The Only 6 Static Stretches You Should Really Do
May 20th, 2008 by Mehdi Posted in Flexibility
Static stretches increase the range of motion you can achieve, but not your ability to stabilize in those positions. Passive flexibility without mobility can increase risks of injury. That’s why dynamic stretching is usually better.
Although static stretches have more downsides, sometimes they have their place. You can use static stretches to improve movement patterns for example. Here are the only 6 static stretches you should really do.
1. Warrior Lunge Stretch. Stretches your hip flexors. Get knee padding and assume the lunge position with both hands overhead. Hold for 15sec/leg.
- Stay Tall. Don’t arch your lower back. Keep your spine neutral. Chest up, shoulder-blades back & down, push your pelvis forward.
- Squeeze Your Glutes. Increases the hip flexor stretch. Squeeze the glute of your back leg as hard as you can.
- Twist. Further increases the stretch. After 15sec, twist toward the up leg. Don’t overdo the twist. Keep squeezing your back leg.
2. Bulgarian Squat Stretch. Similar to the warrior lunge stretch, but stretches your quadriceps (rectus femoris ) more. Technique is the same. 15sec/leg.
- Stay Tall. Don’t arch your lower back. Keep your spine neutral. Chest up, shoulder-blades back & down, push your pelvis forward.
- Squeeze Your Glutes. Increases the hip flexor stretch. Squeeze the glute of your back leg as hard as you can.
- Hang Your Hands. Do not support your legs with your hands. Let your hands hang next to you.
Image credit: Mike Robertson
3. Seated 90/90 Stretch. Stretches your external hip rotators. Pull your foot up, while pushing your shin/knee down. 15 sec/leg.
- Stay Tall. Don’t bend over or slouch your shoulders. Keep your spine neutral. Chest up. Shoulder-blades back & down. Look forward.
- Pull Gently. Don’t force the movement. You should feel this stretch in your glutes, not in your knees.
4. Levator Scapulae Stretch. Tight levator scap can cause shoulder pain. Do this exercise correctly and you’ll feel it across your shoulder-blade. 15sec/side.
- Shoulder-blades Back & Down. Chest up, shoulder-blades back & down. Put your hand behind your back, while keeping this position.
- Look to Your Foot. Right hand behind your back, look to your left feet. Keep your chest up and shoulder-blade back & down.
Image credit: Eric Cressey
5. Pec Minor Stretch. Your pecs respond better to foam rolling than stretching. However this stretch teaches you proper posture. Lean forward while pulling your shoulder-blade back & down. 15sec/side.
Image credit: Bill Hartman
6. Sleeper Stretch. Lack of internal rotation can cause shoulder injuries. The sleeper stretch increases internal rotation by stretching your posterior capsula. You’ll feel it in the back of your shoulders when done correctly. 15 sec/side.
- Shoulder-blades Back & Down. Very hard to do here. Make a big chest and try to keep it. Don’t let your shoulder-blade flare.
- Push Gently. You don’t need to get with your hand on the floor. Relax and pull gently. Keep your shoulder-blades back & down.
Image credit: NSCA
Most of you will need exercise 4-6, especially if you have a round upper-back. If you have anterior pelvic tilt exercises 1 & 2 are yours. I’ll refer to this post in future posts. Meanwhile click here to subscribe and receive free updates.
Hi Mehdi,
Great post (as usual) and I have a couple of questions:
1. Is it better to do these before work-out (after the dynamic stretching) or after the workout?
2. Isn’t the Squat Stretch a static stretch as well? Also wrist and tricep stretches (posts ~1 year ago) also look Static - or have I misunderstood what a “Static Stretch” is?
Cheers!
first post!
good post, i really need to stretch more. i do only squat stretch right now.
You say that when I do the seated 90/90 stretch, I should feel it in my glutes rather than my knees. I feel this stretch in my glutes AND my knees. This is especially my true for left knee, which has range of motion in the stretch than my right knee.
What’s going on here? Is there another set of muscles that are very tight in my legs?
@Sifaan
1. Pre-workout before dynamic stretches. Or post workout. It really depends on what you’re after. For example, after a day sitting, I always do the warrior lunge or bulgarian squats as first exercise.
2. Those are static stretches too, but they’re really specific. Once you have a base flexibility, you don’t need those much anymore. Story is different for the exercises in this post.
@Mutt
Sifaan was slightly faster
@Rich
Make sure you push your whole leg down, gently. Keep the stretch in your glutes, don’t go to deep for now. You should feel better afterward, not worse.
Great post Mehdi. The visuals really help.
Hi,
I noticed you don’t have any hamstrings stretches in there. I’m wondering why this is, because many people have tight hamstrings. Personally, doing the generic “touch your toes” hamstrings stretch as well as the seated “figure four” hamstrings stretch have greatly improved my flexibility.
Also, what about stretches that really target the pec sternal/clavicular? After I do bb bench press and dips, it always feels really good for me to stretch my pec major muscles. I do this by holding on to the corner of a wall with my arm bent at 90 degrees and I just turn away from the wall and get a good stretch.
Also, I’m curious in general as to how static stretches as opposed to dynamic stretches can increase chances of injury. I would think being able to stabilize in positions would come with time and from doing exercises with the greater ROM.
Thanks for the stretches!
I’ve been doing dynamic warm-up type stretching before lifting and then foam rolling + static stretching afterwards. I’ve found it works well and I’ve increased my flexibility with it. I do static hamstring stretches as well as I find I have tight hams. Is there any reason not to do static stretching on the hamstrings?
@elVarouza/grambo
Static hamstring stretches: check point 6 in this article
@elVarouza
Instead of the doorway pec stretch, try foam rolling your pecs sometimes, see how that feels.
I’ve actually never used the warrior lunge stretch but I’m definitely going to test it out and see how it feels. Seems like it could help stretch my hip flexors definitely better than they are used to.
Are the tricep stretch and the squat stretch not static stretches may i ask? they both incorporate holding one position for a specified ammount of time.
Mehdi,
Great article, Thanks!
Steve
For the 90/90 stretch, my leg pops up about 45* away from vertical. I am very inflexible in that regard (and pretty much in general), what do you recommend?
Sorry for the short response it was cut. I was wondering what your take on the belief that too much stretching before workouts can be harmful was. I have heard that it can cause a reduction in strength out put.
I just started a blog on fitness and nutrition and would love to get some feedback from everyone:http://hardybody.blogspot.com/ or click on my name.
@Bobbie
Check reply #4
@Ben
Sounds like you’re tight in there. Keep doing them, flexibility will improve.
@nathaniel
Static stretching as warm-up impairs performance indeed.