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Does stretching make you weaker... really?

What do you do in the first 10 minutes of your workout?

In almost every gym in the world, you'll see people stretching as part of their warm-up. This comes from the belief that stretching will reduce the risk of injury, relieve pain, and improve performance.

Stretching recommendations are clouded by misconceptions and conflicting research. In fact, many people now avoid stretching before exercise. That's because recent reports show that static stretching before exercise can reduce muscle strength.

But how much of this research really matters to you? By the time reports of a study reach your favorite magazine, important facts about the research is often left out or ignored. Is the notion that stretching reduces strength a fact or a fallacy?

Stretching

Warm-ups typically contain three parts, starting with relatively low-intensity aerobic exercise, such as cycling, walking or jogging.

Stretching comes next, and is usually followed by a more specific warm-up. For example, if you were about to train with weights, you'd warm up by lifting lighter weights, starting with light resistance and low speed.

Static stretching is effective at...

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