Static stretching involves holding a stretch when you reach your ultimate range of motion. You maintain the position for some time once you feel the stretch. Static stretches come in various types. There are some that involve working the antagonistic muscles (the muscles that move in the opposite direction of the one you are stretching) to do a stretch. Other kinds of stretches involve working the muscle itself in its stretched state. Also, there are other kinds of stretches where you do not exercise the muscle, but only emphasize stretching. The primary focus of our discussion is the latter type, which is often the most common of these varieties.
Nowadays, sit-and-hold stretching seems to have been ignored in training. Maybe the reason for this is due to the increased popularity and focus on the myofascial release (MR), which employs foam rollers as well as proprioceptive neuromuscular release (PNF) stretching. However, static stretching is crucial, and cannot be outdated.
Weightlifters and static stretching
For weightlifters, flexibility and a full range of motion are vital for effective performance and minimizing injuries. Nevertheless, athletes still ignore or neglect some very key fitness routines aimed at enhancing flexibility, even with all the benefits that come from static stretching after workouts. These routines could enhance their squat depth, ankle movement, and overall performance.
The benefits of static stretching
As earlier mentioned, static stretching has tons of benefits for weightlifters and all athletes, and it is advisable for them to keep doing them. Some of the positive effects of static stretching for athletes include:
- Reduced injury incidents in sports, like military training and sprinting
- Increased joint range of motion that comes from the reduction in neural activity and excitement of motor neurons, thus lowering muscle stiffness
- An improved economy of joints and movement of muscles during workouts
- Enhanced performance in activities involving the stretch-shortening cycle, including explosive hip movements, sprinting, and jumping
- Increased performance due to improved force and power output that comes about over time—some studies estimate the increase in performance can range between 2% and 5%
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The downside of static stretching
Despite the many benefits of static stretching, they also have some negative effects. For example, they may result in possible severe reductions in muscle performance, such as utmost strength, power, and explosiveness in static stretch performance.
The proper use of static stretching
It is crucial for athletes who depend a lot on optimal strength, explosiveness, and power to use static stretching after their workout sessions to reinstate their full range of motion. For athletes whose range of motion is a limiting factor, they can consider static stretching a key component of their training to go together with other means of mobility, like myofascial release (MR) and proprioceptive neuromuscular release (PNF). Combining the two techniques with static stretching will yield better results than doing them alone.
Stretches for weightlifters
Weightlifters need a great range of motion in their shoulders, wrists, ankles, internal and external rotations of the hips, and hamstrings. Some effective stretches for weightlifters include:
- Partner shoulder/chest stretch
- Ankle Dorsiflexion stretch
- Wrist stretches
- 90/90 hip mobility
Final thoughts
There is still lots of controversy on whether static stretching can or should be of benefit to athletes or not. Whatever position coaches and athletes take on the issue, they should be okay with it, but they should also check the previous findings for and against it. Since it is known that static stretching before workouts can affect performance negatively, it is advisable to do dynamic stretching and warm-ups to prepare athletes before training.
