Is stretching better than weights?

This will entirely depend on your fitness goals. If you’re interested in gaining muscle, lifting weights will more than likely lead to faster muscle mass gain and is likely a more effective way to change your muscle shape. Yet, some research suggests that stretching with specific equipment may also provide muscle-changing results. But, this research indicates that the muscle-changing is more so in terms of the length of the muscle rather than the diameter. By combining stretching and weight lifting, you will have the potential to change the overall size of your muscles. Ideally, the best thing you could do is to induce both stretching and weightlifting into your fitness routine if you are looking to increase muscular size. Stretching may help increase flexibility which can positively impact your performance capabilities. The more flexible you are the greater ability for you to move to more advanced and difficult exercises with the proper form. Increased range of motion will allow you to properly complete any type of exercise which can then allow you to continue to progress on those exercises.

Is stretching hypertrophy?

Some human studies suggest that stretching may be a viable strategy to induce hypertrophy. However, more research is needed to get more prolific evidence. Yet, adapting stretching by using additional loads or with a piece of specific equipment may show more impressive results on muscle hypertrophy. That said, remember to use caution when adding additional load to a stretch. As this is a way of forcing your body to move into a deeper stretch than you would typically have by just using gravity. If you go this route, start with your bodyweight and gravity and then slowly progress at your own pace to add in an additional load.

Does stretching make you stronger or weaker?

Some studies are showing a decrease in strength following stretching but it’s hard to state here that stretching makes you weaker. Overall, stretching is celebrated for other benefits, like increased flexibility and overall health due to the ability to move more freely. Flexibility helps us perform activities in the full range of motion. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight which may put you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage. Hence, regular stretching keeps muscles lean, long, and flexible which can all combine to contribute to better overall balance and a greater ability to avoid falls.

Does flexibility make you stronger?

Flexibility can make us stronger, due to the potential for enhanced performance for weight lifting. The more flexible the person is, the higher likelihood to better their performance in physical activities, including strength training workouts. Due to the heightened ability to complete strength training workouts with proper form. Aside from this, being more flexible helps you decrease your risk of injuries and allows your joints to have an increased ability to move through their full range of motion.