Why is it not recommended to stretch before working out? Stretching is not equal to warming up, many people get confused
I often see some people do stretching exercises before training, such as stretching thighs and calves before training legs, and stretching chest muscles before training chest muscles, that is to say, he is using stretching exercises as a warm-up project.
According to my training experience, I don't recommend using stretching as a warm-up, because stretching is not equal to warm-up, so how can I maintain my point of view?
First of all, we need to know what is the difference between stretching and warming up
The role of stretching
Let our muscles relax and stretch as much as possible. This posture is called stretching. For example, when stretching the quadriceps on the front of the thigh, you need to bend your legs as much as possible to stretch and relax the quadriceps.
As for the effect of stretching, I think everyone is familiar with it. There are two more specific functions.
- Relieve muscle tension
Many of us stretch after our runs. Stretching at this time can help us relax our calf muscles so that we can sleep with fewer cramps at night.
Relaxing muscle tension can also help us improve blood circulation, bring out lactic acid deposition caused by training, and bring new heat to training muscles.
So the first function of our stretching is to relieve muscle tension, allow muscles to recover better, and prepare for the next training session.
- Improve joint range of motion
There is also a form of stretching designed to improve the range of motion of our joints, such as split horses, leg presses, and shoulder openings. This type of movement is also called stretching.
Then this kind of stretching is to make our joints more flexible. For example, the split horse is to make the hip joints more flexible, and the shoulder opening is to make the thoracic spine and shoulder joints more flexible.
So the second function of stretching is to improve the range of motion of our joints, so that our body's flexibility and flexibility can be improved.
The role of warming up
Before high-intensity and difficult training, a series of small-intensity exercises is called warm-up. For example, before chest muscle training, moving the shoulder joint is considered a warm-up.
For different training, warm-up has different purposes, and the general purpose can be divided into three types.
- Activate cardiorespiratory fitness
Fitness training requires strong cardiorespiratory fitness, but the heart and lungs tend to fall into a deep sleep, so warming up before formal training is to wake up our cardiopulmonary and lay a solid foundation for formal training.
For example, before strength training, we will run for more than ten minutes, so this running becomes a warm-up event here, and the purpose is to activate the heart and lungs, so that the physical fitness can be better.
So the first purpose of our warm-up is to activate and wake up the heart and lungs, so that the subsequent training will be in a better state and the physical reserve will be more sufficient.
- Lubricate joint muscles
In the case of cold weather, if you start directly with difficult movements, you will find that joint mobility and muscle recruitment decrease, mainly because the muscles and joints are not lubricated enough.
All the behaviors of moving the shoulder joints before shoulder training and knee joints before running are called joint muscle lubrication warm-ups. The purpose is to make the joints and muscles more flexible and better recruited.
So the second purpose of warming up is to lubricate and wake up the muscles and joints to make the movements more standard and reduce the damage to the body.
- Integrate into formal training
After completing the above two warm-ups, most of the training needs have been met, but for some difficult and heavy weight movements, in fact, you have not completely warmed up.
For example, when performing heavy squats, experienced players will add small weights little by little, so the process of adding is called warm-up.
So the third purpose of warming up is to familiarize yourself with the movement form in advance, so that we can be more familiar with the movement and play more stably.
Secondly, we need to know what are the disadvantages of stretching as a warm-up
The range of motion of the joint is too large, and the control is more difficult
The function of stretching is to increase the range of motion of our joints, but although this can improve our flexibility, if you stretch before formal training, it will make the formal training more difficult to control.
Because the greater the range of motion of the joint, the more difficult it is to control the movement. In fact, it is easy to understand, which one is more difficult when the bench press barbell touches the chest or does not touch the chest? Which is more difficult, full squat or half squat?
So stretching makes the range of motion of our joints higher than usual, so the body can't adapt, which makes the movements more difficult, so it's easy to lose control.
Some people don't feel this way, it's because you haven't checked the weight and difficulty yet, so it feels like stretching is the same as not stretching, but it's actually different.
I have an experience that if I don't stretch my shoulders before doing handstands, then my performance is relatively stable. But if the shoulders are stretched, the range of the handstand will become larger, so you can fall down but not up.
Then this kind of situation is dangerous, so stretching is not recommended as a warm-up. My first reason is that it will increase the difficulty of fitness control and bring danger to fitness.
Stretching for a long time will consume our muscle strength
Stretching can relax our muscles, but stretching for a long time will consume our muscle strength, which will reduce the intensity of formal training.
Because stretching is stretching our muscles, in this state, muscle elasticity will continue to be consumed. Just like a rubber band, if it is stretched for a long time, its elasticity will decrease.
The reduction in muscle elasticity directly reduces muscle strength. For example, if we do seated rowing, we can pull 150 pounds without stretching our back, but if we stretch our back muscles in advance, we may only be able to pull 140 pounds.
Of course, many people may not realize the weight change of equipment fitness. But if you exercise with bare hands, this change will be very obvious.
For example, we can compare the number of pull-ups. After stretching the back and practicing pull-ups, the general amount is not as much as that of non-stretching. If you don’t believe me, you can try it.
So I don't recommend stretching as a warm-up. The second reason is that stretching will consume our muscle strength and reduce our training intensity.
Stretching does not have the effect of activating the heart and lungs and integrating with formal training
Running, burpees, jumping jacks, etc., have the effect of multiple functions in one action. For example, jumping jumps can not only strengthen the heart and lungs, but also lubricate the muscles and joints. At the same time, it can also be used as a running, The fusion action of jumping training.
However, as a warm-up, stretching can only lubricate the muscles and joints, and it cannot help you activate the heart and lungs and joints.
Therefore, stretching is used as a warm-up, especially for those who only use stretching as a warm-up. In fact, the warm-up is impenetrable and cannot help us effectively improve our training performance.
For example, leg training consumes a lot of physical energy. If you use leg presses as a warm-up before leg training, then when you squat, you will still be out of breath, and squat movements will also feel unfamiliar.
And if you use leapfrog jumps or jumping jacks as a warm-up, then your heart and lungs will be awakened, your hip joints will be lubricated, and you will become familiar with squatting movements, and you will be able to eat more than one fish.
So the third reason why I don’t recommend using stretching as a warm-up is that the effect of stretching and warm-up is single, and the warm-up is not thorough enough, so it is difficult to boost the formal training.
Of course, it is not recommended to use stretching as a warm-up, but it does not mean that this approach is absolutely wrong. There is no absolute right and absolute wrong in fitness.
If you insist on using stretching as a warm-up, then you need to pay attention not to stretch for too long, and at the same time, the stretching range should not be too large, and it should be combined with other warm-up training.
I am Master Wangwang,
Remember to like, follow and comment!
The role of stretching
Let our muscles relax and stretch as much as possible. This posture is called stretching. For example, when stretching the quadriceps on the front of the thigh, you need to bend your legs as much as possible to stretch and relax the quadriceps.
As for the effect of stretching, I think everyone is familiar with it. There are two more specific functions.
- Relieve muscle tension
Many of us stretch after our runs. Stretching at this time can help us relax our calf muscles so that we can sleep with fewer cramps at night.
Relaxing muscle tension can also help us improve blood circulation, bring out lactic acid deposition caused by training, and bring new heat to training muscles.
So the first function of our stretching is to relieve muscle tension, allow muscles to recover better, and prepare for the next training session.
- Improve joint range of motion
There is also a form of stretching designed to improve the range of motion of our joints, such as split horses, leg presses, and shoulder openings. This type of movement is also called stretching.
Then this kind of stretching is to make our joints more flexible. For example, the split horse is to make the hip joints more flexible, and the shoulder opening is to make the thoracic spine and shoulder joints more flexible.
So the second function of stretching is to improve the range of motion of our joints, so that our body's flexibility and flexibility can be improved.
The role of warming up
Before high-intensity and difficult training, a series of small-intensity exercises is called warm-up. For example, before chest muscle training, moving the shoulder joint is considered a warm-up.
For different training, warm-up has different purposes, and the general purpose can be divided into three types.
- Activate cardiorespiratory fitness
Fitness training requires strong cardiorespiratory fitness, but the heart and lungs tend to fall into a deep sleep, so warming up before formal training is to wake up our cardiopulmonary and lay a solid foundation for formal training.
For example, before strength training, we will run for more than ten minutes, so this running becomes a warm-up event here, and the purpose is to activate the heart and lungs, so that the physical fitness can be better.
So the first purpose of our warm-up is to activate and wake up the heart and lungs, so that the subsequent training will be in a better state and the physical reserve will be more sufficient.
- Lubricate joint muscles
In the case of cold weather, if you start directly with difficult movements, you will find that joint mobility and muscle recruitment decrease, mainly because the muscles and joints are not lubricated enough.
All the behaviors of moving the shoulder joints before shoulder training and knee joints before running are called joint muscle lubrication warm-ups. The purpose is to make the joints and muscles more flexible and better recruited.
So the second purpose of warming up is to lubricate and wake up the muscles and joints to make the movements more standard and reduce the damage to the body.
- Integrate into formal training
After completing the above two warm-ups, most of the training needs have been met, but for some difficult and heavy weight movements, in fact, you have not completely warmed up.
For example, when performing heavy squats, experienced players will add small weights little by little, so the process of adding is called warm-up.
So the third purpose of warming up is to familiarize yourself with the movement form in advance, so that we can be more familiar with the movement and play more stably.
Secondly, we need to know what are the disadvantages of stretching as a warm-up
The range of motion of the joint is too large, and the control is more difficult
The function of stretching is to increase the range of motion of our joints, but although this can improve our flexibility, if you stretch before formal training, it will make the formal training more difficult to control.
Because the greater the range of motion of the joint, the more difficult it is to control the movement. In fact, it is easy to understand, which one is more difficult when the bench press barbell touches the chest or does not touch the chest? Which is more difficult, full squat or half squat?
So stretching makes the range of motion of our joints higher than usual, so the body can't adapt, which makes the movements more difficult, so it's easy to lose control.
Some people don't feel this way, it's because you haven't checked the weight and difficulty yet, so it feels like stretching is the same as not stretching, but it's actually different.
I have an experience that if I don't stretch my shoulders before doing handstands, then my performance is relatively stable. But if the shoulders are stretched, the range of the handstand will become larger, so you can fall down but not up.
Then this kind of situation is dangerous, so stretching is not recommended as a warm-up. My first reason is that it will increase the difficulty of fitness control and bring danger to fitness.
Stretching for a long time will consume our muscle strength
Stretching can relax our muscles, but stretching for a long time will consume our muscle strength, which will reduce the intensity of formal training.
Because stretching is stretching our muscles, in this state, muscle elasticity will continue to be consumed. Just like a rubber band, if it is stretched for a long time, its elasticity will decrease.
The reduction in muscle elasticity directly reduces muscle strength. For example, if we do seated rowing, we can pull 150 pounds without stretching our back, but if we stretch our back muscles in advance, we may only be able to pull 140 pounds.
Of course, many people may not realize the weight change of equipment fitness. But if you exercise with bare hands, this change will be very obvious.
For example, we can compare the number of pull-ups. After stretching the back and practicing pull-ups, the general amount is not as much as that of non-stretching. If you don’t believe me, you can try it.
So I don't recommend stretching as a warm-up. The second reason is that stretching will consume our muscle strength and reduce our training intensity.
Stretching does not have the effect of activating the heart and lungs and integrating with formal training
Running, burpees, jumping jacks, etc., have the effect of multiple functions in one action. For example, jumping jumps can not only strengthen the heart and lungs, but also lubricate the muscles and joints. At the same time, it can also be used as a running, The fusion action of jumping training.
However, as a warm-up, stretching can only lubricate the muscles and joints, and it cannot help you activate the heart and lungs and joints.
Therefore, stretching is used as a warm-up, especially for those who only use stretching as a warm-up. In fact, the warm-up is impenetrable and cannot help us effectively improve our training performance.
For example, leg training consumes a lot of physical energy. If you use leg presses as a warm-up before leg training, then when you squat, you will still be out of breath, and squat movements will also feel unfamiliar.
And if you use leapfrog jumps or jumping jacks as a warm-up, then your heart and lungs will be awakened, your hip joints will be lubricated, and you will become familiar with squatting movements, and you will be able to eat more than one fish.
So the third reason why I don’t recommend using stretching as a warm-up is that the effect of stretching and warm-up is single, and the warm-up is not thorough enough, so it is difficult to boost the formal training.
Of course, it is not recommended to use stretching as a warm-up, but it does not mean that this approach is absolutely wrong. There is no absolute right and absolute wrong in fitness.
If you insist on using stretching as a warm-up, then you need to pay attention not to stretch for too long, and at the same time, the stretching range should not be too large, and it should be combined with other warm-up training.
I am Master Wangwang,
Remember to like, follow and comment!
The range of motion of the joint is too large, and the control is more difficult
The function of stretching is to increase the range of motion of our joints, but although this can improve our flexibility, if you stretch before formal training, it will make the formal training more difficult to control.
Because the greater the range of motion of the joint, the more difficult it is to control the movement. In fact, it is easy to understand, which one is more difficult when the bench press barbell touches the chest or does not touch the chest? Which is more difficult, full squat or half squat?
So stretching makes the range of motion of our joints higher than usual, so the body can't adapt, which makes the movements more difficult, so it's easy to lose control.
Some people don't feel this way, it's because you haven't checked the weight and difficulty yet, so it feels like stretching is the same as not stretching, but it's actually different.
I have an experience that if I don't stretch my shoulders before doing handstands, then my performance is relatively stable. But if the shoulders are stretched, the range of the handstand will become larger, so you can fall down but not up.
Then this kind of situation is dangerous, so stretching is not recommended as a warm-up. My first reason is that it will increase the difficulty of fitness control and bring danger to fitness.
Stretching for a long time will consume our muscle strength
Stretching can relax our muscles, but stretching for a long time will consume our muscle strength, which will reduce the intensity of formal training.
Because stretching is stretching our muscles, in this state, muscle elasticity will continue to be consumed. Just like a rubber band, if it is stretched for a long time, its elasticity will decrease.
The reduction in muscle elasticity directly reduces muscle strength. For example, if we do seated rowing, we can pull 150 pounds without stretching our back, but if we stretch our back muscles in advance, we may only be able to pull 140 pounds.
Of course, many people may not realize the weight change of equipment fitness. But if you exercise with bare hands, this change will be very obvious.
For example, we can compare the number of pull-ups. After stretching the back and practicing pull-ups, the general amount is not as much as that of non-stretching. If you don’t believe me, you can try it.
So I don't recommend stretching as a warm-up. The second reason is that stretching will consume our muscle strength and reduce our training intensity.
Stretching does not have the effect of activating the heart and lungs and integrating with formal training
Running, burpees, jumping jacks, etc., have the effect of multiple functions in one action. For example, jumping jumps can not only strengthen the heart and lungs, but also lubricate the muscles and joints. At the same time, it can also be used as a running, The fusion action of jumping training.
However, as a warm-up, stretching can only lubricate the muscles and joints, and it cannot help you activate the heart and lungs and joints.
Therefore, stretching is used as a warm-up, especially for those who only use stretching as a warm-up. In fact, the warm-up is impenetrable and cannot help us effectively improve our training performance.
For example, leg training consumes a lot of physical energy. If you use leg presses as a warm-up before leg training, then when you squat, you will still be out of breath, and squat movements will also feel unfamiliar.
And if you use leapfrog jumps or jumping jacks as a warm-up, then your heart and lungs will be awakened, your hip joints will be lubricated, and you will become familiar with squatting movements, and you will be able to eat more than one fish.
So the third reason why I don’t recommend using stretching as a warm-up is that the effect of stretching and warm-up is single, and the warm-up is not thorough enough, so it is difficult to boost the formal training.
Of course, it is not recommended to use stretching as a warm-up, but it does not mean that this approach is absolutely wrong. There is no absolute right and absolute wrong in fitness.
If you insist on using stretching as a warm-up, then you need to pay attention not to stretch for too long, and at the same time, the stretching range should not be too large, and it should be combined with other warm-up training.
I am Master Wangwang,
Remember to like, follow and comment!