Ugh. The dreaded stretching, I just want to get on with the workout already. The tingles and rush from the pre-wo are setting in and I want to start lifting – not stretching!
But at my age – over 40 and then some – I have to. I probably could have avoided a ton of tweaks, injuries and issues if I had been stretching before exercising when I was younger too. Live and learn.
So before each workout I stretch for 15 to 25 minutes. Static and dynamic stretches, some yoga-related stuff, and PT band work and foam roller sometimes, as well. You really need to try to hit everything.
I’ve found some sneaky spots that tighten up over time are the hip flexors/psoas and thoracic back. A great stretch for the thoracic back is called open book. Best done with a partner. Preferably someone you know well – you’re gonna be close.
Lie on your side, bring your knees up so that your quads make a right angle with your torso, turn your head the opposite way of your knees, extend the arm closest to the floor so that the hand is resting on the top knee. These are guidelines – doesn’t have to be perfect, but get close. Have your partner kneel behind you so their knees and quads hold your lumbar spine at a right angle with the floor. Bend your top arm so the elbow is at a right angle as well (lots of geometry). Slowly twist your torso so as to bring that bent elbow to the floor on the side to which your head is turned.
If you’re stuck, have your partner gently and slowly help that top arm down. Take breaks, go back to the start position. But over time, you want to be able to get that elbow to the ground. Once you get this area loosened up, you’ll notice real improvement with shoulder flexibility. among other things.
The goal of all of this is to get the body warmed up and ready to move some weights around. The thought process being that if the muscles are warm and have been utilized prior to lifting heavy things, they’ll be less likely to become injured when you do lift the heavy things. A lot of research says it’s true. What I know from my own decades of experience is that when I stretch seriously before exercise I don’t get hurt.
So if you’re stretching before your routine, great, and I hope you have the same experience from it that I do. If not, probably makes sense to start, no matter what age you are. And by stretching I don’t mean warm up sets – you need to do a lot of those as well – but I’ll talk about that another time.
I plan to start going into specific routines for the four on, one off rotation I do, and will add some specific stretch/warm-up stuff, as well. Not sure if it would be verbally here, or visually on YouTube. Anyway, now you’re all hopped up on pre-wo and stretched out. Time to start the workout. Talk soon.