Stretching? Are you doing it wrong…

If you are not stretching…you are doing it wrong :
It is important to improve the flexibility of tight muscles for :
-Injury prevention
-More efficient position, especially for squat
-Better posture

If you don’t stretch regularly…you are doing it wrong :
Stretching is like muscle building. Frequency is the key. Flexibility gains are temporary (like the pump after a training) and it takes time, practice and patience to see permanent gains.
For optimal flexibility gains, stretch :
-Once or twice a day
-More than 3x a week
-For at least 2-3 months

If you stretch for ~1 minute or less…you are doing it wrong :
During the first 1-2 minutes of stretching, your muscles are resisting. In other words, it takes at least 1 minute to start stretching the muscles fibers.
To get permanent results :
-Stretch for 3-5 minutes NON-STOP
-Increased the pressure on the stretched muscles over this time. Ask a partner to push on you or use your own bodyweight to apply more and more pressure.

Quick recipe to success :
-Stretch
-1 or 2x a day
-3 to 7 day a week
-Stretch for 3-5 minutes NON-STOP
-Slowly increase the tension

If you have flexibility issue for certain exercises (especially for squat), stretching as a part of your warm up might improve your form. Tight hip external rotators, quads and adductors are common among lifters and it can cause excessive leaning and/or but wink. Look out for hips opening stretching if you have this problem. Tight pectoral muscle and poor scapular mobility can hinder your presses (flat and over head).

Stretching a muscle for 3-5 minutes might seem time consuming for some of you. Here is a simple tips : pick 2-3 muscles that really need better flexibility. Example : quads, hip external rotators and adductor for a better squat position. Focus on them until you see permanent gains, then focus on another body parts.