Stretches

A_Sober_Paddy

Hey all,

I'm just getting back into training after a number of injuries and respiratory infections(pretty bad 5 months)...

So I'm looking to get back into training, and I'm planning in easing myself back into it...

Pre-Work Cycle - 20km
Post-Work Cycle - 20km

Going to try and get in 4 double sessions and maybe one 60km+ spin.

So I'm just looking for some good stretched that will get my hamstrings, hips, quads and any other muscles that are important...

I'm really looking to give A4 racing a crack next year and will use now until X-mas to get myself into space and build up my training, and reassess my levels of fitness at X-Mass

rp

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

So I'm just looking for some good stretched that will get my hamstrings, hips, quads and any other muscles that are important...

last I heard, stretches (other than casual, cat-like stretching) are considered either pointless or detrimental.

A_Sober_Paddy

rp wrote: »

last I heard, stretches (other than casual, cat-like stretching) are considered either pointless or detrimental.

Really?

I thought doing stretches prevents muscle tightness and also encourages greater flexibility(thus greater movement)

Darkglasses

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Really?

I thought doing stretches prevents muscle tightness and also encourages greater flexibility(thus greater movement)

I think it's the consensus on this board anyway. Purely stretching from 'cold' can be harmful. To warm-up, most here will say you should start by cycling slowly.

Ryder

Darkglasses wrote: »

I think it's the consensus on this board anyway. Purely stretching from 'cold' can be harmful. To warm-up, most here will say you should start by cycling slowly.

Stretching before an event doesn't prevent injuries, and can reduce max power output. Best to warm up by spinning a low gear for 5-10mins. Stretching after an event is really important to prevent muscle tightnessand future injuries. There are pretty good information sheets on bicycling.com or runnersworld.com

A_Sober_Paddy

Darkglasses wrote: »

I think it's the consensus on this board anyway. Purely stretching from 'cold' can be harmful. To warm-up, most here will say you should start by cycling slowly.

What about post rid stretches ?

doozerie

Personally I rate stretching very highly. I did martial arts for quite a few years and in an activity like that the negative effects of a lack of flexibility become very apparent - and I'm not talking about needing extreme flexibility, extreme flexibility would sometimes be nice (I don't have it) but even average flexibility is very beneficial. You simply move more efficiently when you don't have tight muscles limiting you to a narrow range of comfortable movement. When it comes to cycling, the benefits of reasonable to decent flexibility on the bike can be harder to appreciate, but for me I certainly suffer (both on and off the bike) the next day if I don't stretch properly after a session on the bike.

As to what stretching to do, that's a very personal thing. The first thing to realise is that not only are there a multitude of stretches, there are also several very different ways to apply them. In recent years I've favoured Active Isolated Stretching. It was similar to some of the stretching that I'd been doing for a while anyway, but very different to most of my stretching to that point though. And this is another take on the same thing. In addition to the stretches mentioned on those pages I also do stretches for my back, chest, and neck. I do them daily but if I was less lazy I'd do an even wider range of stretches.

Darkglasses

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

What about post rid stretches ?

As Ryder said, after a ride is the time for stretching

Beasty

My personal experience is that if I do certain stretches before a 25m TT (having already warmed up) I can walk afterwards. If I don't I can't (well not properly anyway).