Maximize Your Gains: The Right Way to Combine Stretching and Strength Training

Imagine you’re at the gym, ready to tackle your workout. You’ve done your usual stretches, thinking you’re preparing your muscles for the intensity to come. But what if I told you that this common practice might be setting you up for failure? We have discovered a smarter and safer way to combine stretching with strength training that could revolutionize your workout routine.

In our latest video, “Should You Stretch The Same Muscles You’re Working Out?“, Rad dives deep into the pitfalls of combined strength and stretching workouts, revealing how this practice can increase your risk of injury and decrease your strength potential.

The Science Behind Stretching and Strength Training

When you stretch before lifting weights, you're signaling your muscles to relax. While this might seem helpful, it can actually weaken your muscles' performance. Research shows that stretching before strength training can lead to an acute decrease in muscle strength, making your muscles less effective during your workout. This reduction in strength not only hampers your performance but also increases your risk of injury.

This poses a significant problem as many people, pressed for time, often skip stretching altogether.

In the Unified Movement System (UMS), we’ve developed a method to mitigate these risks. Instead of stretching the muscles you plan to work out, we combine upper body strength training with lower body flexibility exercises, and vice versa. This approach ensures your muscles are primed for contraction when needed, without the conflicting signals from stretching.

This innovative programming helps you maximize performance and reduce injury risk, all while incorporating flexibility training into your routine.

A Smarter Way to Combine Flexibility and Strength

Think about your typical workout. If you’re focusing on chest exercises, stretching your chest muscles between sets might seem logical. However, this can dramatically increase your risk of injury and reduce your strength potential for subsequent sets.

After you’ve completed all your strength training sets, you can stretch any muscle groups you want. This timing allows your muscles to benefit from the stretching without compromising your performance during the workout. The key is intelligent programming, ensuring you’re not overloading the same muscle groups every day and allowing adequate rest and recovery.

The Risks of Ignoring This Advice

Failing to get this right can lead to serious consequences. Stretching the same muscles you’re training can cause microtears and strains, setting you back in your fitness journey. Over time, this practice can lead to chronic injuries, sidelining you from the activities you love. By ignoring this advice, you risk falling into a cycle of injury and recovery, never reaching your full potential.

Embrace the Unified Movement System

The Unified Movement System (UMS) is designed to optimize your workouts by combining strength and flexibility in a way that supports your overall fitness goals. By alternating between upper body strength and lower body flexibility, and vice versa, you can ensure a balanced approach that maximizes your gains and minimizes your risk of injury.

Our approach to training is not just about lifting heavier weights or achieving greater flexibility; it’s about creating a sustainable fitness routine that supports long-term health and performance. We emphasize the importance of load management, rest, and recovery, ensuring your body can adapt and grow stronger over time.

Watch the Full Video for More Insights

If you’re wanting to level up your strength and flexibility in a safe and efficient way I highly encourage you to watch the video to gain a deeper understanding of how to combine stretching with strength training effectively.

👉 Download our free Flexibility Blueprint and learn how to unlock your true performance.

👉 Join UMS 28-Day Challenge and let us tailor a strength and flexibility program for you.