Stretching to Maintain Flexibility while Adding Muscle Mass

Bodybuilders work very hard to achieve what some would consider the ideal physique. Every muscle and group of muscles is well defined and leaps when moved into certain positions or poses. One of the most important aspects of body building scoring is how aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical the buildup of muscle mass is when looking at the body. Flexibility is one area that is often overlooked when training and bulking up. This can be a bad practice and can lead to poor performances in competition due to asymmetrical buildup of muscle. One of the simplest methods of working out for flexibility is to stretch between workout sets.

Stretching works on several different levels to maintain flexibility in the joints and can actually aid in the bulking up process. Taking some time to stretch between exercise sets will help to loosen up tight muscles and keep the joints free moving. Stretching also helps to remove lactic acid, the substance that causes the burn during the workout, from the muscles and hasten the recovery.

It is also important to stretch out tight muscles that have just been worked before beginning a workout that stresses the opposing muscle groups. This is especially true if the opposing set is weak and underdeveloped when compared to the tight muscles that have just been worked. This is to help ensure that the muscles develop in a symmetrical pattern for aesthetic reasons and to maintain the even flexibility and range of motion in the joints. Stretching can also aid in the prevention of arthritis and other joint problems that can develop during workouts.

Stretching to maintain flexibility can also aid in preventing one from developing poor form when performing the workout. Tight overworked muscles tend to out pull their opposing muscle groups and force the body into a posture that is not natural or aesthetically pleasing. Stretching the tight muscles will help in overcoming this effect and make a person more flexible and able to maintain a strong, straight posture even when the opposing muscles have not quite developed as fully.

The proper method of stretching, regardless of which muscle group is affected is to pull against that muscle group to the point of feeling a mildly uncomfortable pulling sensation, not painful, and holding this position for a few seconds. Over time, increasing the distance of the pull and the length of time maintaining it will begin to pay off in huge dividends as the muscles begin to develop in a symmetrical fashion and the body is able to assume a wide variety of positions that would not be possible if a concerted effort to maintain flexibility had not been maintained.

Given the number of muscles groups that are worked to a hypertrophic state by bodybuilders, maintaining flexibility is of paramount importance when working out to prevent being pulled into distorted and unnatural shapes by these over developed muscles. Stretching is one of the simplest things a body builder can do to assure that flexibility is maintained in all of the joints before, during, and after a workout.

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