Is Stretching Before an Intense Workout Important?
Pulling a muscle because you didn’t stretch properly is a high point of carelessness.
While it’s definitely something the majority of us forget to do, stretching is nevertheless essential. For weightlifters especially, stretching should never be neglected before a weightlifting session. If you’re stationary in an office chair all day or if you just woke up from a deep sleep, it’s likely your body isn’t going to be ready to bend and move with ease. If you get under weight in these conditions, you’re just asking to pull something or injure yourself. The point here is simple: take stretching seriously! Not only will doing this prevent injury, but it will also help you in a plurality of other ways during and after your workouts.
The Importance of Stretching
To understand why warmup stretches are important, you must first think of your muscles like rubber bands. Unfortunately they’re like not the strong, vibrantly pink kind that smell good when you first get them, and this especially true if you’ve been inactive for awhile. No, your muscles are more like the faded rubber bands that look like they’ll disintegrate at the touch. Of course that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the point remains: human muscles are not meant to bend at the drop of a hat. Add an excessive amount of wait to that picture and you’re almost definitely looking at an injury
If you’ve spent all day in front of a screen and hunched over a keyboard, your muscles have essentially gone unused. If the office was cold too, it’s quite likely your muscles are especially tight and constricted because of the low temperatures. Now put yourself in a gym, under weight and pushing with all of your strength: your muscles are going to rip like nothing! The injury may be so severe you need medical attention. Avoid this nightmare and put a decent amount of time towards stretching before you workout.
What Are the Best Stretches?
Possessing a willingness to consistently do stretches before each workout is important. However, it’s just as important that you stretch properly in order to maximize the positive benefits of stretching. To begin, you want to avoid static stretches; these stretches cause you to overextend your muscles, which as a result inhibits your ability to lift with power and strength during your actual workout.
Instead, you want to be doing dynamic stretches: stretches that are based on free and open movements. The goal should always be to get yourself loose, active, and warm, for once you’ve achieved all three you’re good to go with your actual workout! In addition, dynamic stretches help stimulate your nervous system, which means you’ll be more responsive throughout your main workout.
XBAR Enables You to Do Deep Stretches
If you’re an XBAR subscriber or someone looking to join the wave, you should know that the XBAR has in many ways revolutionized the way you can stretch before a rigorous workout. Light, dynamic stretches using the XBAR and its resistance bands will prime your muscles and make them ready to perform. It’s about time something like the XBAR made stretching fun. Try it now!