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Back to the earliest days, our
gym instructor always
had us start our bodybuilding training sessions by spending 5-10 minutes
kneading, chopping and slapping our own hamstrings, adductors and
quadriceps. Only then would we begin actual stretching exercises.
Little did we know at the time that real science
was behind this slapfest! In fact, muscle is subject to the principle of
thixotrophy - the tendency of gels to be thick and viscous at rest, but
pliant and fluid when shaken or otherwise disturbed. Although the
thixotrophic effect is not completely understood, scientists speculate
that upon long periods of inactivity, muscle tissues begin to develop
microscopic bonds - both between fibers and even between actin and
myosin filaments.
This phenomenon explains why we so often feel
stiff and creaky upon rising from sleep. It also suggests that
pre-stretching "warm-up" activities are important not only because they
raise the body temperature (which in itself facilitates muscle
elongation), but also because they help to break up these bonds before
actually stretching the muscles.
Of course, you may feel a bit self-conscious
about slapping and hitting your legs before a stretching session - so,
instead, plan your stretching immediately after resistance training.
This takes advantage of thixotrophy, since your muscles will be warm and
free of stiffness, and it also makes use of the fact that long-term
improvements in ROM are best achieved if you stretch while you're
cooling down.
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