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Ivan's Newsletter
May 1, 2006 -- Issue 005
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Hi,

This issue includes...

1) "Proper Training" Series:
"What is stretching and when to do it?" 

2) What's New About IvanNikolov.com

3) "Visit My Newsletter Archives"

4) "Tell Me What You Think!"

5) Recommend this Article to a Friend

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1) What is stretching and when to do it?
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Do you ever perform stretching before workout,
or any time during the day? If “yes”, then reed below to see
if you are doing the right type of stretching in the right time.
If your answer is “no” then it is must that you reed
what follows.

Why do stretching?

To increase the flexibility in the joints.

What is flexibility?

Flexibility is the factor that determines the range of motion
(ROM) in the joint, which is only limited by the elasticity
of the antagonistic muscle.

What to do before stretching?

You will have to warm up by doing any type of cardio activity
for at least 5 min. Warmed up muscles are more prone to
stretching and the risks of injury are smaller.

Types of stretching

Okay. Here is where it gets interesting. There are
two types of stretching: static and dynamic
(general flexibility exercises include more types like
ballistic, active, passive, isometric, PNF, assisted, etc).

Do static stretching any time of the day but not before
workout. This type of stretching relaxes the muscles thus
increasing the possibility of injury and decreasing
the performance.

Static stretching means you gradually ease in a stretched
position and then hold there for a period of 6 to 30 sec.
Push even further, as the stretching sensation subsides,
and hold again.

Static stretching is best if done for the cool down after
the workout. At this time the temperature of the muscles
is higher, the muscles are more elastic and the risks of
injury are a lot smaller. You can do this type of stretching
any time during the day but, I’ll say it again,
not before your weights workout.

Examples for static stretching include:

Chest stretch – place your right arm against a wall
or a doorframe and twist the opposite way stretching
the arm back as far as you can. Repeat with the left arm.

Latissimus dorsi stretch – knee down on the floor
and place your arms on a bench. Push your chest
toward the floor.

Biceps stretch – Hold your arms to the side, parallel
to the floor. Your palms are facing forward. Rotate your
palms till they face backward and in the meantime push
your arms as far back as you can.

Shoulder stretch – keep your right arm straight across
the chest. Pull against the chest with the left hand while
still keeping the right arm locked in the elbow but relaxed
in the shoulder joint. Repeat with the left arm.

Quad stretch – stand tall. Place your right ankle on a
bench behind you and try to touch the floor with your
left knee. Switch legs and repeat.

Hamstring stretch – Place one of your legs on a bench
in front of you and lean forward while keeping the other
leg locked in the knee. Change legs and repeat.

Calf stretch – Lean against a wall. Move one of your legs
back and away from the wall while keeping your heel
firmly on the floor and your leg straight. Change legs
and do the same.

Dynamic stretching is the opposite of static stretching.
Do dynamic stretching before workout to improve
performance and reduce the risk of injury.

How you do it. Rotate in the joints so that you go in and
out of stretched position quickly but gently. Start the
swings slowly and gradually increase the speed within
several repetitions.

Examples of dynamic stretching include: arm swings,
shoulder circles, side bends, hip circles, leg swings,
half squats, lunges.

That’s it. And don’t forget static stretching any time
during the day and after the weights workout,
and dynamic stretching before weights workout
and after a cardio warm up.

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Copyright 2006 by IvanNikolov.com.
All rights reserved.
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