How important is stretching?

[FastFreddy]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

Comparing an adrenaline boost to a warm up is assenine.

Comparing a warm up for distance running to tennis is even more assenine.

Count me as a non-Freddy client. I'll do movement prep before a planned workout every time. I won't stretch or warm up evacuating my family from a burning building. Because I'm not a dip*****.

Do u do an active warmup and stretch out your rotator cuff muscles before u play catch with your kid? Like I said there is no warmup in life!!

[LeeD]

yes, everyone does.....
they climb out of bed, put on a shirt and maybe pants, shoes and socks...that is STRETCHING!!!!
How would you feel when you're in your PJ's, still eating Sunday breakfast, and your son starts running helterskelter all around the house, knocking everything over? You'd FREAK, because you're not ready to chase after him.

[5263]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

Explain what u mean? Iam not anti-stretch but it's clear it does nothing for muscle performance, Doms and preventing injuries. Also why do it if u might get hurt doing it instead spend your time resting or doing skill development, strength training or cardio? I would only stretch if I needed more flexibility for some sport where u need a high level of flexibilty.

you seem to have a bunch of info here, but it did recommend warming up in one place,
and once you have seen enough tennis players in lower back pain, but cured
by stretching hamstrings, you will know different!

[5263]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

Iam coffee free since 2006 and soda free since 1999. It's so true lets say u r in NYC subway, street or bar and some dude wants to fight u. Hold on dude I first have to warm up then do some stretching so come back in 15-20 mins.
Same goes for cops a robber starts running, does the cop say stop I have not warmed up I might pull a muscle stop and wait for me to warmup and stretch haha.

Thats why the special forces do dynamic stretches (range of motion warm up)
first thing in the morning and will be ready all day.

[5263]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

Does stretching before or after exercise prevent injuries and soreness?

Q. Does stretching before or after exercise prevent injuries and soreness?

See, even asking the wrong question. It's not a before or after question, it is
dynamic warm up before, with proper stretching after. Most of that seems to
about joggers, lol so not sure how that tell much.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

Do u do an active warmup and stretch out your rotator cuff muscles before u play catch with your kid? Like I said there is no warmup in life!!

Actually, yes. We throw from about ten feet, back up a little and throw some more. Back up a little more, throw some more. After ten or fifteen minutes we will start doing grounders. Then we will hit fly balls.

Goodness, baseball players warm up for longer than any sport I can think of.

[FastFreddy]

Originally Posted by 5263

you seem to have a bunch of info here, but it did recommend warming up in one place,
and once you have seen enough tennis players in lower back pain, but cured
by stretching hamstrings, you will know different!

Sorry but I never said I was anti-warming up or cooling down. Sometimes in life u need to perform without it.

[FastFreddy]

Originally Posted by 5263

See, even asking the wrong question. It's not a before or after question, it is
dynamic warm up before, with proper stretching after. Most of that seems to
about joggers, lol so not sure how that tell much.

It does not matter dynamic before pnf before or after static, ballistic, ai before or after stretching does not work unless u want more flex then stretch after u workout. Unless u need to do mma and kick a dude in the head u don't need it at all just warmup and cooldown!

[FastFreddy]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

Actually, yes. We throw from about ten feet, back up a little and throw some more. Back up a little more, throw some more. After ten or fifteen minutes we will start doing grounders. Then we will hit fly balls.

Goodness, baseball players warm up for longer than any sport I can think of.

Man was made to climb not throw baseballs it's unnatural and bad for your cuff and shoulder.

[FastFreddy]

Originally Posted by 5263

Thats why the special forces do dynamic stretches (range of motion warm up)
first thing in the morning and will be ready all day.

Good for them just following orders.

[FastFreddy]

Originally Posted by LeeD

yes, everyone does.....
they climb out of bed, put on a shirt and maybe pants, shoes and socks...that is STRETCHING!!!!
How would you feel when you're in your PJ's, still eating Sunday breakfast, and your son starts running helterskelter all around the house, knocking everything over? You'd FREAK, because you're not ready to chase after him.

True everytime u use a muscle u stretch so why waste 20 mins before and 20 mins after to stretch? Just do what Lance does HGH, TEST and EPO forget stretching, warmping up and cooling down!! Lance is a DOPE!!

[r2473]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

Sorry but I never said I was anti-warming up or cooling down.

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

I just saying warmups are all mental.

I think we got it.

[LeeD]

Ever see the Tongan War Dances? Like before a rugby game? Or before starting battle?
The Indians did it, the Irish and the Scot did it, the Persians and their enemies the Greeks did it.
You stomp ground, pound the rear end of your weapon into the ground, you jump and pose, your roar and scream, THEN you're ready for battle.
Heck, even civilized nations did it, like the Japanese and the Chinese .., all the Pacific Islanders, the Incas and the Mayans.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Ever see the Tongan War Dances? Like before a rugby game? Or before starting battle?

Tongan?

Polynesian I think.

[LeeD]

Actually, the Samoan's do a completelely different routine prebattle.
Tongan's taught the Aucklander's their pre match rugby dance routine.
Tongan's from Tonga.
Those mid Pacific Islanders are very close knits, and keep the culture intact foreever.

[Bobby Jr]

Some people seem to do fine without much some form of pre-activity warm-up or stretching of any kind but many would say this increases the likelihood for injury in a sport like tennis.

For me personally, I can't play tennis without going through a warm-up routine which includes doing (at home before I even go to the courts) no weight squats/lunges, light upper body weights, giving my calves the rolling-pin treatment and some mild stretches especially stuff like torso twists and for shoulder joint mobility.

It's nothing too hectic but when I get to the club 15 to 20 mins later and start hitting I really notice the difference. It makes for a much better start to the match as well and, anecdotally, seems to delay fatigue during the game to some extent as well.

[LeeD]

Oh, to explain...
Our high school football team had 2 Tongans, and 2 Samoans. On paper, you'd think they'd gell like bread to butter, all 4 lineman.
But no, they kept to themselves, having more friends from other countries than to each other.
I was sorta the "mascot" for both tribes. Being about 5'5" and 111 lbs., while the smallest Tongan was close to 6'1" and 300 lbs., they loved the fact I played OLB, strong side, and often pass rushed.
They appeared to have different cultures and values, yet only 300 miles apart by beeline distance (some course adjustments needed to account for prevailing currents and trade winds)...making it closer to sailing around 500 miles to go from one island to the other.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Actually, the Samoan's do a completelely different routine prebattle.
Tongan's taught the Aucklander's their pre match rugby dance routine.
Tongan's from Tonga.
Those mid Pacific Islanders are very close knits, and keep the culture intact foreever.

Samoans are part of the broader group of Polynesia.

The Polynesian nations have historically similar origins but, in the case of the Haka for example, are often completely distinct.

Tongans also did not teach the "Aucklanders their pre match rugby dance"... Auckland does a Haka (I assume you're referring to the Blues, Auckland's Super 15 team) which is Maori and culturally distinct from anything Tongans do.

Likewise no Tongan or other non-Maori is even supposed to lead a Haka unless there is no Maori-ancestry team-member present. So there's no way a Tongan would be teaching the Haka to a Kiwi. General protocol for all Hakas is the most senior player present with Maori-ancestry is the Haka leader by default - as Piri Weepu demonstrates when he leads the All Blacks' Haka.

[5263]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

It does not matter dynamic before pnf before or after static, ballistic, ai before or after stretching does not work unless u want more flex then stretch after u workout.

I'm the first to agree that stretching is far over rated related to what you hear,
especially for sports like jogging.

On the other hand, I know first hand how stretching the hamstrings helps with
lower back problems and also how stretching the forearm makes a difference for
tennis players.

[sixftlion]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

It does not matter dynamic before pnf before or after static, ballistic, ai before or after stretching does not work unless u want more flex then stretch after u workout. Unless u need to do mma and kick a dude in the head u don't need it at all just warmup and cooldown!

Stretching and myofascial release ARE important... Muscles have the most optimal force production at certain, optimal length. If some of your muscles are too short or too long, then the forces produced are less than optimal and your performance suffers... In addition, muscle groups work in synergies, and if groups are tight and/or shortened, then the forces around the joints are not as they are supposed to for optimal movement and there's more stress on the joint, and sooner or later injuries.

If your muscles are in great condition (no trigger points etc) and in optimal length, you don't need much stretching. But I bet that EVERY tennis player has some issues, because tennis is so one-sided. One side of the hip is overactive and too tight, other side may not fire and all... sooner or later, injury will happen somewhere along the kinetic chain.

So here, to stretch and do myofascial release after your training is super important --- to get your tissue to where it is supposed to me.

Even joggers can have muscular imbalances (front vs back) and they need to stretch.