Do I need to stretch before I lift?
No, you don’t—but the right kind of stretching might make you stronger. Most of us, when we think of stretching, think of static stretching (i.e., elongating a muscle to the point of discomfort and holding it). But this type of stretch has limited benefit in weight training; it might even make you weaker by relaxing your muscles and reducing blood flow to them. Dynamic stretching— moving a muscle in and out of a stretched position—is another matter entirely. It increases your “active” flexibility, which helps your muscles stretch quickly in various positions, and boosts blood flow— beneficial for any sport, including weight lifting. Here’s one of my favorite dynamic-stretch routines: body-weight lunge, squat, trunk rotation, leg swing, and arm circle. Do one set of 10 reps of each exercise before you work out.
