Stretching and its importance---i learned the hard, dont make the same mistake

[marmel75]

Stretching and its importance---i learned the hard way, dont make the same mistake

I've never really been into stretching, but after lifting heavy and gaining a lot of muscle over the last few years, my body has been getting tighter and tighter and more out of alignment, resulting in more and more chiropractic visits to keep it straight.

The last month or so my lower left area of my back gets really tight doing and type of squat or deadlifting, and I went to the chiro again and he told me my pelvis was badly tilted and my right leg was two inches shorter than my left, which was causing lots of the problem...he told me if I don't start stretching regularly its only going to get worse...

He also told me that when muscles are tight they cannot properly contract and elongate which limits their range of motion which in turn limits strength and size gains. It also causes the vertebrae to pull on those muscles, causing alignment problems...

It's been only three days but I have noticed a significant difference...I am going to continue stretching(not before lifting as it limits strength output), and advise everyone not to get to the point I've gotten to, where the tightness prevents you from doing key exercises...actually considering doing yoga/Pilates a few days a week to help even more...

Gotta get loosened up, I was told I have the tightest hamstrings he has ever seen in 20 years of practice...

 

[Krueg]

Good point, I hardly ever stretch. I usually do some type of light warm-up but thats about it.

 

[TheStig]

Same here, I only seriously stretch when I'm super tight from a workout...I should be doing it everyday. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[speed dawg]

marmel75 you sound alot like me. In my early 20s I got pretty jacked up (along with my ego), definitely bigger than my body frame would allow. I NEVER stretched, before/after sports or working out. I was about 210 lbs. and was pushing pretty heavy weights, I think I benched about 285 for a 1 rep max.

Then I got a herniated disc and it screwed up my life. Had to have surgery to repair it. Before that, I tried chiropractic, decompression therapy, everything. It ultimately stemmed from tight and rotated hips and misalignment, just like you.

Don't take this sh*t lightly. Ever since my surgery I stretch religiously and I feel awesome, but still have lingering effects.

 

[marmel75]

I have just found out that Foam Rollers might be the best thing invented since sliced bread...

Someone on another forum recommended me use them, so I warmed up, did some foam rolling for about 3 or 4 minutes on my lower back, which also is great ab workout cause you need to stabilize yourself while rolling back and forth, and then I worked out and cranked some deadlifts for the first time in about a month.
Nothing too heavy, but I ripped 275 lbs for 4 sets of 8, which was more weight than I was using prior that was causing severe tightness...this time...almost no noticeable tightness...just to make sure I went and re-rolled after finishing and got in the car and drove home with no issues at all...

Again, this was a pretty light weight for me, but to do it after not having done them for about a month and when 245 lbs was causing very bad tightness after my 3rd set, this was a major win for me...