lift to be the best stretch (post warm up of course). Maintain a good regiment of squats, lunges, deadlifts, calf raises, etc. in the months leading up to the racing season then taper significantly and hit the gym 3-4 days out from race day for a light, single-rep, ROM session. Forget the day to day, before and after stretching.

this is my position... wrote:

There are all kinds of wacko compulsions, routines, and superstitions people have in regard to the activities they participate in.

If stretching happens to be one of those for you then go ahead and indulge yourself if it makes you happy.

Yep. See the Steve Magness article on placebos from the other day.

I stretch after most runs because it feels good, but I know it's not like it's making me faster. Henry Rono didn't stretch after all.

Yep. See the Steve Magness article on placebos from the other day.

I stretch after most runs because it feels good, but I know it's not like it's making me faster. Henry Rono didn't stretch after all.

Exercise Physiology Truth wrote:

Active, passive, whatever; it's all superstition within no demonstrable benefit.

Congratulations! You've won "idiot post of the day". Our contest is now closed. Be sure to enter again tomorrow.

So there was a stray dog sniffing a lawn this evening and when I ran by I startled him and he jumped back a couple feet. He then sprints all around me probably running 6 blocks while I ran 2. He then stops in another yard and starts sniffing the grass again. I never saw him stretch before or after his run.

Do any of you have a good heart muscle stretch? I really don't want to run hard without having my heart muscle stretched out really good beforehand so I don't injure it.

Thanks

Mr Hankey

an odd observation wrote:

So there was a stray dog sniffing a lawn this evening and when I ran by I startled him and he jumped back a couple feet. He then sprints all around me probably running 6 blocks while I ran 2. He then stops in another yard and starts sniffing the grass again. I never saw him stretch before or after his run.

The very first thing my dog does after waking up and jumping down from his bed is stretch.

You've probably never owned any pets....

This article is basically saying stretching ruins your running economy.

Therefore, stretching is a waste of time.

trollololol wrote:

The very first thing my dog does after waking up and jumping down from his bed is stretch.

You've probably never owned any pets....

Wow, your dog sounds like a real champion. Does he have any more athletic training advice?

Hardloper wrote:

Wow, your dog sounds like a real champion. Does he have any more athletic training advice?

He does, but I don't want this to turn into a barefoot running debate.

I put a raincoat on before knockin' the uglies, but it doesn't make me sterile.

[quote]Jalapeño Chips wrote:

http://running.competitor.com/2013/06/training/want-to-improve-your-economy-stop-stretching_21094

This article is basically saying stretching ruins your running economy.[/quote

Totally ridiculous reasoning behind some of the things Matt Fitzgerald wrote there.