Article Rundown

• Why static stretching is bad
• What to do instead
• Least effective dosage
• How it reduces strength and explosiveness
• How it increases injury risk

The Biggest Strength Mistake I See!

In today’s video, I’m addressing a critical point you should always remember before undertaking a significant lift or aiming to build strength: do not stretch. One of the most common mistakes I see is people performing static stretching before attempting heavy lifts or working to increase their strength. This practice can be detrimental and counterproductive, especially when preparing to lift heavy weights.

Why Static Stretching Can Be Harmful

Static stretching, where you lengthen and hold a muscle in a stretched position, can weaken the muscle. It’s counterintuitive to lengthen and weaken a muscle before subjecting it to heavy loads. When a muscle is stretched and weakened, it loses its ability to provide effective recoil during lifts and cannot stabilize the joints as effectively. This results in a diminished stretch reflex, which is crucial for movements such as bouncing out of the bottom of a heavy squat. This principle applies to all major lifts—squats, bench presses, deadlifts, overhead presses, snatches, cleans, jerks, and beyond.

What To Do Instead

Instead of static stretching, focus on achieving adequate mobility specific to the exercise you are performing. Overly increasing your range of motion through excessive stretching can be counterproductive. Instead, prepare your muscles by engaging in a proper warm-up. Ensure you break a sweat, activate your core (as proximal stiffness contributes to distal athleticism), and mobilize the shoulders and hips within a functional range that benefits your performance.

Techniques such as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching—where you work with the muscle’s natural movement—can be beneficial for some individuals. Additionally, exercises like goblet squats can help prime you for squatting and open up the hips effectively. The goal is to enhance strength without compromising the tightness and rebound necessary for lifting heavy weights.

Impact On Explosive Athletes

If your aim is to diminish an athlete’s explosiveness and strength, then static stretching is indeed the method to use. However, this approach is counterintuitive for strength athletes. Constant static stretching can lead to reduced strength and increased vulnerability to injury. While flexibility is crucial for athletes such as ballerinas and gymnasts, strength athletes require a different approach, focusing on priming, mobility, and tuning rather than extreme flexibility.

Dr. McGill’s analogy is apt here: consider whether you want to be a willow branch or an oak tree. Willow branches can bend and handle significant stress (similar to a gymnast), but they break under heavy loads. In contrast, oak trees are sturdy and can withstand tremendous compressive forces without bending (like a strength athlete).

Conclusion

As a strength athlete, aim for the appropriate range of motion needed for your lifts, rather than maximizing flexibility through static stretching. Adopting a minimal effective dose approach will help you achieve optimal performance. While static stretching may be advocated by sources like WebMD for injury prevention, it is not ideal for strength athletes. Instead, static stretching can potentially lead to injuries by reducing muscle tension and shifting stress to the joints. For instance, overly loose hamstrings can result in increased pressure on the lower back due to inadequate muscle support. Maintaining tight, springy muscles around the joints generally provides better protection and reduces injury risk. Thus, focus on mobilizing just enough to meet your performance needs without overextending.

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