Being a stretch expert the idea that static stretching should not be used in warmups is not news to me. However, geting some good research on the subject to back this statement is always good. I have been coaching our clients for the last 8 years to do a progressive warmup with elements of dynamic stretching and ROM exercises designed to prime the Fascial tissues and muscles and warm up the synovial fluid in the Joint capsule. As I have stated be for 95 % of our flexibility is locked up in our joint capsules and our fascial tissue. So preparing these areas is of great importance in perparation for exercise. Here is the article from tne new york times on stretching.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=gretchen%20reynolds&st=cse
“Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually bad for you. The old presumption that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds - known as static stretching - primes muscles for a workout is dead wrong. It actually weakens them. In a recent study conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all. Other studies have found that this stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30 percent.”
So the question is what should the stretches be if you are no longer doing static stretches. This is where Fascial stretches Therapy and a proper flowing dynamic stretching Routine can make all the difference to your warm up, and therefore you performande and decreasing the chances of injury.
