Stretch yes, but not until you are warmed up.

                                                      Photo taken from cutestpaw.com

Anyone remember the good ole phys-ed days.  The idea of stretching before any sport was drilled into our head.  It is what I always thought was right until I actually started lifting, a very long time ago.  Well, this whole stretching before working out, unfolded before my very eyes today at the gym.  I was on the leg machine, it was leg day today.  A smallish, older guy was over in the stretching area and hoisted his leg up onto a very high bar.  I could see his leg screaming (he had  short shorts on) whilst performing this leg raise.  So there he was, just got to the gym and was asking his cold muscles and tendons to stretch.  Seeing his hamstring stretched to the max I prepared to hear the scream when it snapped.   Hmmmmmmmm.  When you really break it down and think about it; doesn't sound like a great idea does it?  So what are you to do?

WARM UP, before stretching and better still save the stretching until after your workout.   That's right, after you are warmed up.  Don't ask your muscles to stretch to their max when they are cold; bad things can happen if you do.  Just think about how you feel when you first wake up, you maybe need coffee and time to wake up.  Our muscles need time and a warming session.  A great way to warm up your muscles is to hop on the treadmill for a few.  Get your blood flowing to your muscles.  Don't go crazy, just a brisk walk to get that blood going to your muscles.  Or start lifting, but crazy light lifting.  I treadmill on leg days, it is a great way to warm up before starting to lift.  But even then I don't stretch until after I lift.  Why?  Because I don't want my muscles all stretched out when I ask them to lift heavy.  Stretching is reserved for after the workout.

The best time to stretch is when you are done.  Warming up is easy, always warm up before you workout.  The treadmill does my leg day warm up and the cables is my upper body warm up.  I look sort of like a bird on the cable machine.  I use crazy light weight and give all my upper body a very light warm up.  Then I work up my weights until my muscles are ready to lift heavy.  Lifting with cold muscles is a recipe for disaster, don't do it.

Stretching is best left till after your work out.  Stretching feels amazing after a heavy workout; plus because your muscles are warm you can get a much better stretch in.  Whatever you do, don't stretch cold.  No matter what sport you do, warm up first.  If you feel the need to stretch before your workout, warm up before hand.  But the best is to warm up, work out then stretch.  Your muscles, joints and tendons will thank you for it.    

Don't take my word for it, read this.

Article on stretching cold muscles.

Myths about stretching