2.3.1 - Why Bodybuilders Should Stretch
Description
This article is from the Stretching FAQ, by Brad Appleton Brad_Appleton@ivhs.mot.com with numerous contributions by others.
2.3.1 - Why Bodybuilders Should Stretch
One of the best times to stretch is right after a strength workout such as
weightlifting. Static stretching of fatigued muscles (See "3.5 - Static
Stretching") performed immediately following the exercise(s) that caused
the fatigue, helps not only to increase flexibility, but also enhances the
promotion of muscular development (muscle growth), and will actually help
decrease the level of post-exercise soreness. Here's why:
After you have used weights (or other means) to overload and fatigue your
muscles, your muscles retain a "pump" and are shortened somewhat. This
"shortening" is due mostly to the repetition of intense muscle activity
that often only takes the muscle through part of its full range of motion.
This "pump" makes the muscle appear bigger. The "pumped" muscle is also
full of lactic acid and other by-products from exhaustive exercise. If the
muscle is not stretched afterward, it will retain this decreased range of
motion (it sort of "forgets" how to make itself as long as it could) and
the buildup of lactic acid will cause post-exercise soreness. Static
stretching of the "pumped" muscle helps it to become "looser", and to
"remember" its full range of movement. It also helps to remove lactic acid
and other waste-products from the muscle. While it is true that stretching
the "pumped" muscle will make it appear visibly smaller, it does not
decrease the muscle's size or inhibit muscle growth. It merely reduces the
"tightness" (contraction) of the muscles so that they do not "bulge" as
much.
Also, strenuous workouts will often cause damage to the muscle's connective
tissue. The tissue heals in 1 to 2 days but it is believed that the tissues
heal at a shorter length (decreasing muscular development as well as
flexibility). To prevent the tissues from healing at a shorter length,
physiologists recommend static stretching after strength workouts.
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