April 19, 2009
A bodybuilder can benefit from stretching, one of the most valuable aspects of any fitness routine, since it gears up your muscles before each workout and decreases the possibility of injuries. If your goal includes perfecting your technique and exercising good form — a complete stretching will help you move on the right track.
The warming up part of your stretching routine helps in the supply of oxygen and blood to your joints and muscles. Your warm up doesn’t have to be complicated and so you can do basic routines like a fast-paced walk, jumping rope, or doing a 5 to 10 minute session on a stationary bike. The goal is to increase your heart rate and get the blood pumping throughout your entire body.
Then, you need your joints to be prepared through a set of movements in a way that will make your muscles flexible enough. Bill Pearl, author of the bodybuilding book Getting Stronger encourages everyone to stretch before lifting to help avoid injuries and prepare the joints for adequately for the workout.To lessen the body’s soreness after lifting and stress on the muscles, it is also necessary to do stretching.
When you begin the stretching routine, you’ll need to stretch only until you feel slight tension in the muscle group and will need to hold this stance for at least 15-20 seconds. Relax for several seconds, then push just a little further for another 15-20 seconds. Take in fresh supply of oxygen at each step and see to it that you inhale and exhale thoroughly at each push.
Protect your muscles and joints by ensuring that you are not bouncing your muscles as you perform the routine.A common misconception among beginning bodybuilders is the belief that it may be safe to bounce or jerk the muscles during stretches. An intensive weight training may require you to go through longer stretching routines to ensure that increasing flexibility is your focus. Bodybuilders and weight lifters become especially flexible and limber because of the continuous stretching practice. Increasing flexibility over time will also help you perform your exercises with better control and good form, which means better returns of muscle gains when you increase the intensity and resistance.
Injuries may be prevented and you can make the most out of your core muscle groups when you know how to keep the right stance in your stretching exercises.Injuries are prevented when you wear the right kind of gears such as shoes or boots that can support you balance your body, and execute each movement while keeping your neck and head straight.Tucking your abdominal muscles to support your spine is another means.Although mastering these movements takes time, it will help you significantly when you aim to practice consistently all the basic routines in stretching.
Most importantly, breathe! An increased oxygen flow throughout the body makes you sustain yourself in your workout and give you just the right amount of force to execute each movement.This can be done by breathing in as you start your stretching, holding your breath when you push, and exhaling as you transition to the next routine.
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