Leaving our body prepared before starting weight training is important for avoid injuries e improve the execution of movements. But how to do this correctly: with stretching, or warming up?
Stretch or warm up before weight training
The question is old and has been generating discussions among practitioners (and even experts!) for a long time. According to Leandro Twin, Physical Education professional at Growth Supplements, warming up is mandatory for anyone who does bodybuilding, regardless of whether they are beginners or advanced.
“More than just pumping blood and nutrients into the muscles so that they can properly perform the exercise, the warm-up works by releasing synovial fluid into the joints, which works as a kind of 'lubrication', preventing injuries”, he points out.
The personal states that, without warming up, it is very likely that the injury will occur sooner or later, and also reinforces that it is necessary to warm up the muscles that will be worked in training. In other words, warming up before weight training does not mean doing jumping jacks or going for a quick run.
“If you are training biceps and triceps, for example, do 3 sets of 15 repetitions of a biceps and triceps exercise with half the weight you usually use. When you warm up your muscles, enzymatic work improves and training performance increases”, he details.
Regarding stretching, the professional explains that heavier flexibility training, which involves several exercises for the same muscle group, should be avoided before weight training, as they will lead to fatigue and reduce performance.
“Now if it’s a light and quick stretch, without forcing the muscles too much, it doesn’t make any difference between before or after”, he concludes.
