Do You Stretch?

[bigstick]

I do now... After working an IT job for 20+ years (sitting) and even worse, for last decade from home, I sit all day.
My hams, lower-back and hips are now garbage when it comes to flexibility.

2 days a week now I go in, I use the "turf room" and do a 20-minute conditioning session. (Intervals, etc).
Airdyne, farmers walk, sled drags, etc. After that, I stretch out very good. MY favorite thing is to hold light d-bells, and lean FWD while sitting on a utility-bench.
Lower-back and hams have gotten so much better in a month, its night/day. I throw in some hip stretches. I limp around in much less pain after SQ and DL days now.

Yes turf work is mandatory nowadays. I’m old fat and brittle.

 

[qbkilla]

10 minutes elliptical warmup, weights, extreme stretches, then some dynamic stretches before leaving the gym.

 

[Hyperemia]

I do light warm ups with deep negatives that seems to stretch things out but I should be doing more of the traditional stretching.

My biggest issue since I put a bunch of weight on this year is that my shoulders have been rolling forward. I’m conscious about it so when I notice I pull them back and straighten out my posture but I never had to think about it before. I’ve read that when the chest overpowers your back it will do this and pull forward but my back is a much stronger body part for me. I’ve tried all sorts of stretches without any luck.

Anybody been able to find a solution for this that won’t require a weekly visit to a sports therapist?

 

[alfresco]

10 minutes elliptical warmup, weights, extreme stretches, then some dynamic stretches before leaving the gym.

 

[Mufasa123]

I do light warm ups with deep negatives that seems to stretch things out but I should be doing more of the traditional stretching.

My biggest issue since I put a bunch of weight on this year is that my shoulders have been rolling forward. I’m conscious about it so when I notice I pull them back and straighten out my posture but I never had to think about it before. I’ve read that when the chest overpowers your back it will do this and pull forward but my back is a much stronger body part for me. I’ve tried all sorts of stretches without any luck.

Anybody been able to find a solution for this that won’t require a weekly visit to a sports therapist?

Fundamentally it's often less about stretching and more about balance. Western lifters tend to over emphasize bench/chest work which results in stronger anterior deltoids. This leads to posture issues but also eventually shoulder injuries.

Consider bench press as horizontal pushing. The opposing movement is horizontal pulling or rows. I see precious few lifters emphasize rowing to equal levels. Overhead work is good too. Now some people are just built a certain way but that work and shoulder prehab will save you issues longer term.

 

[Brock456]

I need to stretch more. I can barely turn to do a glute shot anymore….

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Absolutely. I just don’t stretch around training times. I do it as a meditative, relaxing type session. Make time for it. Plus it has a plyometric effect keeping me free from pulls and strains.

Def try to start working it in, IMO.

 

[chingaling]

I should at my age (50), but I dont. I walk right into the gym and do a warm up set or two then start killing it. To be honest, I dont know really know how to stretch. What are ya'll doing exactly to "stretch"? How long are ya'll stretching for before getting into workout?

 

[Blswan]

I prefer foam rolling before work outs along with some band work for the shoulders as a warm up. I save static stretches for after as doing them before can actually temporarily weaken the muscles and lead to injury.

 

[Muay Thai]

idk but if i was 40, 50+ and have been lifting most my life, and have had a great run so far like many of you health-wise, i would sure as shit not try to implement something last minute after decades of "if it ain't broke , dont fix it" proverb demonstrating in your life in fruition.

stiff and less blood flow = tendon fibers crosshatch leaving us more susceptible for tearing tissues

my philosophy is its JUST LIKE MARINATING A STEAK, same principle with your muscles, tendons and ligaments PRE workout/PRE STEAK COOK. Juice your fucking skeletal muscle cells up with salt, amino acids, glucose, and some h2O (adam sandler bobby boucher waterboy movie voice)

just as your steak will taste way better when its been marinating for hours or overnight ins some chicken broth, fresh garlic, salt pepper ETC

then to end workout, VASODILATE vIA SAUNA and induce all those heat shock protein and hormesis benefits, shuttle those AMINOS and lactic acid

end with cold shower or bath , 2 min is enough for me tbh, idgaf what wim hoff says or the silicon valley ceos , we will experience a hormonal response and some epigenetic action. cold/vasoconstriction locks in all those STEROIDS and aminos and glucose in there

and you'll hardly ever get sore and live forever, the end

 

[UnholyAlliance]

Thing is that i should stretch at the end but my workouts last 2h and i don't have time.... Ok i should do it but ....

2hr workouts? That's nuts, lol. A good gym session should be no more than 1 hr.

 

[TrippplePPP]

I do light warm ups with deep negatives that seems to stretch things out but I should be doing more of the traditional stretching.

My biggest issue since I put a bunch of weight on this year is that my shoulders have been rolling forward. I’m conscious about it so when I notice I pull them back and straighten out my posture but I never had to think about it before. I’ve read that when the chest overpowers your back it will do this and pull forward but my back is a much stronger body part for me. I’ve tried all sorts of stretches without any luck.

Anybody been able to find a solution for this that won’t require a weekly visit to a sports therapist?

Stretch your chest, do more scapula retraction and depression prior to every exercise. An easy exercise to do in the shower every morning is to stand tall against the wall and then move 1-2 inches from the wall Andean back with only your head touching the wall. It puts a light pressure on your head while you're in good posture and cues you to stand tall while mildly working the muscles the keep you upright.

 

[Hyperemia]

Fundamentally it's often less about stretching and more about balance. Western lifters tend to over emphasize bench/chest work which results in stronger anterior deltoids. This leads to posture issues but also eventually shoulder injuries.

Consider bench press as horizontal pushing. The opposing movement is horizontal pulling or rows. I see precious few lifters emphasize rowing to equal levels. Overhead work is good too. Now some people are just built a certain way but that work and shoulder prehab will save you issues longer term.

Too quick to reply… you must have missed the part where I said my back dominates my chest.

 

[Hyperemia]

Stretch your chest, do more scapula retraction and depression prior to every exercise. An easy exercise to do in the shower every morning is to stand tall against the wall and then move 1-2 inches from the wall Andean back with only your head touching the wall. It puts a light pressure on your head while you're in good posture and cues you to stand tall while mildly working the muscles the keep you upright.

Yeah I’ve been doing this in doorways and against walls and the stretch definitely makes everything feel better. I suppose doing this continually should help my “default” posture. I’m sure trying this under hot water should help stretch things even more

 

[Mufasa123]

Too quick to reply… you must have missed the part where I said my back dominates my chest.

LOL totally missed that. Usually I'm a decent reader too. If that's the case loosening the new tension is the right move (hence your question so you are on it). I can't help with posture much but I'd make sure you are doing basic rotator and should prehab right now. If there's a change in posture, there's changes and new stresses on the internal as well. I've been down that road a few times so I'd make sure to do some of that (just can't help with specific stretches unfortunately - basics have always worked and I've never had this issue - though more than enough shoulder issues).

 

[Pheedno]

Yeah I’ve been doing this in doorways and against walls and the stretch definitely makes everything feel better. I suppose doing this continually should help my “default” posture. I’m sure trying this under hot water should help stretch things even more

biggest mistakes with stretching are doing them too hard and not long enough.
For any muscle(you're actually training connective tissue).....Get into the stretch at about a 3-4 out of 10 effort and do long silent nasal inhales and long gentle sighing on the exhale. The breathing is important for long lasting results. It down regulates the nervous system and essentially tells your body that you own the position. It's not how much breath can I get. It's breathing without using compensatory respiration muscles(think yoga breath)
Lasting soft tissue changes are usually seen with consistency of 120 seconds+ and as much frequency as you make time for. More times per day/week, faster results.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

biggest mistakes with stretching are doing them too hard and not long enough.
For any muscle(you're actually training connective tissue).....Get into the stretch at about a 3-4 out of 10 effort and do long silent nasal inhales and long gentle sighing on the exhale. The breathing is important for long lasting results. It down regulates the nervous system and essentially tells your body that you own the position. It's not how much breath can I get. It's breathing without using compensatory respiration muscles(think yoga breath)
Lasting soft tissue changes are usually seen with consistency of 120 seconds+ and as much frequency as you make time for. More times per day/week, faster results.

This has been my experience as well. Long, calm, relaxation and proper breathing — which is to say, slow long breaths.

 

[jaxino]

2hr workouts? That's nuts, lol. A good gym session should be no more than 1 hr.

Damn mate i can't do 1h since 2 years...

 

[alfresco]

biggest mistakes with stretching are doing them too hard and not long enough.
For any muscle(you're actually training connective tissue).....Get into the stretch at about a 3-4 out of 10 effort and do long silent nasal inhales and long gentle sighing on the exhale. The breathing is important for long lasting results. It down regulates the nervous system and essentially tells your body that you own the position. It's not how much breath can I get. It's breathing without using compensatory respiration muscles(think yoga breath)
Lasting soft tissue changes are usually seen with consistency of 120 seconds+ and as much frequency as you make time for. More times per day/week, faster results.

Great post. Thank you.

 

[claymore]

Of course