You Don’t Have To Stretch To Improve Your Flexibility

When it comes to flexibility, there are two very common myths. Myth number one is that you MUST perform static/dynamic stretching to increase your flexibility, and myth number two is that strength training will make people LESS flexible. However, neither of these are true. In fact, strength training can be an effective way to INCREASE flexibility.

These myths have been passed down from professionals in the healthcare and fitness fields for many years, and unfortunately continue to be spread to this day, despite a lack of evidence to support the claims. In fact, when researchers have looked at this, they have found that strength training can quite effectively improve range of motion and flexibility (Simao 2011, Thrash 1987).

This phenomenon happens as a result of moving our joints through a full range of motion during strength training, which exposes them to lengthened positions, just as stretching would. Over time, this continued exposure to lengthened positions causes changes within our soft tissues and nervous system that allow us to have access to a greater range of motion and improve our flexibility.

There are several ways that we can make our strength training more effective for improving our flexibility, if that is something that is actually needed (which is determined on an individual basis):

1) Train through a full range of motion: As stated before, strength training through full ranges of motion exposes our joints and tissues to lengthened states, which will ultimately improve our range of motion and flexibility. If we train with limited ranges of motion, this will not occur, and our flexibility likely won’t improve much.

2) Utilize pauses in the lengthened position: Spending more time in the lengthened position will likely result in better improvements in flexibility, as most training adaptations are partly dependent upon how much time/volume you dedicate to that desired adaptation.

3) Use slower eccentrics: Some research has shown that perform slow eccentric reps with extra weight (like during strength training) can change the architecture of our muscles, making them physically longer, which will also help with flexibility.

Examples of exercises that can be used to improve flexibility include squat variations, especially paused squats or slow eccentric squats, to improve ankle dorsiflexion, knee flexion, and hip flexion range of motion. RDL variations can be a great tool to improve hamstring flexibility, and landmine presses with a forward torso lean can help to improve your shoulder flexibility for reaching overhead.

These are just a few examples of exercises that we can use in the gym to help improve flexibility while ALSO increasing our strength, building muscle, and improving our work capacity.

So the next time you think you need to do a ton of stretching or sit on the foam roller for hours to improve your flexibility, think again!