Hi everybody,I’ d like to know your opinion about passive stretching.
Do you think it’ s really useful?
passive stretching is to good mobility as a popeye’s is to good nutrition. would you like cocontraction with that?
use one of the fancier means (pnf, ais, foam rolling… anything). passive stretching can get the job done but it is one of the least effective mobility means IMO.
It seems to me that if what you want are lower strength levels on the bench, slower accelerations on the track, a lower achievable MaxV due to lower leg stiffness, with the addition of no reduction in injury rate and possibly a higher injury rate if the stretching is performed incorrectly or on an improperly warmed up joint…then static stretching is a very good way of achieving same.
Put me down squarely on the side of dynamic warmups.
Passive stretching is good for mobility, but for reset tonus too.
If you know how feel muscle tone, you can work with passive, PNF and dynamic for adjusting muscle tension.
If you loose strength, sorry but you have lowered muscle tone too much!!! 
Does the original question (on a “Recovery and Regeneration” section) refer specifically to the warm-up? Couldn’t you use passive stretching simply as a ‘checking’ means?
I think that passive stretching has it’s place in sprinting. Every athlete is different and if they are tight in the areas of hip it will affect hip extension. I have noticed noticed significant gains in my athletes that included passive stretching to their routines along with a proper warm-up. Stretching must be given just as much attention as sprinting if you want to make some changes in flexibility.
Jimmy Lamour
http://athleticstrength.blogspot.com
http://wwwthechamber-jimmy.blogspot.com/.
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What’ s the difference between static and passive stretching?
No difference in my book.
I see where some of you are coming from that static stretching has its place (and does). Still I would go with AIS or MET in most cases.
The goal is to attain good flexibility and then maintain it. I see many athletes who will only taking stretching seriously when they’re very tight and it’s 30minutes before their event.
AIS= Active Isolated Stretching
MET= Muscle Energy Techniques- which is like PNF but at only 20% effort on contraction phase
I’m sure you can find more free info on these methods on youtube.
Should I be passive stretching (30 second holds per muscle) after every single workout ?
‘Static’ may refer to the ‘mechanism/kind’ of stretching, whereas ‘passive’ to the ‘method/way’ (i.e., by someone else).
Static/passive stretching usually works better after a session, when flexibility is one of your goals and especially after low intensity workouts. Others?
I think that static stretch it’s very usufel for some muscles such as hips and glutes.
But the most important thing is how and when you stretch!
What do you guys think about the belief that stretching stretches tendons and ligaments more than actual muscles, increasing the possibility of injuries? (to tendons and ligaments)
Stef, it’s true and false at the same time, because if you do a long/low intensity stretching, you have a fascial involvement and a deep release (as extreme iso).
But muscle release are not only structural, but neurological too, and when you do classic static stretching you reset muscle tonus receptor (golgi in this case) and have a neuromuscular release.
A complete approach is neurological and structural (tixotropy effect).
Oh ok, I think I understand.
Practically, what would this setup look like?
How do you feel for “muscle tone” ?
Has any read the book, “the Genius of Flexibility”
it’s about the Meridian Flexibility system that Dara Torres uses in her training.
Also at the last SWISS conference Dr. Serrano spoke of this type of stretching- eccentric stretching.
I’m wondering if anyone has tried this pre or post training.
You can mix extreme isometric or long static stretching and PNF or AIS.
Actually I’m working with AIS+Jump stretch with interesting result on mobility.
Few month ago I’ve worked a lot only with extreme iso, but soccer players don’t love it.
There isn’t a specific recipe, sometimes your brain+pratical experience help a lot.
But my battle horse is always the Charlie’s approach to stretch, see GPP or Jane Project!
@t-bone: seems interesting, do you have other infos?
website:http://www.flexiblestrength.org/
@UnlimitedSteel: you can feel muscle tone in two way, with your hands and with muscle flexibility test.