Whether they are training for football, golf, a 10K running race, or any sport in the Olympics, most athletes recognize the performance benefits of a progressive strength and conditioning program. However, stretching programs are often less popular, for a variety of reasons. Research on stretching has produced mixed reviews. The physical changes resulting from a stretching program may not be as outwardly apparent as the muscle-mass development that takes place in just eight weeks of strength training in a healthy adult. Therefore, stretching is not perceived as the most productive use of time for an athlete, as is evident in many training programs designed for high-school, college, and even professional athletes.

When athletes stretch at all, they usually do so ineffectively, performing the same old-school stretching exercises that several generations of athletes and coaches have used. These programs often consist of holding the familiar positions to stretch the groin, hamstrings, hip flexors, and low back at the same intensity and for the same duration, day in and day out, regardless of the sport or the particular activities that the athlete will be engaging in that day. Or, even worse, a program may entail many repetitions of quick, jerky stretches (often with the aid of a band or rope) that are supposed to warm up the muscles right before practice or competition. In both cases, the athletes are likely to be worse off than they would have been if they had not stretched at all.

So, is a stretching program just as important as a strength and conditioning program for optimal athletic performance? Yes, if the stretches are performed correctly. This is not just a matter of finding an accurate position to stretch in; it is also a matter of using appropriate training parameters to get the most benefit from the stretch. It means properly warming up the body and developing each specific type of stretch and its intensity, duration, and frequency.

In my next post, I will continue this discussion using evaluations to design individualized programs for sport specific flexibility, which is covered in great detail in my recently published book Stretch to Win by Ann and Chris Frederick. You can see sport specific programs in my new DVD called Flexibility for Sports Performance. Check out both at www.StretchToWin.com.

You may also listen to our podcast at the link above and listen to our virtual book tour. You will hear from real professional athletes about how this particular work has helped them perform better.

While we work on getting videos of stretch programs going for you, check how out the flexibility on a gent called “Rubber Boy” on this video:

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 1:14 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.