Stretching

[bluzrider]

Originally Posted by sdyeti

sometimes, instead of stretching, i use the big white torture device (foam roller) to break up the fascia and move the lactic acid out...when i do this, i rarely get really sore muscles the next day, even if i've ridden hard.

wanted to share that a trainer friend of mine showed me how to use the foam roller and it works great. it definitely helped loosen knots and stiff muscles. also works great on the lower back as well.

[DISCO]

Stretching is good um-kay, particularly if you have a habit for going over the bars. Nothing to excess but just enough to keep the blood flowing. I use it just so I don't lose it. Spent the last week hunched over working on bikes and will spend the next couple days doing calisthenics, push ups and stretches just to get my body working as a whole again instead of a bunch of creaky injuries.

Wether just streching or excerciseing with weight or on a bike always think of your body as a whole. Be cognizant of using all your muscle groups in unison so nothing gets thrown out of balance. Don't mean to sound spacy or holistic but that is my take on the whole matter. Pilates is good, but I could see the mat work not paying off as the reformer forces you out of the comfort zone. Also try swapping your office chair for a balance ball, you will be happier for trying it no matter how people look at you.

[thesergeant]

Stretching is critical in any weight training regime or any other physical activity for that matter. Just don't stretch prior to the activity, stretch after. Stretching increases range of motion and allows for more complete and even muscle recruitment. Stretch and do yoga on your off days and after your train. I've been practicing this for several years.

[reflux]

Originally Posted by bluzrider

wanted to share that a trainer friend of mine showed me how to use the foam roller and it works great. it definitely helped loosen knots and stiff muscles. also works great on the lower back as well.

Unless a doctor or PT has told you use a foam roller on your lower back, I would highly suggest against it. The lumbar region is an interesting and complex piece of anatomy, and depending on what your issues are, it could very well hinder its function.

[Pain Freak]

I've always felt there was little to no benefit in stretching, at least for myself. I do believe in starting slower and "warming up", but stretching just doesn't do anything for me. I know a couple of guys who are personal trainers and they have exactly different opinions on it.

[Pablomatic]

Well like the OP states, it depends on the individual.

The missing component in the discussion is something like "unless you need it".

However there is also a subset of athletes who need to stretch to rehab from an injury or to avoid exacerbating an injury. For instance, some people clearly can clear knee pain or back spasms with appropriate stretching, and will suffer if they don't stretch. And clearly if one of these people were to have been stretching regularly before the first onset of their injury, they would not have gotten the injury or it would have been less severe.

About 2 1/2 years ago, I blew out my back while redoing the landscape in my front yard (flagstone to be exact). After being hunched over all day, I reached to my side (a big no no!) to pick up a [big] piece of flagstone and there it went. I turned my lumbar section and slipped my #3. Ouch! Not realizing the severity, I continued what I was doing. I had just mixed a fresh batch of cement and I was'nt about to quit. By that night, I could barely move, much less stand up or walk. Now I was scared.

Without consulting my doctor, I went to a chiropractor who had helped me with a rotator issue several years earlier. She got me functioning but very limited. This was not good enough for me (although I was glad I could walk) so I eventually saw my regular doctor. He told me to quit wearing the support belt the chiropractor had prescribed me and sent me to a PT. Bingo.

After about 6 or 8 visits over a month's time, I felt almost as good as new. He gradually built a routine of 10 stretches (stretch/yoga/pilates blend) with a big focus on hammies. Suggested heat in the morning and ice at night, especially after a rough day. Bought a mtb about 4 months later and here I am. I try to ride 3 times a week, and without stretching it would not happen. Has helped a little with cramping, too. I probobly should stretch every day, but 3 to 4 times a week has been working. I think I'm ready for some strength training now.

Kudos to the PT's. Kudos to stretching.