Stretching - Workout(1).pdf - odchudzanie - czarownica44

After all that exercising, you really ought to

ease off a bit. Here’s the finest stretching

routine known to man

COOL DOWN

Life conspires to shorten our muscles. Every

hour we spend sitting or driving, every mile

we run, every weight we lift helps make

certain muscles shorter. Unless we stretch

these muscles to help them return to

their original lengths, they stay short. And

shorter, tighter muscles ruin our posture, and

make it more difficult to perform simple,

everyday tasks.

The stretches shown here will increase

your muscles’ range of motion to improve

performance in sport and exercise, help

prevent injury and generally make life

more comfortable for you.

As one muscle stretches, another

contracts. In this illustration (right),

while the calf and hamstrings are

stretching, the tibialis anterior and

quadriceps are contracting. If any muscle

stretches too far, the stretch reflex kicks in

and the muscle suddenly goes from a stretch

to a contraction to avoid injury. Say you fall

asleep in a meeting. As your head nods

forward, your neck muscles stretch suddenly,

and then just as suddenly contract to jerk your

head back up.

In sport, you sometimes have too

much momentum and the stretch reflex

can’t keep the muscle or its connective tissues

from stretching too far. A strain, sprain or

tear is the end result.

Here’s a scary fact: once a ligament or

tendon is stretched too far, it never returns to its

original length, so the joint it connects to is

permanently less stable than before the injury.

Quadriceps

Hamstrings

Tibialis anterior

Calf

YOUR GOALS

Beginner: Accustom

your muscles and

connective tissues

to stretching exercises,

and increase range of

motion in crucial joints,

such as those in your

hips, lower back and

shoulders.

Intermediate and

advanced: Dramatically

increase range of

motion for sport

and exercise.

Some stretches

in this

programme

build strength.

BEGINNER

Frequency: At least

three times a week.

Stretch duration: 15

to 20 seconds per

stretch.

Technique: To

perform most of the

exercises in this

section, simply get

into the position

shown in the

illustration, feel a

gentle pull in the

targeted muscles,

and hold that

position. Don’t try to

push or pull yourself

into dramatically

deeper stretches; that

will simply activate

the stretch reflex, and

your muscles will

contract while you’re

trying to stretch

them. This produces

muscle fatigue, if not

injury. Your flexibility

will improve over

time without adding

that extra,

unproductive effort.

Try to perform each

stretch three times.

You can do all of the

stretches indicated in

circuit fashion, one

right after the other,

and do three circuits.

Or you can do each

stretch three times

before moving on to

the next.

Progress: Increase

each stretch to 25 to

30 seconds’ duration.

How long: You can

use this programme

your entire life, and

add other stretches

you learn. But if you

want to increase your

strength and flexibility

for sports

performance, move

up to the

Intermediate

programme.

TRICEPS STRETCH

SIDE BEND

SHOULDER STRETCH

Start with your back

rounded (A), and then allow

it to sag (B). Hold each

position for 3 to 5 seconds,

and perform for a total of

30 to 45 seconds.

FLEX TIME

Most of us think the time to stretch is

right before a cardiovascular or weight

workout. We’re wrong: “The biggest

myth about stretching is that it’s a

warm-up,” says exercise researcher Len

Kravitz. “You shouldn’t stretch until

you’re already warmed up.” A cold

muscle is easily injured, so you don’t

want to stretch until you’ve already

raised the temperature in your muscles

by several degrees. Stretching after a

workout, as part of your cool-down, is

ideal. On the other hand, you don’t need a

warm-up if you just get up from your

desk a few times a day and gently

stretch out tight muscles.

FIGURE OF FOUR STRETCH

BUTTERFLY GROIN STRETCH

WALL CALF STRETCH

CAT STRETCH

INTERMEDIATE

Frequency: 3 to 5

times a week

Stretch duration: 20

to 30 seconds for

static stretches (in

which you hold a

single position).

Other stretches are

described below.

Repeat all stretches

three times for

maximum benefit.

Technique: You’ll use

three techniques in

this routine: CR,

CRAC and static.

CR stands for

contract-relax, but all

you need to know is

that you flex a muscle

hard for six seconds,

then relax and stretch

it for 12 seconds.

CRAC stands for

contract-relax-

agonist-contract, but

you don’t have to

remember that. All it

means is that you flex

a muscle, then

stretch it, then flex

the opposite muscle,

then stretch the

original muscle

again. As soon as you

feel that last stretch,

you’ll realise why

someone came up

with this complicated

technique. You’ll see

your muscles go

further than they ever

have before. Just as

important is that

second-to-last step,

flexing the muscle

opposite the one

you’re stretching.

You’ll actually make

your muscles

stronger here, at the

point where they’re

most likely to be

injured in a match or

a strenuous workout.

Finally, you’ll also

do some static

stretches; these are

simple ‘get into a

position and hold it’

exercises, similar to

the ones in the

Beginner section.

Static stretches are

for your hip flexors,

knees and lower

back, which might

get hurt during more

aggressive CR and

CRAC stretches.

Precautions: A study

at the University of

Mississippi showed

that CR stretches can

improve flexibility by

up to 18 per cent.

That’s a huge

increase, but it comes

with some risk. You

should feel all these

stretches in the

middle of the muscle.

If you feel it most

strongly in a joint,

stop the stretch.

The next time you

train, try a gentle

static stretch for that

body part.

Who needs them:

These stretches are

best used during

periods of hard

training for specific

goals – preparing for

a sports season or

training for an

endurance event such

as a marathon. At

other times you’ll

probably want to go

back to a programme

that includes only

static stretches.

STATIC SIDE-LYING QUADRICEPS STRETCH

STATIC SPINAL ROTATION

STATIC STRADDLE STRETCH

Lift one leg as high as you can,

then try to lower your leg towards

the floor while resisting with your

hands for 6 seconds (A).

Now relax your leg muscles and

pull the leg into a deeper stretch

for 12 seconds (B).

Repeat with the other leg.

CR OUTER-THIGHS

GLUTEAL STRETCH

INTERMEDIATE

CRAC GROIN STRETCH

CRAC HAMSTRING STRETCH

Contract inner-

thigh muscles for 6

seconds, trying to

raise knees towards

each other while

resisting by pushing

down on thighs.

muscles and gently

push them into a

stretch for 12

seconds (A).

Relax gluteals,

return hands to tops

of thighs, and push

down, bringing the

inner-thigh muscles

into a deeper stretch

for 12 seconds (C).

Contract left

hamstrings for

6 seconds, trying

to lower leg to the

floor while resisting

with a towel.

into a stretch for 12

seconds (A).

and pull hamstrings

into a deeper stretch

for 12 seconds (C).

Contract left

quadriceps as you try

to push leg down with

both hands for 6

seconds (B).

Repeat with the

right leg.

Place hands

underneath thighs and

try to push legs up for

6 seconds as you

Relax hamstrings

and gently pull left leg

Relax inner-thigh

Relax quadriceps

contract gluteals (B).

COBRA STRETCH

CR TRICEPS/LATISSIMUS STRETCH

For 6 seconds, try to

straighten your bent

arm as you resist by

pulling on a towel with

Now relax your

bent arm and pull it

into a deeper stretch

for a count of 12

seconds (B).

STATIC SIDE

STRETCH

PECTORAL/

SHOULDER STRETCH

Repeat with the

other arm.

FLEXIBLE OPTIONS CHEAT SHEET

TECHNIQUE

HOW TO DO IT

THEORY

REALITY

Static

Get into a position and hold it, usually for

15 to 30 seconds.

A safe and effective way to increase range

of motion and limit injuries.

No downside here; it seems to work

well for everyone.

Active-Isolated (AI)

Contract a muscle for 2 seconds,

then relax and stretch that same muscle

for 2 seconds.

If you hold a muscle in a stretched

position for longer than 2 seconds, the

stretch reflex kicks in, rendering the

stretch useless and possibly dangerous.

Two seconds in a stretched position

is not enough time to fully stretch

muscle and connective tissue, unless

the stretcher is already a highly

conditioned athlete.

Proprioceptive

Neuromuscular

Facilitation (PNF);

includes CR and

CRAC techniques

described previously

Contract a muscle for 6 seconds, relax it,

and then push or pull the muscle into a

deeper stretch. Often, a therapist or

trainer helps you perform the stretches.

These techniques ‘switch off’ stretch-

reflex mechanisms, allowing a greater

increase in range of motion.

Physical therapists have been using

PNF successfully for 50 years. It

requires far more effort than static

stretching though, making it a bad idea

if you have a muscle or bone disease.

your other arm (A).

Stretching - Workout(1).pdf

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