Stretching It

Stretching is another thing people are really big into when it comes to working out and getting fit. It's definitely good for your muscles and keeps you considerably limber as well. So let's talk about stretching.

People have told me in the past, "When you lift weights, stretch!" Actually, we weightlifters thrive off of joint stiffness when we're going for a max lift or something. So a tip on weightlifting if you like to stretch, stretch some other time after you lift, because if you stretch before you lift, everything will pretty much be all stretchy and easy to mess over. A lot of lifting coaches will probably tell you, your best days are when you haven't stretched but you are warmed up properly.

   I usually do my break dancing and crazy body weight things after I lift weights. I can usually tell if I've been practicing before I pop the squat or pump the press.

   Now running, go ahead and stretch afterwards, or before if you like. I find stretching afterwards to be how I get the best of results, if I do it. That's me personally. But the thing is, is you should only do what's best for you. Things I do are death for other people, and things other people do are death for me.

   If you're looking for a burst of strength that requires substantial stiffness in the joints, you need to warm up, but stretching is not the way to go. If you're going to do other stuff that calls for flexibility though, you need to warm up or else you're going to hurt yourself. Starting out a dance routine cold and you're going to be doing things like sticking one leg over your arm while the other is behind your head, I'll see you in the hospital the next time I break my wrist.

   I have seen people damage themselves due to lack of stretching when doing things requiring a lot of flexibility. So for dancers, warm up a little, stretch those tendons and muscles. For runners, before or after, after is usually best to avoid shin splints, I've had those and I know. Weight lifters, no need to stretch, only warm up with a light press or something and then lift.

   If you're going to do body weight exercises, your stretching and your warm ups are your work out unless you're one of the few of us who can do exercises that require clapping your hands and supporting your body weight with one arm. In that case you really should warm up prior to your muscle requiring affairs.

   Sure some of you reading this are probably thinking that what I'm saying is entirely wrong in certain areas, like the weight lifting. I'm going to guess and probably be right when I say that you don't lift weights if you think I'm wrong about that.

   Do stretch every now and then, it's good for the muscles, makes you feel good, and keeps you limber, to some degree depending on how you stretch. If you stretch like I do, you're probably going to be good for the rest of your days on this planet. I'll hand out a stretching routine to you guys who are curious about that and want to know. So just leave some comments and tell me to give you a stretching routine, because unless you don't, I probably will do it anyways. I'm just trying to get some comments here.

   Flexibility helps with being in good shape, but just being flexible won't get you in good shape, you have to work out to be in good shape, not stretch. But if you want to make things easier on yourself in things like dancing and other things, do stretch, it makes life better.