by: Sean Callahan
In the world of fitness, health, and strength and conditioning there is always some individual trying to make a name for himself in a crowded industry. The tides are always turning on different ways of doing things and what is actually best. This is just the case with the idea of static stretching. Static stretching has lived the life of glitz and glam when it was thought that static stretching should be used as a means of warming up for exercise and other activities. Research in the 80’s started to find that performing static stretching prior to exercise and activity actually resulted in a loss of power output. This obviously created a drastic pendellum swing amongst coaches, trainers and others to nearly ban the idea of static stretching or to perform it exclusively at the end of a workout. This is a classic example of our tendency to overreact in the short-term and under react in the long term. So here, the dynamic warm-up was born and dynamic flexibility became the darling of the fitness industry and has held this positioning for several years now. Make no mistake about it; I do believe that the dynamic warm-up is the proper way in which athletes and others should effectively warm-up prior to exercise or activity. However, I do not stand on the same side of those that believe static stretching should be reserved strictly for post-workout and warm muscles.
The practice of using static stretching only post-workout will never elicit sustained results in flexibility. Stretching a warm muscle will in most cases only help with recovery (even that is debated). Static stretching should be performed for much more than just recovery. Static stretching should be actively used to create greater tissue length (flexibility). Whereas the dynamic warm-up will serve to prevent acute injuries such as hamstring and groin strains, static stretching and increasing tissue length helps to prevent chronic issues such as patella-femoral pain and low back pain to name a couple.
The old idea of stretching cold muscles resulting in injury is out-dated. Athletes and individuals get hurt squatting and performing other “sacred” lifts all the time but, no one is quick to throw these out. Proper execution of static stretching is the key to preventing injuries while stretching, not total exclusion of the technique.
WHERE DOES FOAM ROLLING FIT IN?
If you’ve been around a gym or any other training facility in the last 5 years then you have most likely seen someone performing “rolling” activities on a tubular shaped piece of equipment. This is what is referred to as Self-Myofascial release (SMR), this is a practice that some would call “poor man’s massage.” Tissue changes in 2 ways, length and density. We address length with static stretching and density with foam rolling. If you are stretching and not foam rolling you are fighting a losing battle. Picture foam rolling as an iron for your muscles, repeated use of muscles tissue creates “knots” or more accurately referred to as adhesions in the fascial system that engulfs muscluar tissue. To accurately portray this imagine a rubberband with a knot tied in the middle of it, the rubberband represents your muscle and the knot represents the adhesion. Obviously by pulling (stretching) on opposite ends of the rubberband (muscle) the knot changes in no other way but becoming tighter and keeping the rubberband (muscle) from reaching its actual length. This is similar in what happens when we attempt to stretch muscles that are presenting with adhesions.
SO HOW DOES IT ALL FIT TOGETHER?
In the grand scheme of things and what I believe to be the best procedure of warm-up would consist of in this order: foam rolling, static stretching, activation and then a dynamic warm-up. In the beginning we are using this approach to prepare the muscles by addressing tissue density, tissue length, and tissue readiness. With the next step, the dynamic warm-up, we are preparing the individual for the actual activity.
This line of thinking and the spurring of this article were brought on by my conversation with two professional soccer players Angela Fulton and Sara Nelson. We were discussing how the norm now is to foam roll and use a dynamic warm-up to prepare for workouts or competition, and how those that aren’t using these tactics are very far behind in their program design. Sadly even though these two individuals, the teams that they play for and myself may have a better understanding of proper warm-up modalities, we represent only a small percent of the population and even amongst those that “get it” static stretching for length purposes is not getting its fair shake. This is information that needs to be more widely spread throughout the industry, athletic and general fitness population.
Dynamic warm-ups can aid in injury prevention, however, I do not believe that the dynamic warm-up can stand alone in the battle with injury prevention. In the conversation that I had with these two high level athletes about ACL injuries in particular I stated that I think that a dynamic warm-up is just a tiny fraction of the bigger practice of injury prevention, especially in female athletes. We will discuss it in greater detail later but, ACL prevention I believe is the culmination of good year round strength and conditioning. This training will encompass foam rolling, flexibility, activation, plyometric training (specifically landing and deceleration skills), power development, strength training and multi-directional conditioning. So in closing formulate a warm-up routine that utilizes the mentioned tactics and find a strength and conditioning program that focuses around the necessary components outlined for sustained injury prevention for yourself, your athletes, or your clients. For more information about creating your own warm-up routine simply post your questions below in the comment section.
Until next time,
Sean Callahan
CSCS, USA-W, FMS
Callahan Strong 