Should you stretch before a workout? There was a time when stretching felt mandatory, and I felt the need to tell you guys that it’s okay not to. But the pendulum has swung the other way, and influencers are telling you that stretching will KILL your GAINS, and that’s not really true either. Let’s break down the pros and cons of stretching before a workout, so you can figure out what you should actually do next time you go to the gym.
Stretching can increase your range of motion for exercises you need to do
The best reason to stretch before a workout is to prepare yourself for that specific workout. For example, many people have trouble squatting as deeply as they would like, and the reason is often that they need better ankle mobility so they can bend their knees while their feet are flat on the floor. If this sounds familiar, some stretches for your calves and Achilles tendons will make a big difference.
Stretching increases your short-term range of motion, as you’ll notice if you try to touch your toes 10 times in a row. Your first attempt might not get your hands very far toward the ground, but by the 10th you’ll be reaching a lot lower than you did at first.
That effect doesn’t last very long. Later today, you’ll be stiff again. But that’s exactly why it’s good to do these stretches right before your workout. Get the increased mobility, then use it while you have it. More flexible ankles will let you squat better, which means your legs will get a much better workout than if you hadn’t stretched.
You can also increase your long-term range of motion by stretching. Your pre-workout stretches can contribute to that, although it’s good to also do some stretching and other flexibility work after your workout (or as its own workout) if that’s your goal.
Stretching can slightly decrease strength in the short term
All that said, it is possible to stretch too much before a workout. Let’s keep the example of a workout where you plan to do squats. Ankle stretches are great, since they’ll help you get into a deeper squat position. But you wouldn’t want to stretch your quads (the muscles on the front of your thighs) because those are the muscles that will need to work the hardest during your squats.
As I’ve discussed before, stretching does have a small, temporary effect where it decreases the amount of power you can get out of the muscle that was stretched. But, to be clear, this requires you to do some pretty deep stretching, of the exact muscle the strength exercise will work, and to do it right before the strength work. If you do that, yeah, you might notice you can’t lift quite as much.
But it’s important to remember two things. One is that you’re probably not stretching super deeply, immediately before your strength exercises. (If you are, I’d argue you might want to stop.) But the other is that the decrease in performance is very small. Even if you are stretching your quads right before you squat, it’s not like you’re canceling out the effects of your squats.
Stretching isn’t necessary to prevent injury
There’s an old myth that stretching prevents injury. It’s been pretty thoroughly debunked, so if you’re only stretching before workouts because you think it’s necessary to stay safe and healthy, you can skip this part. We all have limited time in the gym, so it’s probably better to use this time for a few stretches that help prepare you for your workout, and then get on with the rest of the day’s training.
Stretching by itself doesn’t warm you up
Moving your body to get into position for your favorite stretches is arguably a good way to get warmed up. But that’s because any movement helps, not because stretching is the best way to warm up your muscles and get your joints moving smoothly.
Instead, try dynamic stretches. I’m secretly convinced the benefit of these is that they get you moving, not that they incorporate a stretch. You can also do any other kind of gentle movement that helps you feel less stiff: Jog, for example, or do a quick yoga flow.
What to do before a workout
I’ve written a guide to figuring out what you need in your warmup—and it’s not necessarily going to be the same thing for every workout. Before a workout with overhead lifts, I’ll do some shoulder stretches. Before a squat workout, someone who struggles with squatting deeply enough should probably do some calf and ankle stretches.
So, figure out if there are movements that could benefit from some extra range of motion in a given body part. Some workouts might not need mobility work, and that’s okay—for example, if you’re doing bench press and bicep curls, you might be fine without any stretches in the warmup. (That said, some stretches for your back might help you get a stronger position in the bench press, which in turn stabilizes your shoulders. Just saying.)
For these workout-specific stretches, it’s okay to do static stretching (in which you hold a position for several seconds). It’s also fine to do dynamic stretches if you feel those work better for you, or even to foam roll for mobility. Figure out what works for you.