There is a lot of conflicting views on whether or not stretching is beneficial before resistance training. This is due to the amount of attention this topic has received recently within the sports science communities. As is the case with any topic in science, one can only draw a clear conclusion based on what the majority of evidence says. Definite conclusions cannot be made from one study.
The majority of the research on this topic suggests that stretching a muscle before heavy lifting may reduce its capacity to exert maximum force. A most recent study that confirms the results of many others was completed by researchers at Wayne State University and published in the Journal Of Strength & Conditioning Research.
The scientists found that stretching prior to lifting actually decreased biceps strength during fast and slow velocity contractions. Their findings suggested that strength decreases because muscles become “less-stiff” and not because stretching reduces the recruitment of motor units (the muscle fibers and the nerve that activates them).
For best performance in the gym, I’d recommend you follow the Max-OT warm up and do your stretching after you’ve finished lifting weights.
