Is stretching necessary after a workout?

Author: Petrenko Alexander - author of the website school-body.net.
2017-02-26

When entering the gym, we start with a small warm-up to prepare our muscles for work. After that, everything follows a classic scenario. After completing the workout plan, we grab a towel and, looking tired, head to the locker room. This approach to training is not entirely correct!

To speed up muscle growth and improve overall results, stretching after a workout is necessary. How does it help in muscle development? What are the benefits of stretching? Let’s examine these points in more detail.

What are the Benefits?

In Judaism, the unity of mind and body is preached. Equal attention is paid to two areas — the development of the body and the mind. A separate role is assigned to flexibility, without which it is impossible to achieve good health and strong spirit. It is believed that working on flexibility helps slow down aging, improve hormonal balance, activate brain function, and enhance the effectiveness of workouts in the gym.

One of the main mistakes beginners make is stretching their muscles before the workout. With this approach, the musculature relaxes, reducing workout effectiveness and lowering the readiness of the fibers to handle heavy loads. That is why this work should be shifted to the end of the session.

Stretching muscles after a workout allows you to solve several tasks:

• Recover faster after exertion.
• Avoid muscle soreness the next day. Otherwise, you will need recommendations on how to get rid of muscle soreness.
• Improve flexibility.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg…

The Mechanism of Stretching After Exercise

Regular visits to the gym strengthen the joints. They become more rigid due to changes in the structure of connective tissue and a decrease in its flexibility. Such changes may be beneficial for powerlifters, but bodybuilders need a different effect. In bodybuilding, overall body flexibility, the elasticity of muscle fibers, ligaments, and tendons are crucial. If stretching is not done after workouts, the range of motion decreases, and muscle mass growth halts.

Scientists have proven that muscle development and the elasticity of its outer layer depend directly on each other.

The mechanism of training works as follows:

• You perform multiple repetitions.
• The targeted muscle group fills with blood, and the fiber becomes denser.
• The outer layer gradually stretches.
• After some time, the layer returns to its original position, but with slight adjustments.

This is how muscle growth is explained. Daily workouts contribute to the gradual stretching of the outer layer, and the muscle fibers increase in thickness. To keep them toned, consistent training is essential.

Stretching - Basic Rules

As you age, muscle mass growth slows down, which is due to the physiological structure of the human body. Achieving results in sports and creating an ideal body may take 5-10 years. The main obstacle is the incorrect approach to ensuring two processes — transverse and longitudinal stretching. If these aspects are combined, the effectiveness of gym visits increases significantly.

To achieve results, follow these rules:

1. Do not stretch your muscles before the workout, as they are still cold, increasing the risk of injury.
2. During stretching, pay attention to your sensations — mild discomfort is acceptable.
3. Hold each position for about 20-30 seconds.
4. Stretch carefully and take your time to avoid muscle damage. Every workout should consolidate the results.
5. Avoid strong pain (this is bad).
6. Begin stretching after relaxing the target muscle. Stretching when tense increases the risk of injury.
7. Do not focus too much on breathing — there are no strict rules in this regard.
8. Stretch the muscle groups you worked on during the current session.

To learn how to improve results and accelerate muscle growth, read here — Muscle Stretching Exercise Complex: Cool down after workout.

By following the recommendations in this article closely, you will enhance your training efficiency and minimize the risk of injury. Good luck.