shoulder stretch

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Anonymous

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this is going to sound a bit weird. i have been lifting my whole life ( since 8th grade) and i became a bit tight in the torso and shoulder area. even after i stopped lifting "hard" my upper body was quite rigid. after years of playing golf with little success i felt that my main issue was not stretching enough. i started a major stretching program last fall. i spend about 20 minutes just on my upper torso and shoulders. the stretch i do utilizes my gyms web stretcher, you basciallu stand up and hang off of these bungee type cords. but i took it to another level by stretching very hard. somed ays my shoulder joints felt as if they were falling out. i had lots of pain in the begginning. i stretched my shoulders out as if i were swinging a golf club. both sides. what i have found is that this stretching has added strength and defination to my shoulders and arms. my arms are actually a bit longer than before and i my range of motion is unreal. i can do pullups now where as before i could not. i fell no pain now and my shoulders and back crave this intense stretch. my golf swing is very smooth and more powerful than before. i never thought stretching would do this and now i am a beleiver. what i am doing is a form of power yoga cause i hold the stretch. i may look into power yoga and try that as well. but all of us can take time out to stretch. give it 6 months and see if you have similar results. good luck
 


  • ~T~   Jun 05, 2008 at 01:10: PM
That's excellent OP. So you've achieved strengthening through stretching and not weight lifting? Who'd thunk it? Take note BL4.

All weight lifting is a form of isotonic muscle contraction which actually shortens the muscle. Your muscle development in & around your shoulders and upper torso were probably nice and tight (and short) since you said you've been lifting since the 8th grade, but also very restrictive. The stretching you described is a form of eccentric contraction which lengthens the muscle (and strengthens) and allows greater flexibility, less retrictive movement of the muscles as a unit (greater synergy) and greater control...note how your golf swing improved.
 








  • ~T~   Jun 05, 2008 at 06:33: PM
Tourette's much?

Reread his post again numnuts.

and O H H....try engaging your brain before your fingers hit the keyboard.
 
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Woman here who agrees w/ OP: years ago in addition to running and lifting, I took up ballet and found that I definitely got longer and leaner in just a few months. It is much harder than it looks and you work muscles that I just didn't with my regular routine, and the stretching/flexibility improvement is huge!
I've recently started again: leaner thighs, lifted derriere, and improved definition in my abs, shoulders, calves. And my leg strength had increased dramatically.
There's my two cents!!
 


op here - i hit another bucket of balls last night after my stretch and lifting routine, i cannot believe how much my swing has changed - i am coming thru the ball and my right hand and shoulder are crossing over my torso with ease and velocity, i can torque my spine and abs so that i am crushing the ball ( 220 yd drives vs my old 150 yards left and right crappy hits) i have never connected with the ball like i am now, i feel like a different person, my main point here is that a almost painful stretch, that is held for about a 40 second interval, doen over 20 minutes just on the shoulders, has changed my life, i never thought it possioble, i will let you know if this translates to an actual course, they seem straighter and longer - take care
 


  • ~T~   Jun 08, 2008 at 08:16: AM
I'm sure you ease into that stretch...just be careful. What you're doing is not for the novice. You wouldn't want to pull anything. Just curious..are you also working your legs for balance of strength? You mentioned that you're able to follow through nicely on your swing now getting abdomen working for you, but what about below the waist.. gluts, quads, hams and gastroc's?
 




  • ~T~   Jun 08, 2008 at 11:36: AM
Eat it anon.

Show me the misinformation or shut your piehole.
 




op here - as far as my legs go - here is what i do, a normal stretching routine on my legs, no weights, i do a speed walk on the nautilus treadclimber 2x per week - maxed out, i swim 1x per wk, and thats about it, i could do more for the legs, maybe add dumbbell lunges??
 





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