Stretching For Bodybuilders:
How Do I Stretch?
This could be debated to death if someone truly cared that much about it. Many swear by static stretches, others by dynamic stretches, and every once and a while someone even encourages ballistic stretches. What's best? I believe a combination of static and dynamic stretches to be the most beneficial and safest. Ballistic stretches, on the other hand, should be avoided like the plague.
After Being Warm:
Trunk Rotations
Shoulder/Neck Rolls
Behind-the-Head Triceps Stretch
Toe-Touches with a wide stance: Right/Middle/Left
Back Arch
Forward and Side Kicks
Ankle Rolls
Splits in deepest range
I usually spend about 5-10 minutes stretching for warm up on workout days, and 15-20 minutes stretching
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You can tell when you feel loose and when you feel as though you should stick with a particular stretch for another 30 seconds, just trust your body. I prefer and recommend stretching every day, even non-workout days.
On non-workout days, I still feel it's important and beneficial to still warm up before stretching, however I may do it in a different way such as by dancing, jumping on a trampoline, or shooting hoops in the driveway for a while.
The Cool Down:
We've established that it's not particularly easy (or healthy, for that matter) to go from a relative state of rest to a stressful, hardcore workout. It is more prone to injury and won't perform at its maximum potential without gradually working into the work.
With that in mind, consider the possibility that your body may also need to ease it's way out of work, or rather, into an efficient state of rest.
During a taxing workout, your muscles will accumulate minute amounts of lactic acid, carbon dioxide, calcium, and other counter-productive agents.
By properly cooling down, you allow the heightened blood flow to continue flushing these elements out of your system, while gradually reaching a state of homeostasis (equilibrium or balance) where it can quickly begin healing and repairing the tissue