The Best Stretches

Now you know why you need to stretch after training, it’s probably a good idea to have a look at what exact stretches you should be doing.

The ideal stretches will vary from person to person , so if you know you’ve got tight muscles in a certain area that need stretching, but there isn’t a stretch for them listed here, stretch them anyway.

Likewise, if there’s a stretch below that’s going to cause you any issues or pain, then skip it. This isn’t a definitive list, nor are any of the stretches compulsory, it’s just a collection of the best stretches to suit most people.

Hip Flexor Stretch

As previously mentioned, nearly everyone has a degree of hip flexor tightness. Put one knee on the floor, with the other leg out in front, planted flat on the ground. Push your hips forward, while leaning back slightly with your upper body, until you feel a stretch. To get a bigger stretch, raise your back foot onto a step or weights bench. Do both sides.
 

Calf Stretch

Place your toes on a step, and let your heels fall towards the ground as far as they can go.

Glute Stretch

Lift up one leg, and place it so that the ankle rests on the opposite knee. Push your hips back and squat down, while simultaneously pushing your knee downwards, until you feel a stretch across the side of your glutes. You may want to hold onto something with your other hand to steady yourself.

Quadriceps Stretch

Stand on one leg, and pull the heel of your non-standing leg  up towards your butt, and hold it there. Keep your knees close together.

Hamstring Stretch

Lie flat on your back, and lift one leg straight up into the air, making sure you keep your knee straight, but not hyper extended or locked out. Wrap a towel around the heel of this leg, and lightly pull back until you feel a decent stretch. You can make this stretch more effective by gently pushing your foot back towards the ground, but preventing movement by pulling back on the towel. Push for 5 seconds, then relax and stretch again.

Camel/Cat Stretch

This is a good one for improving mobility around your lower back and core. Kneel on all fours, and raise your lower back towards the ceiling while sucking in your stomach, and rounding your upper back. Hold this for 5 seconds, then relax, push your hips towards the floor, and arch your lower back. Hold for 5 seconds again, and repeat 3 times.

Pec Stretch

Kneel down, and place one arm on a Swiss ball, with your elbow bent to 90 degrees. Drop your torso towards the floor, taking the weight on the arm that’s on the ball. Keep going until you get a good stretch throughout the upper chest and shoulder area. You can also do this on a weights bench if you don’t have a Swiss ball.

General Stretching Guidelines

• Hold each stretch for around 15 seconds. (15 seconds each side for those that require you to do both sides individually).

• Stretch immediately after your workout, as well as twice per day on rest days.

• If any stretch causes you pain, cease it immediately.

• Stretching should be uncomfortable, but not painful. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being that you can barely feel anything, and 10 being absolute agony, you’re aiming for about a 6 or 7.