Now pre-workout stretching is bad for you??

LONDON — Want a better work-out? Then don't stretch beforehand, some experts say.

Many people take it for granted that they should start their exercise routines with some stretching on the spot, perhaps hoping it will loosen them up for their work-out. Most fitness experts now agree this kind of static stretching before exercise is not just counter-productive, but potentially harmful.

Traditional stretches, like when people bend over to touch their toes or stretch their legs on a fence, often cause the muscles to tighten rather than relax — exactly the opposite of what is needed for physical activity.

Experts say it is like extending a rubber band to its limit. When people stretch to the maximum, they are more likely to pull a muscle.

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I don't know why this is just now in the news. You need to get blood circulating first. Instructors at the gym have been teaching that a long time here.

This is old, old news. For a long time, I was taught that "you never stretch a 'cold' muscle."

we always teach our athletes NOT to stretch a "cold muscle"

AS you warm up, you stretch and increase ROM.

i train with some very elite gymnasts, weightlifters, track and field athletes, etc.

if we saw any of them start stretching cold, we would put the kibosh on it immediately.

at a test in the 1964 olympics, the most flexible athletes were found to be gymnasts, and the 2nd most flexible were weightlifters.

this has been known for decades in these sports communities

Except maybe throwing ones back out moving the couch.