Some stuff from the "Stretching RoundTable at T-Nation:
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Originally Posted by Alesi
...stretching of the parallel elastic components (PEC) immediately after resistance training increases muscle hypertrophy by stretching the limiting “sheaths” that encapsulate the muscle belly. In protective response to this unstable change, the stretched muscle sheets trigger an increase in protein splitting, muscle cell division, and collagen breakdown and repair. The result is hypertrophy or "thickening" for survival.
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Then he goes on to say this:
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It's also a myth that ballistic stretching is dangerous. There's no such thing as an unsafe stretch, only an unsafe way of executing any movement! Russian research and the work of Matveyev suggests that three to five sets of 8 to 12 gradually increasing ballistic reps can be very effective, especially in sports specific applications.
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Ballistic stretching IS dangerous. I don't know whether to take him seriously in regards to stretching. The study he described incorporated
dynamic stretches, which can be useful and done safely. He clearly doesn't know the difference between the two.
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Originally Posted by Catanzaro
Bigger muscles? Perhaps. But stronger? I say no way! In my stretching article for T-mag, I mentioned two methods of aggressive stretching advocated by John Parrillo and Torbjorn Akerfeldt where the object is to expand the fascial compartment thus allowing greater room for growth. The classic bird study you've probably heard about also proves that stretching may have some merit for muscle growth.
Now, as far as strength is concerned, that’s a whole 'nother story! Sure, dynamic stretching may increase strength temporarily, but static stretching will definitely weaken muscle. The proposed theories of force decrement with stretching (which breaks down to roughly 60% neural and 40% muscular/contractile) include decreased motor neuron excitability, increased tendon slack, decreased stiffness, and altered actin-myosin position.
As the length of the muscle increases, stiffness decreases. As stiffness decreases, force decreases, which means…drum roll please…strength decreases!
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More flexibility in some parts of the body can increase your lifts by producing favorable biomechanics. For example, flexible hip-flexors in the full squat. Too much flexibility, on the other hand, in certain parts of the body, can make you weaker.