Why You Should STRETCH Between Every Set From Now On (New Science Explained)
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Date: 2019-11-06
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Comments and reviews: 9
Aaron C
if it is due to added tension on the muscle, don't you think that isometric training would be a better way to go? stretching for strength athletes should be minimal as well due to the loss of tension in the connective tissue. What i would like to know is who the subjects were in this study. Did stretching the muscles simply just loosen a muscle that was already tight, thus allowing for proper range of motion, thus greater activation of that specific muscle THUS adding hypertrophy. I think it is a tricky line to advise stretching in between sets because the muscles stretch reflex will be limited, increasing the potential for injury. I would venture the guess it is still bioscience and would personally NOT recommend this to my clients sense the mechanism is still not understood. I would suggest just adding in a flexibility routine to gain better ROM in an individual or not allow a client to do an exercise if they are not able to do it with proper technique.
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if it is due to added tension on the muscle, don't you think that isometric training would be a better way to go? stretching for strength athletes should be minimal as well due to the loss of tension in the connective tissue. What i would like to know is who the subjects were in this study. Did stretching the muscles simply just loosen a muscle that was already tight, thus allowing for proper range of motion, thus greater activation of that specific muscle THUS adding hypertrophy. I think it is a tricky line to advise stretching in between sets because the muscles stretch reflex will be limited, increasing the potential for injury. I would venture the guess it is still bioscience and would personally NOT recommend this to my clients sense the mechanism is still not understood. I would suggest just adding in a flexibility routine to gain better ROM in an individual or not allow a client to do an exercise if they are not able to do it with proper technique.
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Detailing&Tuning
It is also smart or mandatory to stretch in between sets for strenght training for maximum results. The stretch should be around 2-4 (3-6 seconds to be safe) long just before the point of pain and as soon as we finish the set (the faster the better. Why this works? Extrafuzal muscle fiber relaxes faster than intrafuzal which makes the core of the muscle stretch and this leads to post sensoric response (which we dont want in strenght training, because it increases tone of the muscle (which impides and prolonges muscle recovery between sets. If we stretch the muscle (lenghten extra and intrafuzal fibers to the same lenght) this post sensoric response dissaperes and we can recover better between sets. More details have to be said to fully understand this response, but this is the nutshell.
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It is also smart or mandatory to stretch in between sets for strenght training for maximum results. The stretch should be around 2-4 (3-6 seconds to be safe) long just before the point of pain and as soon as we finish the set (the faster the better. Why this works? Extrafuzal muscle fiber relaxes faster than intrafuzal which makes the core of the muscle stretch and this leads to post sensoric response (which we dont want in strenght training, because it increases tone of the muscle (which impides and prolonges muscle recovery between sets. If we stretch the muscle (lenghten extra and intrafuzal fibers to the same lenght) this post sensoric response dissaperes and we can recover better between sets. More details have to be said to fully understand this response, but this is the nutshell.
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Joshua Kang
Seems like you can have better results stretching in between sets for pushing movements more than pulling movements. I've heard many people say to stretch in between sets for calves, although not for other muscles. Based on the studies you found though it seems like there was improvements in most of the pushing movements, not just calves. I feel like lengthening pulling muscles will make it harder to use a full range of motion cause you'll be weaker when they're fully stretched out cause there's less built up elastic energy to contract. Any thoughts? Also do you know if these people in these studies who did not stretch in between sets did stretch post-workout? Most people are taught to stretch post-workout, so the studies should also have a group of people who stretched post-workout.
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Seems like you can have better results stretching in between sets for pushing movements more than pulling movements. I've heard many people say to stretch in between sets for calves, although not for other muscles. Based on the studies you found though it seems like there was improvements in most of the pushing movements, not just calves. I feel like lengthening pulling muscles will make it harder to use a full range of motion cause you'll be weaker when they're fully stretched out cause there's less built up elastic energy to contract. Any thoughts? Also do you know if these people in these studies who did not stretch in between sets did stretch post-workout? Most people are taught to stretch post-workout, so the studies should also have a group of people who stretched post-workout.
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Forrest Dollins
Hey Jeff, I had an idea for why the stretching in between sets may contribute to the observed increase in muscle growth. I agree with your blood flow/nutrient deliver hypothesis, and, to take it one step further, I wonder if this would be a more indirect factor in the observed muscle growth because it facilitates a higher total workout volume. I find that, when I stretch between sets, I am usually able to lift more weights/perform more reps than when I don't, which results in more total volume. With all of the scholarship behind more volume being associated with more muscle growth, that seems like a probable explanation, as well. You absolutely know far more than I do, but I just wanted to throw that extension of your hypothesis out there. Thanks for another great video
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Hey Jeff, I had an idea for why the stretching in between sets may contribute to the observed increase in muscle growth. I agree with your blood flow/nutrient deliver hypothesis, and, to take it one step further, I wonder if this would be a more indirect factor in the observed muscle growth because it facilitates a higher total workout volume. I find that, when I stretch between sets, I am usually able to lift more weights/perform more reps than when I don't, which results in more total volume. With all of the scholarship behind more volume being associated with more muscle growth, that seems like a probable explanation, as well. You absolutely know far more than I do, but I just wanted to throw that extension of your hypothesis out there. Thanks for another great video
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CubicRegje
Thanks Jeff, for the very informative video. I usually stretch when I feel like it would benefit the blood flow in my muscles: .A small comment on the research that you showed in the video, especially the results that were significant between groups: If you look at the standard deviation of the post measurements of the Vastus lateralis thickness, you can see that it is 16 instead of the approximately 4. 5 in the other measurements. Such a high SD (given the range of thickness) rings a few bells in my opinion. So, I completely agree with your caution when approaching the research: )
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Thanks Jeff, for the very informative video. I usually stretch when I feel like it would benefit the blood flow in my muscles: .A small comment on the research that you showed in the video, especially the results that were significant between groups: If you look at the standard deviation of the post measurements of the Vastus lateralis thickness, you can see that it is 16 instead of the approximately 4. 5 in the other measurements. Such a high SD (given the range of thickness) rings a few bells in my opinion. So, I completely agree with your caution when approaching the research: )
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Reza Najafpour
Hey Jeff, just a quick thought. how does this play a role in muscle stiffness? there was an issue in MASS that i had gone over reviewing static stretching before training and the loss of muscle stiffness reducing performance thus reducing hypertrophy, how do you think this plays a role taking that into account? also, I'm not sure but where the subjects advanced trainees? thoughts on how this affects beginners vs the elite? love to hear back, also MASS is the greatest, if any of you are into this stuff, it is literally a gold mine haha so thank you for that.
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Hey Jeff, just a quick thought. how does this play a role in muscle stiffness? there was an issue in MASS that i had gone over reviewing static stretching before training and the loss of muscle stiffness reducing performance thus reducing hypertrophy, how do you think this plays a role taking that into account? also, I'm not sure but where the subjects advanced trainees? thoughts on how this affects beginners vs the elite? love to hear back, also MASS is the greatest, if any of you are into this stuff, it is literally a gold mine haha so thank you for that.
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Monsoon117
I'd imagine the best reason for the stretches enhancing hypertrophy is threefold: A: you get better range of motion during the exercises, which is very helpful for hypertropy. B: You prevent injury over the long term, which 8 weeks might be long enough for some subjects to experience form and overuse issues. C: You have healthier biomechanics due to your muscles working the way they're supposed too. Overly shortened muscles are also weaker, leading to better gains. This just seems to make intuitive sense to me, but I could be wrong.
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I'd imagine the best reason for the stretches enhancing hypertrophy is threefold: A: you get better range of motion during the exercises, which is very helpful for hypertropy. B: You prevent injury over the long term, which 8 weeks might be long enough for some subjects to experience form and overuse issues. C: You have healthier biomechanics due to your muscles working the way they're supposed too. Overly shortened muscles are also weaker, leading to better gains. This just seems to make intuitive sense to me, but I could be wrong.
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Dylan Murray
Lots of research out there suggesting acute static stretching immediately before strength/speed/power activities reduces performance, peak muscle torque output and total volume of workload to failure. Its possible that stretching between sets in terms of hypertrophy could compensate for the reduced total workload but the data is nowhere near convincing enough for me to recommend it considering 30years or so of research debunking stretching in almost every area of performance.
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Lots of research out there suggesting acute static stretching immediately before strength/speed/power activities reduces performance, peak muscle torque output and total volume of workload to failure. Its possible that stretching between sets in terms of hypertrophy could compensate for the reduced total workload but the data is nowhere near convincing enough for me to recommend it considering 30years or so of research debunking stretching in almost every area of performance.
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Remi
I UST to train that way years back. yes it was good for me and my body size. and for the type of gains I was after. oh and yea. they did a review on me. I enjoyed it and body felt very good back then. haven't done it for many years but yes thinking if going back to it. I did it for strength and endurance. not really worryed about mass back then. .and cause I trained 6 out of 7 days to. also had very busy life style. it was early 1990s/and I was young in the navy back then.
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I UST to train that way years back. yes it was good for me and my body size. and for the type of gains I was after. oh and yea. they did a review on me. I enjoyed it and body felt very good back then. haven't done it for many years but yes thinking if going back to it. I did it for strength and endurance. not really worryed about mass back then. .and cause I trained 6 out of 7 days to. also had very busy life style. it was early 1990s/and I was young in the navy back then.
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