[Ben]

Hey just curious as to how much people stretch, as not many people include it in their Trogs.

I've realised i never stretch, not in the mornings, not after a workout, not before a workout, not before/after basketball.. Never =(

Need to fix it..

If anyone has a decent full body stretching programme/routine then if they could write it up that'll motivate me to start incorporating it.

I have no knowledge of the different types of stretching and what should be done when and why etc, so don't know where to start.

Thanks.

[Franz29]

I should stretch more, especially my dodgy hamstring, I just never do. I will stretch before martial arts because the teacher makes us, and before sprints because I am the coach so I figure if I don't the players won't, but I very rarely stretch before or after a workout. As my body gets older I feel I should do more, but its uncomfortable to do and I don't like starting so I wuss out, which is kind of ironic because I will gladly put myself through the pain of a CrossFit workout with no qualms

[Ben]

Franz29, on Sep 4 2008, 05:57 PM, said:

As my body gets older I feel I should do more, but its uncomfortable to do and I don't like starting so I wuss out, which is kind of ironic because I will gladly put myself through the pain of a CrossFit workout with no qualms

Thats exactly how i feel!

I keep getting signs to do start stretching, and maybe taking glucosamine. But for the stretching i just lack the effort especially after a CF workout.

-ATM i'm still having problems with my right knee (extending) putting it down to hamstring flexibility?
-My left knee popping when going below parrallel
-My left shoulder sounds like i've got half a dozen glass marbles in there, even when doing shoulder circles.
-My elbows click even when doing one pushup
-Wrists feel tight
-Hips unflexible
-Neck / Right Shoulder twinges when doing pull-ups.

AND i'm 17!
Eat healthy, fair amount of fats.

Maybe see a Doc? or just take some cod liver oil, fish oils, glucosamine, and start stretching.. before i get arthritis in all my joints. (if Rocky Balboa can fight with it... haha)

[Franz29]

LOL, your litany of ailments sounds like my body, but I am twice your age and have 22 years playing American Football at a fairly high level to blame it on.

Ben, on Sep 4 2008, 07:35 PM, said:

-ATM i'm still having problems with my right knee (extending) putting it down to hamstring flexibility?

Is there pain or prior history of hamstring problems that leads you to think this? Just asking because extension issues may be Quads related, hammies are used in flexion so they should be fairly passive for this action. I would think they would have to be REALLY tight to cause the problems you describe. Maybe a muslce imbalance in the quads/hamstrings. Does the extension get easier when the hip is extended? I ask because the rec fem muscle crosses both joints and may be related to your hips point below.

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-My left knee popping when going below parrallel

Might sound strange, but where is the clicking? If it is in the front and no pain, see elbows, if it's to the side and hurts to touch/squat/twist AND/OR you get locking/sticking it could be meniscus cartilage damage (maybe a small tear). Or alternatively it could be nothing at all, knees are notoriously hard to diagnose

Quote

-My left shoulder sounds like i've got half a dozen glass marbles in there, even when doing shoulder circles.

Sounds like wear and tear on the rotator cuff. Mine does the same

Quote

-My elbows click even when doing one pushup

That's probably no cause for concern; normally it's just small air bubbles in the joint. I get it all the time, makes a great party trick when you can do it on demand, esp if you can make the joint "lock" at weird angles too

Quote

-Wrists feel tight
-Hips unflexible

Would probably get easier with ROM exercises rather than static stretching. Rotate the wrist, push the hand to a flexed and dorsiflexed position (obviously stop if it hurts). For the hips, do some hip rotations, swing the legs back and forth etc.

Quote

-Neck / Right Shoulder twinges when doing pull-ups.

Could be an impingement or muscle imbalance, which can also lead to the grinding noises in the shoulder.

Quote

AND i'm 17!
Eat healthy, fair amount of fats.

Maybe see a Doc? or just take some cod liver oil, fish oils, glucosamine, and start stretching.. before i get arthritis in all my joints. (if Rocky Balboa can fight with it... haha)

Definitely recommend Fish Oil and glucosamine for joint stuff. I have no cartilage in either knee and I notice the difference if I don't take either.

Best bet if you are worried is to go see a sports physio rather than a doctor. Doctors are great and all, but their knowledge of exercise induced injuries is limited to whatever elective courses they may have taken in med school (and don't get me started on their version of nutrition advice either!)


NOTE: I am not a medical professional so none of the above post is intended as professional advice either medical, training or nutrition.

[Ben]

Hey Franz, really appreciate the effort taken there mate!..

The Knee:

erm i did have to go see a physio couple years back to do with a pain in my hip i think, and did some stretches, mostly leg straightening etc and it sorted itself out pretty much.
- well the flexion bit is quite tough aswell, as in trying to kick my but with my heel, cant flex my right knee as much or as smoothly than my left.
- the extension is fine until my leg starts to straighten out, then it not so much hurts but just starts stretching. So i'm guessing stretching will save this.
- hmm anyway to figure out if you could have a muscle imbalance, and which way.


Yup for the popping of the knee and elbow, it's at the front and painless. So that's good thenn =)


Shoulder:

So no problems with that thenn? not going to lead to something else.


oh haha, see i don't understand why i'm in such bad shape lol.. Couple years off basketball, no major falls or accidents.

Yoga it is then.

Cheers again Franz.

[dkiernan]

http://fitzoneradio.com/content/

Interestig piece on stretching here (about half way down)..

[Franz29]

Too funny, I was about to post a link to the exact same article on the CrossFit Radio site.

[Chet]

http://conditioningr...ok-only-if.html

[Paul]

I would never stretch before exercise, just seems backwards logic.

Yet I always see people go through a torturous routine of static stretching at the start line of many races.

[Paul]

"This is what David A. Lally, Ph.D., did at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. He studied 1,543 runners who had participated in Honolulu Marathon and came up with the astounding conclusion that pre-workout stretching increased the risk of injury! Lally classed an injury as, "Inability to train for at least five days." In the survey, 47 per cent of all male runners who stretched regularly were injured during a one-year period, while only 33 per cent of male runners who didn’t stretch were hurt, a statistically significant difference. Again, this trend did not apply to females. Stretchers and non stretchers had the same rate of injury. Another odd finding was that the survey did not apply to the large numbers of Japanese runners who take part in this particular marathon. Only white male marathoners were prone to injury after stretching. Lally was a meticulous researcher. He removed from his statistics runners who had been injured before his study began and who had subsequently adopted stretching as a cautionary measure, and even after this weeding out things didn’t look good for the stretchers, who had a 33 % greater risk of injury. But, there is a flaw in this survey. There was no check made on the actual stretching process done by each athlete. There are basically two types of stretching – ballistic and static. The former uses movement, such as high kicking, while the second holds a muscle at full extent for several seconds. But Lally’s findings were not all gloom and doom for stretch advocates. Those who stretched after their workouts had lower frequncie of injuries. "

Taken from: http://www.serpentin...ce_frank41.html

[sam]

I'm terrible for stretching, even though I know I really need to. 18yrs of inactivity blessed me with a few tight muscles which after 6yrs of hard exercise and MA training are still only a little bit above an acceptable level of flexibility.

If there was a yoga class in my area I'd definitely go along - I know I should be able to motivate myself to stretch but lets face it, it's always easier for someone else to make you do it!

[Jet]

stretch my back and hamstrings,shoulders and neck,and do some basic joint mobility after big workouts and a quick stretch after the wee workouts.
I mostly concentrate on my back and hamstrings though.Those seem to be the areas that get stiff when i don't stretch.

I used to be really flexible for martial arts so i've still a reasonable level of flexibility as a result.I do like to cool down with some stretches though.I don't like to just stop.Doesn't feel right to me but maybe that's just a result of habit,can't be sure.