Stretching Reps & Sets… 10 Tips
The right number of reps and sets is key to maximum progress while avoiding injury or setbacks and can vary for each of us. This video offers 10 tips to help you determine the optimal reps and sets for your situation.
Underlying these 10 tips is a basic principle… that we need to approach each stretch mindfully, understanding the importance of keeping our muscles and soft tissue rich in blood and oxygen, so that we can get the best results from our stretching routine while staying injury free. If you enjoy the video, give us a thumbs up and do leave us a comment. We love feedback.
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Reps & Sets Video Transcript…
I’m Dan Rioux with YouStretching.com. You know, in a previous video I mentioned that one of the key reasons why Two-Second Stretching is so effective is because we hold the stretches for just two seconds. But there are other key elements, and one of them is the number of repetitions we do for each stretch. The question is, how many repetitions should you do to get the best results? You might think, gee, it would seem like the more repetitions I do the sooner I should get flexible. But then the question becomes, is there any risk in you doing too many repetitions, possibly hurting yourself or setting yourself back? Well, because our bodies are unique and we each struggle with different issues, the number of repetitions we should do will vary from person to person. So no quick and easy formula, sorry. Instead here are 10 tips that you can use to determine the number of repetitions you should do given your current situation.
Okay, tip number one… listen to your body. A stretch should feel good. Once you start feeling slight discomfort it's your body telling you that you're reaching what we call the end-point of the stretch. It's an outer boundary and we should keep all our stretches within that boundary.
Tip number two… allow your body the time it needs to adapt. Our bodies are highly adaptable but they tend to adapt gradually. And while some people may become flexible in a matter of months, others will need a year or more. So in other words be patient.
Tip number three… avoid fatigue. Doing too many repetitions will rob your muscles of blood and oxygen, leaving them tight and stiff. And that's just the opposite of what we're going for.
Tip number four… follow the rule of 1%. Think of the first three or four repetitions as a Warm-up, staying within your comfort zone. Then with each additional repetition take the stretch just one degree farther, staying of course within that outer boundary of slight discomfort. Once you're no longer able to make any progress or the muscle starts feeling fatigued, it's time to end that set and move on to a different muscle.
Tip number five… do up to ten repetitions per set. As you make progress you may start to sense that a muscle could benefit from more than ten repetitions. But it's best to stop at ten and come back to it after you've worked on a different muscle. The short rest between sets will give that muscle a chance to recuperate and renew its supply of blood and oxygen.
Tip number six… do up to three sets. Even if you're not yet doing ten repetitions on a given muscle it's okay and even good to come back and do a second and even a third set. The key is to avoid fatigue. So if necessary, just cut back on the number of repetitions you're doing on those additional sets.
Tip number seven… check in with your body the morning after. If you wake up feeling fatigued, sore, or achy the morning after your stretching session, you've probably pushed the muscle too far, or you did too many repetitions. Just dial it back temporarily until your body adapts further.
Tip number eight… factor in things like your age, your fitness level, or situations like injuries and chronic conditions. For instance if I'm working with somebody who's middle-aged, fairly fit, and has few or no injuries, I'll probably do at least two, if not three sets of eight to ten repetitions on most of their muscles. But if I'm working with someone who's advanced in years, frail, has several issues, I may start with one, maybe two sets of five or six repetitions. After several sessions and signs of healthy adaptation I'll gradually increase the number of reps and sets.
Tip number nine… once you've reached your flexibility goals, you may be able to cut back on the number of repetitions and sets that you need to do in order to maintain that level of flexibility. That's always a happy day. But then there’s…
Tip number ten… as you age you may need to add additional repetitions, sets, even stretching sessions in order to maintain your level of flexibility. In a previous video I talked about a 96 year old professional tennis player who had shattered the world record as the oldest person to ever win an international tennis tournament . Flexibility was his key. And even though he was stretching every day he made himself a promise to add additional stretches to his routine every year on his birthday in order to maintain his existing level of flexibility. And he kept that promise for over 70 years.
Well that's it. Underlying these 10 tips is a basic principle… that we need to approach each stretch mindfully, understanding the importance of keeping our muscles and soft tissue rich in blood and oxygen so that we can get the best results from our stretching routine while staying injury free.
So in the comments box below I'd love to hear about your progress and any challenges you're facing. And be sure to share this video with family members, friends, and colleagues who may be struggling with their own aging related issues.
So I'm Dan Rioux. If you're watching this anywhere other than at YouStretching.com, be sure to head over there. We have a growing library of free videos, and a free ebook about the two second stretching technique. And if you haven't already, be sure to Subscribe so you can start getting our new videos automatically as they're released. I hope you stay excited about living an active, pain-free lifestyle and committed to the self-care that makes it a reality.
