Welcome • User Guide
ToS • Privacy • Canary
Donate • Bugs • License

©2026 Poal.co

793

When I was a kid in the middle / high school gym, the gym teacher taught us you stretch before working out. Used the elastic band example. Called anyone retarded who thought otherwise.

The school had the region’s top wrestling team and the weight room was top of the line and they took it seriously.

I’ve start and stopped working out many dozens of times. When you start up, you’re most vulnerable to pulling a muscle.

I’ve started up again by not stretching first. And started by stretching first. Every time I don’t stretch first on that first session after a break I’m basically guaranteed to pull one muscle and 50% likely to pull a second or third. If I do stretch first, only 10 or 20% likely to pull one at all and it’s much more milder.

When I was a kid in the middle / high school gym, the gym teacher taught us you stretch before working out. Used the elastic band example. Called anyone retarded who thought otherwise. The school had the region’s top wrestling team and the weight room was top of the line and they took it seriously. I’ve start and stopped working out many dozens of times. When you start up, you’re most vulnerable to pulling a muscle. I’ve started up again by not stretching first. And started by stretching first. Every time I don’t stretch first on that first session after a break I’m basically guaranteed to pull one muscle and 50% likely to pull a second or third. If I do stretch first, only 10 or 20% likely to pull one at all and it’s much more milder.

(post is archived)

You are currently inside a comment thread.
Click here to see all the comments (19).
[–] • 1 pt (edited )

I watched a 30 minute video on this years ago. It was one lf those PBS type videos that cited studies, not some random yotuber. It went like this:

If you're already stretching, then keep stretching. People who already stretch before workout and then stop are more prone to injury.

But for youth who haven't started yet: don't stretch. People who don't stretch prior to workout are less prone than those who do stretch.

So:

Non stretcher who never started > stretcher > once a stretcher but stopped