Bodybuilding and Stretching

Many bodybuilders underestimate the importance of stretching. Properly stretching before and after a workout session can reduce your risk of injury, and can improve muscle recovery time. In addition, studies have shown that stretching can significantly improve muscle growth. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23625461)

With that said, simply stretching won't help your body to build muscle. If you want to bulk up successfully, you will have to follow the right kind of stretching routine.

This simple stretching guide will enable your muscles to become larger and stronger than they ever were before.

Static Stretching

When most people think about stretching, static stretching is what comes to mind. This type of stretching is done without the aid of weights or other types of exercise equipment.

While most people are familiar with static stretching, many do not understand how to use it effectively. When stretching, you should try to push your body until you feel slightly uncomfortable. From there, you should try to hold that position for about 30 seconds before releasing.

You don't have to spend a lot of time on static stretching before a workout. Simply warming up your muscles will be more than enough. However, you will want to devote a significant amount of time to stretching at the end of your workout sessions.

Start by stretching your shoulders and biceps. From there, you should move on to upper body stretches. Stretch your lats and front delts before moving on to your triceps and quads. Finish off by stretching your hamstrings and your lower back.

Active Stretching

While static stretching is more widely known, active stretching is the type of the stretching that is most beneficial to bodybuilders. This type of stretching involves stretching while lifting weights.

Several different types of weights can be used during active stretching. Many types of stretches are done with dumbbells. As you grow stronger, you can begin to stretch with heavier weights.

Many stretches are also done with barbells. In fact, it isn't at all unusual to see someone stretching while deadlifting.

Active stretching does not need to be done before or after a workout. Instead, stretching exercises can be incorporated into your normal workout routine. You could add in a few preacher curls while you are building your biceps, or include barbell lunges while you are working on your quads.

When you are stretching with weights, you should try to hold the bottom position in each rep for a few extra seconds. This will allow you to stretch your muscles more deeply. Adding active stretching to your workouts can really make a difference.

Incorporating stretches into your workout is very simple, and it can be very advantageous. When you stretch, you will be able to get more out of your workout sessions. You will be able to push your body further and build your strength.

You don't have to spend a lot of time stretching in order to see the benefits of it. Adding 10 or 15 minutes worth of stretching to each workout session is more than enough. If you implement stretching, you will see improvement to your muscle growth in a matter of weeks.