I’ve always hated spending time at the gym stretching….but it doesn’t seem to loosen me up….what about warmup sets. Any use in those?
Stretching is a neurological adaptation. The more you stretch, the more tolerance you build for stretching. But stretching doesn’t make you more flexible.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19632878/
“As resistance training with external loads can improve range of motion, stretching prior to or after resistance training may not be necessary to enhance flexibility.”
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-022-01804-x
Stretching has even been found to weaken your muscles before a workout lmao.
We need comparative studies. Without comparative studies it’s all pointless. The majority of research on physical therapy and stretching presupposes that it is beneficial. So the research on stretching and physical therapy begins with an unproven assumption that it is helpful. But the fact that the comparative studies show no benefit in stretching means that it’s just bullshit fiat medical science. Stretching is a waste of time. Most people I know that see physical therapists don’t get better. People get better despite what the physical therapists tell them to do, not because of.
https://video.nostr.build/df85291689ebb010847c6143e094a1e92e1848d55f102a6d4a24d7a45640d2c7.mp4
Discussion
There is no harm in warming up. If you are going to lift heavy, you should definitely do some kind of warmup so you don’t strain or hurt yourself. However, lifting heavy is generally unnecessary if you practice high intensity training that was popularized by Mike Mentzer. Not to be confused with HIIT or high intensity interval training.