Dammit! Just when I finally feel comfortable going to the gym on a semi-regular basis and doing a full (cardio, weights, stretching) workout, here comes the New York Times to completely blow up my spot!
(It's possible that is not the proper usage) Shit, Gretchen Reynolds! Why you gotta be wastin' my flava?
(That is definitely the proper usage)Last week, NYT published
Stretching: The Truth, which enumerates the various reasons why static (aka, NORMAL) stretching is bad for you, and how warming up and practicing dynamic (aka, crazy prancing around) stretching is much, much better.
The old presumption that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds — known as static stretching — primes muscles for a workout is dead wrong. It actually weakens them. In a recent study conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all. Other studies have found that this stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30 percent.
Ok fine. Static stretching at the beginning of a workout is detrimental. I get it. Actually wait--I don't do that anyway! Warming up is overrat--
A well-designed warm-up starts by increasing body heat and blood flow. Warm muscles and dilated blood vessels pull oxygen from the bloodstream more efficiently and use stored muscle fuel more effectively. They also withstand loads better. One significant if gruesome study found that the leg-muscle tissue of laboratory rabbits could be stretched farther before ripping if it had been electronically stimulated — that is, warmed up.
Time out. What did you just say about rabbits?
Stretching muscles while moving, on the other hand, a technique known as dynamic stretching or dynamic warm-ups, increases power, flexibility and range of motion.
Don't change the subject! What was that thing with the rabbits?
Athletes who need to move rapidly in different directions, like soccer, tennis or basketball players, should do dynamic stretches that involve many parts of the body. “Spider-Man” is a particularly good drill: drop onto all fours and crawl the width of the court, as if you were climbing a wall.
Oh sweet Jesus. There is no way I'm doing the "Spider-Man" around the Boston YMCA.
Meanwhile, Creepy Older Man and Excessively Sweaty Guy are all up in my grill, and College Student Distracted by Ipod knocks me over mid-Spidey. Yikes.
To sum up: Dynamic stretching, while undoubtedly beneficial to performance, is potentially awkward and embarrassing for the average gym goer.
Furthermore: Pre-workout stretching has never been my issue. I'm annoyed that this article is supposedly telling "The Truth" about stretching, yet it never addresses the post-workout, or cool down, period. Is static stretching ok then? Is it ever ok?!
Personally, I prefer to do a little yoga after a good workout, but often space/time/other people in the stretching area prevent me from doing it. I suppose I can't blame the Times for that.
So I feel like I haven't been sufficiently excited about Obama becoming President-elect. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely pulling for him the whole time and I watched and read more than my fair share of election coverage. I'm relieved the Dem's prevailed... I just haven't been dancing naked in the streets or anything.
