I like to go on and on about stretching. I hope it doesn’t come off as lecturing. I always want to share the benefits of what I’ve found. For me it’s helped me avoid getting any lasting significant or lasting injuries in the last 9 years or training, it’s helped me train and improve faster, and apparently according to the experts makes me stronger.
According to ACE “While researchers have been unable to unequivocally validate the proposed benefits of flexibility training, there is evidence that indicates that flexibility training contributes to enhanced muscular relaxation, improved range of motion within joints, improved muscular balance, enhanced speed of movement, reduced injury ocurrence for certain activities, and improved performance for certain sport-related activities.”
That’s a lot of good reasons to stretch with every workout. What’s more I emphasize to clients, you should put the same intensity into it, as you would if you’re trying to bench press your one-rep maximum. Don’t just go through the motions, really work to improve your reach and flexibility from where you were yesturday, each time you stretch. Over time, and with regularity and persistence, you will seen improvements and benefits.
Also remember there are a lot of factors affecting your individual flexibility, so you’re working at your own pace, from where you were each previous workout, not necessarily against your peers. “The factors affecting flexibility include age, gender, joint structure, muscle tendon attachments, muscle cross-sectional area, body temperature, and pregnancy”.
One last point. There is a myth that weight training reduces your overall flexibility. Running, for example can tighten the hamstrings as a natural response to the exercise, there’s no reason why runners can’t or shouldn’t be as flexible as gymnasts. From ACE, “the perception that strength training independently decreases flexibility is a myth. The 1976 U.S. Olympic weight-lifting team ranked only second to gymnasts in joint range-of-motion testing”.