Is stretching after bodybuilding workout advised?
I heard many things about stretching but recently, I had 2 different (and opposite) advices about it. Both were from certified trainers.
One said that, after your workout, whatever your workout was, you have to stretch to prevent injuries, DOMs, and to help muscle recovery.
The other said that, when you do a bodybuilding workout, you must not stretch and stretching after workouts will increase injury probabilities without any advantages.
I do 6 workouts a week (~1 hour each, half body every day) and stretch (static) after every workout, every muscle involved in the workout, because I learned to do so years ago when I was doing martial arts, but it's not the same exercise and the flexibility requirements are not the same.
Who is right ? Should I continue stretching after each workout ?
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Both perspectives seem off in one way or another. Your experience alone shows that stretching isn't harmful when done right, but what exactly is right? Let's tackle your two perspectives first, then we'll get to that.
"After your workout, you have to stretch to prevent injuries, DOMs, and to help muscle recovery."
It should be self evident as to why this isn't true. Not stretching won't cause any of these problems, nor will stretching prevent any of these problems. Stretching can certainly help with regard to these things, but its presence or absence simply cannot determine the presence or absence of these symptoms.
"Stretching after workouts will increase injury probabilities without any advantages."
The only situation that I can imagine where a post workout stretch increases the risk of injury is in the case of an already existing injury. What I mean is that if you've strained a muscle during exercise or come particularly close to straining a muscle, then stretching may be (if you'll pardon the idiom) the straw that broke the camels back. As for the notion that post workout exercise "has no advantages", that's also clearly false. You will often notice immediate benefits for stretching afterwards (it feels good), it also promotes circulation and thus aids in recovery.
"Should I continue stretching after each workout?"
As mentioned, you've been training for at least a few years now and I'm led to believe that you've been stretching after each workout for at least most of that time. I think you already know the answer. While pre workout stretching has the disadvantage of decreased power output, post workout stretching holds no such disadvantage - quite the contrary. Post workout stretching has several advantages including some that are often immediately noticed. Continue doing your stretches, they will help to increase flexibility, promote circulation, and decrease recovery time. Strength training of all kinds (including bodybuilding) will tax the muscles, you only need to subsequently provide those muscles with the fuel and rest they require in order to progress. Stretching isn't necessary, but it will help you in bodybuilding similar to how it helped you in martial arts.
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