Warming Up and Stretching by Mel Siff
Mel Siff sets you straight on some common misconceptions held the world over on stretching and warming up
Recently we have been discussing the effects and value of stretching before
or during training, so I wish to elaborate a little on this topic.
At the very outset, one needs to note that stretching is not the same as a
warm-up, so what I am referring to here is the way in which some very brief
episodes and patterns of flexibility training can be included in a “warm-up”
(or more accurately, the pre-event preparation phase). If anyone is
interested in flexibility training as something distinct from the warm-up,
then Ch 3 of “Supertraining” addresses this topic in depth.
While prolonged yogic or static type stretches held for many seconds at a
time may decrease the ability of the muscles to produce maximal strength for
many minutes afterwards, the use of controlled dynamic stretches which
imitate parts of the sporting movements, as well as brief, intermittent,
progressive isometric stretches or sports related contract-relax stretches
should have minimal adverse effect on subsequent exercises or lifts, especial
ly if they are blended progressively into slow execution of the actual
lifting or sporting movements, done with no added loading initially.
All in all, the entire warm-up session would not last more than 5-8 minutes.
If you wish to dispense with any form of separate warming-up, then simply
carry out your training exercises with very light loads on the bar and
progressively take it from there. Many competitive lifters follow this sort
of regime without injury, so, if you prefer this approach, as they say, “go
for it!”, as long as you don’t force yourself into very heavy, complex,
explosive or forceful actions before you feel well prepared and dynamically
supple enough for them.
For those who like PNF, it is useful to note that PNF may involve both static
or dynamic ’stretches’. Actually, PNF uses Specific Relaxation techniques
and Specific Activation techniques in very specific patterns and not just the
contract-relax, hold-relax regimes popularised by many speakers in the
stretching field. Russian scientists, including Iashvili, have carried out
considerable research in this field and have shown that active flexibility
correlates more strongly with sporting proficiency than passive flexibility
(Siff ‘Supertraining’ 2000 Ch 3).
They have shown that greatest improvement in functional flexibility is
achieved via integrated strength-flexibility exercises. This would seem to
run counter to the common belief that all stretching should be done with
muscles completely relaxed, but the latter method is primarily for mechanical
deformation of connective tissue rather than for functional sports
flexibility.
The regular use of fixed cycles, ’spinning’ and treadmill walking or jogging
at low pace tends to decrease the functional range of movement of the hip
flexors in particular, unless adequately balanced by “functional” flexibility
regimes to counter this effect, so one needs to be cautious about the overuse
of cardiovascular machines in health clubs (‘Supertraining’ Ch 3.5).
Since some people report that they do actually feel better prepared to
undertake a give exercise or session by doing some stretches, then there is
no reason not to go ahead and apply them in short efficient bursts, leading
into more dynamic versions of whatever they are currently doing. One should
never forget the value of achieving the appropriate mental state before
exercise, and if some brief familiar intervals of relatively harmless,
well-proven stretches help you in this regard, then continue in this vein.
What you can do to enhance your workout further is integrate mental
preparation (visualisation and motivation) regimes into this flexibility
preparation phase. This type of integrated mental-physical procedure is
lacking from most sport specific flexibility regimes and you will find that
the tone of your entire session can be uplifted very significantly before you
begin the main action!
If anything, you could replace your cycling with mild skipping or broomstick
simulations of all the lifts that you are going to do in that session, so
that your warm-ups involve gravitational loading and mild impact. By all
means, end off with some cycling (followed by hip and trunk extension
flexibility actions), especially since mild cyclical activities can
facilitate restoration and enhance capillarisation (see Russian research
articles by Zalessky, Birukov, Sinyakov and others in Part 1 of Siff MC &
Yessis M ‘Sports Restoration and Massage’ 1992).
For those who are interested in gaining a basic knowledge of “PNF stretches”,
then consult Ch 7 of “Supertraining”, where I now have included diagrams of
the main movement patterns that one needs to use in sport. If you are
interested in learning directly from the horses’ mouths, the two therapists
who wrote the first and definitive book on PNF were Knott M & Voss M,
“Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation”. Remember that more recent
research modifies some of the explanations and methods, but, all in all, this
is the bible on PNF. Note well that it is not intended for sports users, but
for therapists and as such, needs to be interpreted for sporting applications
(which I have attempted to do in “Supertraining”).
Mel Siff
