Want to run further, lift heavier or nail your first pull-up? Each month, we put your questions to our team of the finest fitness brains to give you the tools you need to make good on your goals
Q I’m looking to build muscle. How can stretching help?
Saima Husain says: Let’s start by breaking down exactly what stretching is. There are two kinds: static and dynamic. Static means holding one specific stretch in place, while dynamic stretches, such as walking lunges and trunk twists, involve movement of your joints to aid flexibility and mobility prior to training.
Both place certain parts of your body in a position that will lengthen your muscles and stretch the surrounding tissues, including tendons, ligaments, fascia and skin, and both are beneficial in hypertrophy (or muscle growth). But you need a strategy behind your stretches in order to reap the rewards.
Dynamic stretches should be done before a workout, when your muscles need warming up. The stretches you choose here should mirror the moves in your main workout. Let’s say your workout involves squats; the 90/90 hip stretch is ideal for opening your hips ready for this move. This will help you in your mission for muscle growth by increasing your range of motion when you come to squat, which, in turn, makes the exercise more effective.
Post-workout stretching is where even bigger wins come in; one study found that stretching after a sweat sesh had the potential to increase muscle mass by a whopping 318% after 28 days*. It all comes down to the manipulation of your fascia – a strong connective tissue that surrounds your muscles. Fascia protects your proteinous fibres, but it also restricts them. Take the calf muscle. Your lower legs are full of fascia because they bear so much weight – it’s because of fascia that many trainers have difficultly developing the area. Stretching unlocks those shackles by pushing agai
