Static stretching
Why weakening a muscle prior to an exercise can make you stronger.
Back in the day static stretching was all the rage even today students of many skills feel like they need to stretch prior to engaging in activities. The reasoning is I don’t want to pull a muscle. However contrary to popular belief there is plenty of research to demonstrate that static stretching can be deleterious to performance. (1)(2) However in certain instances static stretching is warranted provided that it is the antagonist and not the agonist you are stretching.
In the case that and individuals hipflexor is tight due to sitting all day it is a good idea to stretch during warm up of the squat, intra set. This is related to the reciprocal inhibition. (3) What happens is by stretching antagonist muscle group say the bicep you can more easily contract the agonist muscle the tricep.
How to incorporate static stretching into a routine for Back Squat
| A1 | Back Squat Warm Up | 3X8 | 30X0 |
| A2 | Hipflexor Stretch 1 | 3X20-30sec | |
| B1 | Back Squat | 5X5 |
Incorporating any of the above stretches can add to the mobility of the squat however it is important to understand that stretching a muscle for example the hamstring prior to a deadlift would be a grave mistake. (1)(2) This is one way to address mobility without compromising strength or power.