Avoid Long Static Stretching Before Training

Avoid Long Static Stretching Before Training

In many warm-up routines, static stretching is incorporated to improve range of motion. But if we look at the research, having long static stretches before training can actually decrease muscle growth. In a 2017 study, stretching the quadriceps immediately before performing Leg Extensions decreased quadriceps muscle growth [1]. If we look at other research, we see that statically stretching a muscle for longer than 60 seconds also reduces your strength performance [2].

This is because muscle is like a rubber band. When you stretch a muscle under load, there is a recoil effect that helps you contract that muscle. But if you keep the rubber band stretched out for a long time, it will have less elastic power.

So to keep good muscle tightness, we want to avoid long static stretches. Instead, perform dynamic stretches before training, as research shows that dynamic stretches provide a mobility benefit before training, without negatively impacting your performance.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that short static stretches of like 10-30 seconds before training is all good, we want to avoid long stretches before training. And if you enjoy doing long (30+ second stretches), this is something you can still do post-