How does stretching help soreness?

Posted by: Mr_Heretik

How does stretching help soreness? - 01/10/07 07:09 PM

If your muscles are all torn up, and then you stretch... well, wouldn't they tear more? Whenever I stretch while sore, it ends up lasting longer, and I also don't gain any flexibility out of it either. I won't even attempt dynamic stretching when sore because you're not supposed to dynamic stretch too lightly.

So does stretching really help, and how?
Posted by: Leo_E_49

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 01/10/07 08:21 PM

Check out Stretching Scientifically, Kurz goes into the benefits of stretching after a heavy workout in detail. I personally think that, while a brief stretch after a workout doesn't help with my soreness, it seems to improve my flexibility.

Stretching is a debated subject in itself. Some people just don't believe there's any benefit to it. (Which I believe is a ridiculous opinion)
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 01/10/07 09:01 PM

I'm not referring to stretching after a workout, I do it almost all the time. I mean stretching two days later when DOMS won't allow you to walk properly.
Posted by: Tezza

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 01/24/07 04:27 AM

Well when you are still sore after a a hard workout two days before, you can stretch but only limited. You will also notice that you will not be as flexible as the muscles that are sore are tense meaning you will not be able to stretch as much as you are normally acustom too.
Therefore a light stretch can be applied but nothing more.
Like Tom Kurz mentions in his book, you cannot do isometric training two days running as you muscles are still repairing themselves and need time to recover.
Answer your question?
Posted by: UKfightfreak

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 02/15/07 02:32 PM

Quote:

I'm not referring to stretching after a workout, I do it almost all the time. I mean stretching two days later when DOMS won't allow you to walk properly.




Unless you are a raw beginner who has never touched weights, you really shouldn't be getting the DOMS 2 days after training.
Posted by: Supremor

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 02/15/07 05:46 PM

Quote:


Unless you are a raw beginner who has never touched weights, you really shouldn't be getting the DOMS 2 days after training.




I don't agree. The physiological reactions to weight training occur over a roughly 48 hour period. Granted the intensity of doms should go down significantly after 36 hours, it is still not unreasonable to be sore 2 days after a work-out.
Posted by: Tezza

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 02/16/07 06:51 AM

Agreed Supremor.
Posted by: pianoperson

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 02/16/07 07:09 AM

what are "the DOMS"?
Posted by: Supremor

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 02/16/07 09:50 AM

DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

It's a geeky phrase for OUCH!!!
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 02/16/07 03:07 PM

So then, as long as I'm working on my legs much.. I'll pretty much never achieve the side splits.

If static passive stretching requires consistency in order for me to make progress, then I won't be able to. Soreness won't allow me to stretch much. And when I'm not sore anymore, I've probably lost the small progress I've made.

Posted by: Supremor

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 02/16/07 03:12 PM

Not at all Heretic. You only need to do a leg workout a maximum of twice a week, indeed I think that if you did a 5 x 5 squat once a week you'll make significant strength gains. That will leave you plenty of time to stretch. If you wanted to work the legs mroe than this, then you could deadlift on another day, which would put less emphasis on your legs, more on your lower back, and would therefore still allow you to stretch the day afterwards.
Posted by: UKfightfreak

Re: How does stretching help soreness? - 02/17/07 07:46 PM

Quote:

So then, as long as I'm working on my legs much.. I'll pretty much never achieve the side splits.

If static passive stretching requires consistency in order for me to make progress, then I won't be able to. Soreness won't allow me to stretch much. And when I'm not sore anymore, I've probably lost the small progress I've made.






DOMS is mainly soreness of connective tissue and not muscle, so the sore feeling is not the great thing that it's portrayed to be.

If you want to be flexible, use weights, squats, lunges (front, side and back) will make you flexible.

And I still maintain that soreness shouldn't be going on for 2 days - it's just not practical or healthy.