Stretching is making you slower

Training
1

Thoughts?

1 Like
2

I have never ever stretched, not even once, not even when sore. Improper stretching can create injuries, I simply ramp up my effort for the first few minutes and then go to whatever intensity I plan on doing.

1 Like
3

stretch after, or several hours before. never right before.

I would like to think that my daily stretching is what allows me to ride the same reach and drop at 53 that I did at 33.

9 Likes
4

I would think if you ride that position regularly then that alone would be sufficient in keep you flexible enough to maintain that position

3 Likes
5

Well, yes and no.

Your collagen loses elasticity as you get older. I’ll offer that stretching helps.

If riding alone did it, I wouldn’t see guys I rode against 25 years ago with 25mm of spacer under their 100mm stems…'cause that ain’t how they rode at 28…

2 Likes
6

Spacers are meaningless comparison between different bikes with different stack heights though. I run a few spacers under mine too and I’m 31, if I had a larger frame with a taller headtube I could go slammed like the cool kids

I’m not arguing your stretching point with this, just the stem spacer argument, cause chances are they’ve gotten different bikes with different geometries in the last 25 years anyway

2 Likes
7

Forest; trees.

I should have written explicitly that their positions are shorter and higher lest I be taken for one who has a myopic fascination with spacers and stems.

4 Likes
8

That I can understand, and I hope you’re not one of those people, I would hope the TR crowd is generally more enlightened than the general public that makes those ridiculous arguments

9

I stretch because I need to.
I had a bad car crash when I was young and damaged my lower back and neck. If I didn’t include stretching into my weekly schedule I think I’d struggle to train

1 Like
10

Are they still riding the same bikes from 25 years ago?

11

Of course not.

Since I noted above that the observation was with reference to shortened, more upright positions, then the position is the key factor, not the bike

12

My 62 year old body needs stretching so if that makes me slower, then so be it.

Without stretching, I wouldn’t be able to be active.

7 Likes
13

Haven’t watched it yet. To help relieve tightness after a workout/ride, I do two minutes of leg stretches and some upper back work. The upper back work is also something I do every couple hours at work, to combat poor posture creeping in from all the time in front of 3 computer screens.

14

I think stretching has a couple benefits (for me), most of which aren’t covered in his video

  • General health - If you sit at a desk all day you are likely to get tight/short muscles from this posture. Fairly well known issue. So you need to do some stretches to keep yourself in balance.

  • Bio-mechanics - I can’t squat properly without some stretching. I accept my performance surfers due to to this, but I literally couldn’t do the exercise without stretching.

  • Range of Movement Improvements - I would like to be able to squat without pre-stretching :smile: So I stretch to improve my overall range of movement day to day.

7 Likes
15

I find yoga helps massively with preventing cramping, but stretching before exercise seems counter intuitive, a proper warm up taking joints thru their normal range of motion makes more sense.

4 Likes
16

all right just watched and clicked thru a couple references. My use case of alleviating tightness immediately after a workout (first 30 minutes) is not covered. Even if there is no science, it works for me!

3 Likes
17

Jumping in with my first TR post, but, FWIW, I ride the same reach / drop at 53 that I rode at 33 (actually, even a bit lower)…and I never stretch. Good position on a bike is largely about hip rotation, not flexibility.

Just my $.02…

2 Likes
18

And all this time I thought it was Jonathan’s interruptions on the podcast tanking my FTP.

5 Likes
19

Kinda putting this back on track my takings from Dylan’s video was that the science shows that stretching does not help but if it ‘does help’ you then keep doing it. Being that this game is so much a mental battle do what helps you win.

1 Like
20

Didn’t they discuss Kelly Starrett (MobilityWOD) coming on the show soon? That would be great.

2 Likes