Is Stretching Really Worth It?

Speaker 1: Stretching is one of the best things to improve your BJJ and mobility, but sometimes you can get too much of a good thing. And I'm going to share a story, Joe. I may have done myself a mischief. Now, for those of you not familiar with that phrase, uh, Keithy's done himself a mischief. You need to go watch the movie Chopper. Mr. Beasley. Mr. Beasley. Keithy's done himself a mischief. It's an Australian thing. Basically, it means you fucked yourself up, and that's exactly what I did, folks. Now, here's the thing, I would say more recently, my stretching routine has been more maintenance. It's been like, limber up, and if something's a bit tight, work on it so it's not, uh, bad. Yeah. But I haven't actively been working on a movement, which in the past I would, I would do. Oh, not like chasing new range. I haven't got a project. Yeah, yeah. And honestly, I, I would say I've given up a bit of range in the name of getting as physically strong as possible. And that's kind of that's that is a trade. So how it goes. Yeah, but I still have pretty good range overall. The other day, I was limbered up, I was warm, sitting on the floor in the, in the living room, stretching, and I kind of got in a bit of a groove, and I'm like, oh yeah, fuck yeah. Kind of started getting in the pancake, and I was like, oh yeah, I'm kind of bouncing around a bit, bit of this and that, and I, and I was like, I need to, I need to give this more of a push. And I felt good, and I was warm, and I was prepared, and I started getting in the deep range, I started doing a bit of PNF stuff, and getting in there, and, um, it was okay, and then as I came out of the stretch, I felt a little, oh, mm, it didn't feel right. Usually you, you have a pretty solid stretch, you come up, you go, oh, I feel amazing. I was like, oh, it might have, mm, maybe, mm, no, no. No, I wouldn't, I couldn't possibly hurt myself stretching. Then I started getting in my hip flexors, and I was like, oh, they're a bit tight. I was getting in here, and I, um, I was getting real deep into the range, and I actually kind of lost my balance a little bit, because I was kneeling on a cushion. And I was doing some lunge stretch or something. Yeah, I was doing some kind of lunging stretch, and then I kind of went to like a, like a, almost like a split hold. Yeah. And I just, I just slipped my knee a bit, and took all my weight in my hip flexor like, quite suddenly. And I went, oh, and I, I thought, you know, it's like if you trip and you fall and you're like, oh, am I okay, have I hurt myself? I thought, no, I'm fine, I'm just keep stretching, and then I was like, oh, actually that really fucking hurts. And I had to, I was like in the fucking splits, trying to get, get myself out of the position without actually just fucking face planting. And I had to just, like, kind of fall to the side and bring my leg through, and I'm like, oh. I was making these noises on the floor, and I was like, are you all right? Like, she's just walked out the room, come back, I'm on the floor going, ah. But I was just annoyed with myself, because I was doing something to make myself better, and I fucking, it wasn't bad, but I'm still feeling it now. Like I, I strained my hamstring and my hip flexor in the same session by being too enthusiastic about my stretching. And I, I'm so annoyed with myself. Speaker 2: Yeah, because that'll fuck you, what's that? Been a bit of a speed bump for your training for a little while. Speaker 1: Uh, a little bit. I can't, I, I, I have been doing sumo deadlifts as an accessory. That's a terrible position for me right now, because of the hammy and the hip flexor and how it sets up. Yeah. Squats have been here and there, deadlifts are okay, but it definitely, it's hampered training the last two weeks. And, the thing I wanted to talk about here is people probably don't respect stretching as a demanding thing. I think most of the time when people stretch, it, it is that just, I just don't want to feel tight. I just want to kind of, like, create space where I feel a bit of a cramp or something like that. People are not actively working on their range, pushing their range. And therefore they, they, they don't necessarily get sore, but the thing I wanted to talk about here is that if you are actually trying to improve your range of motion, whether it be a back bend, a forward fold, whatever it might be, you're probably going to get a little bit sore. And not necessarily what I, what I did, uh, which is just go way too hard because I was really warm and into it. But also you, you put yourself Speaker 2: 9:30 p.m. JT just had like his second last coffee for the evening. Fuck yeah, let's get it. Speaker 1: No, it was. Stretch time. This is how I relax. Uh, but yeah, man. Speaker 2: Like, can we just watch the show and sit on the fucking couch? Speaker 1: Couch. Sometimes, sometimes. Um, but no, it's, it's, it's one of those things that if you, uh, and, you know, I've spoken to a few people who've tried to like push their split or, uh, push their back bend, and they've, they've done a bit of a tweak. Yeah. And so I, I think this is the thing that, uh, you don't necessarily consider when you start stretching, because you're like, this is good for me. How could this be bad? What could go wrong? Um, have you ever done yourself a similar mischief, Joe? Speaker 2: Yeah, fucking heaps of times. Um, you know, it's the same as lifting weights, right? It's like, you can, like, you see heaps of people in the gym who just lift weights, they kind of lift the same weights all the time. Yeah. And, you know, they don't really need to warm up because it's the same weight they've been lifting for the last 15 years. Speaker 1: It's not so hard. Speaker 2: And they look, you know, usually like in shape. Speaker 1: Okay. Speaker 2: You know, and you're like, yeah, it's great. And then you see the people that are like, or, you know, you're like chasing one RMs and chasing new movement skills and shit. And they're like, fucking pushing it, and they need heaps of warm-ups and pre-workout and shit. And it's like, yeah, the, the risk is greater, the reward is greater, but the risk is greater at that top end. Speaker 1: Yeah. And so it's the same with stretching, right? Like, you can just be that maintenance cat. Um, and sometimes, can you fucking sit down, dog, so you're not been, I've been so awkward. Um, that's my dog Sage. Um, the other one's on the floor. But, yeah, if you want to, if you're trying to do some shit and if you get a bit carried away, especially if you come from that place of like, you got the Taekwondo background and stuff, you're like, yeah, I can do some shit. Yeah. And, you know, you generally have like a good level of, of range in you. Um, yeah, it's, it's probably like, when I show up to a deadlifting day with some of the guys at the gym and they're like, hey, we're all going for a fucking max lift today. And I'm like, oh, I haven't really deadlifted for much like in the last 12 months, but fuck it. What's the worst that can happen? Speaker 1: Let's send it. Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, like, you're exposing yourself to potential risk. Speaker 1: Yeah. And, and I, I think the, the side of this is when you do stretch, um, depending on what you're working on, if you do spend a bit more time doing it, you are kind of putting yourself in a bit of a vulnerable spot. Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. Speaker 1: Whether it's your shoulders, or it's your back, or your hips. Speaker 2: Also. Speaker 1: And you're trying to, you're trying to find the line, or you're trying to go, take the line and, and move it a little bit more forward, and that's not, that's not comfortable or easy. So it's sometimes difficult to know when you're like, oh, am I doing some improvement here? Am I doing some freaking damage? You know? And I, and I, and I think that for me it was probably a little bit more like, uh, just a, a bit of a mishap, but in, in so doing, what, what is funny about that is, I did no jiu-jitsu that week. I did all my lifts, I got my sleep, I did all my rest, and I even did extra stretching, and I still ended up fucked up. I still, still limping to get out of bed, you know what I mean? Like, it's so funny. And, and, and I think that when you accept that you're going to be a physically active human, that, that doesn't, in no way does that make you, um, insulated from the, the fuckery. It, Yeah, yeah. It brings you closer in some ways. It's just probably a little bit more like on your terms. Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's, um, you know, I mean, you shared that Ido Portal clip with me before. Speaker 1: I did. I saw that. I thought of you. Speaker 2: One of the things that I, I was like, I don't know what the fuck was said in that clip. Speaker 1: I have not, it's out of context, isn't it? Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I know what was said, I don't know what the fuck was meant. But one of the great things he said is that, um, we, we take the small injuries so that we can avoid the big injuries down the track. Speaker 1: Mm. Speaker 2: And I, I strongly believe that. And if you're in the training process, you're going to get bust, like, you're going to do the thing, right? And it's like, you're chasing something, you got fucking, you know, the universe threw a little rock, hey, it's like, fuck, slow down, homeboy. Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. Speaker 2: You know. Um, but it's not that bad, right? No. You know, you, you'll fucking keep. Speaker 1: I'm training around it, it's all good. Yeah. Speaker 2: I've got at the moment actually, I got swelling in my knee. This one's been flat, this is the one I had the couple of surgeries on. Speaker 1: Is this, uh, is could we say it could be a running related? Speaker 2: No, because I've not been running. Speaker 1: Oh. Speaker 2: And that's probably the lack, it's probably the lack of running. Speaker 1: I thought I had, Joe's like, got him by the fucking balls. Yes. Damn. Speaker 2: Cuz you've been running, you fucking idiot. Um, no, I, I've been really lazy with the running ever since we podcasted about it probably. Uh, it's been about three weeks, I've just not been doing it. But, um, but, yeah, no, the knee and so like when I go to, when I go to jiu-jitsu, doesn't feel great, then I warm up, feels fine. Speaker 1: Yeah, once you're warm. Speaker 2: And then I roll, and then after I roll, it feels good, and then come off, you know, later that day, I'm like, oh, the knee. So I know I'm playing with fire right now. Speaker 1: You are. Speaker 2: You know, I'm like, and, you know, whatever, I'll, I'll keep you guys updated on it. It's not at the point where I'm like, need to not roll, but there's definitely some kind of irritation in there that needs potentially I need to give it a little bit more space. Speaker 1: Uh, addressing. And, and that's the thing that, Speaker 2: You guys have been asking and it's time we've re-released the Sunday's Por Harta shirt as well as our bulletproof for BJJ core shirt. You see JT and I rocking these during the episodes. We've got a bunch of different colors available, heavyweight cotton, and the best part is when you chuck more than one into your shopping cart, you get a nice little discount. So, go to fanware.com.au, wherever you're listening to this or viewing it, there's going to be a link nearby. Hit that, search for bulletproof and you'll find the shirts there. Rep the squad, be part of the crew. We'll see you there. Speaker 1: So, recently a bunch of, uh, PBs and, and, and, and, and, or PRs have been hit at my gym. People really pushing it, like red lining it, right? And, Speaker 2: Christmas bitch. Speaker 1: It's a crazy, it's a crazy atmosphere to be around, like so many different people just doing their best. And it's great because they've built up to this all year, and people are doing amazing things. But, I, I find it similar to like a jiu-jitsu tournament. I always used to get sick post jiu-jitsu tournament. Like, it's whether it's a weight cut, so much adrenaline, everything, there's something about the kind of come down from that that I would chronically get unwell the week post jiu-jitsu. Yeah. I'd have a bit of a, bit of a crash. Been a few injuries in the gym. People just taking it to right to the edge, because there's been a, there was a few, uh, comps and, and demonstrations of strength. And then a couple days later, I, I, I was like, oh, I didn't see someone for a little while. Come in, he's like, oh, I hurt my shoulder. I was like, how'd you do that? It's like, well, they didn't do it doing the thing, but the thing generated a lot of tension, they went to do something else and, ah. You know what I mean? Like, it, it's funny that you, you can be so primed and so good for something, like another guy, I won't name him, literally squatted, I usually out squat this guy, so I was upset that he out squatted me, and it's fine. It's not fine, I'm coming for you, but it, whatever. So he squatted 260 for three. And I've always out squatted this guy. I was like, where did that come from? Speaker 2: How the fuck? How? How? I mean, what, what are you max squatting? Speaker 1: Uh, 240. Speaker 2: Right, so how did this guy jump up 20k? Speaker 1: That's what I find. Speaker 2: 25, because he must have been a little bit below. Speaker 1: How dare, yeah, he was more like the 230, 220 range. Anyway, he then pulled like 280 for, for I think a rep or two. I was like, what? He's deadlifts better than mine, but that's like his PR, you know, and, Yeah. So anyway, he goes away on holiday for a week or two. Thailand? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, it's not a, it's not a, it's not, it's not an injectable story. Anyway, he came back, he had to get a box from behind a shelf. So, he's had a holiday. Speaker 2: The guy fucking died. Fucking idiot. Speaker 1: Yes. Fuck yeah. I had my vengeance. No, he, he, so he was bending, turning, the box wasn't even heavy. Strained his back. Right? And I'm not saying this with any glee, it's like, fuck, he's built all this tension, he's done all this work in the usual modality. He's had just a week or two off, and you think that would freshen you up. But, he's a little bit, I wouldn't say detrained, but maybe he hasn't been stretching as much, hasn't been training as much. He just goes to like lean and twist and get a box in just an odd way, and fucking strains his back. Speaker 2: Vertebra literally flies out of his fucking lumbar. Speaker 1: Just going to the other side of the room. Jesus. And so, Speaker 2: Bad things happen to bad people, what do you say? Speaker 1: That's, that's what I said. I said, Joey says this because his mate's grandma said that, that's why I told him. But the reason why we need to talk about this is when you are trying to improve something, whether it is stretching, whether it is your conditioning, whether it's your lifting, you, you definitely have to accept there is a little bit of risk reward when you push the upper end. And even though you might not think stretching is something which is potentially injurious, it fucking is. And even someone like me who is experienced, who has just stretched since I was a kid, even now, I, I still am not 100% sure on when to like call it. Yeah. Because you're, you're uncomfortable the whole time. And it's just like, how far can I go into this and come out of it without it being a, a, a mischief. Speaker 2: That tear my shit. Which, I mean, you know, for the, for the folks listening, watching, you probably don't need to worry about that because JT's an extreme cunt, and he just fucking, you might have caught onto this already. Speaker 1: Maybe. Speaker 2: Whereas for most of you, it's like, you're going to get into a stretch and you're probably not going to go hard enough. Speaker 1: Maybe. Speaker 2: But, but, but yeah, fair, fair point about just a training thing. I mean, you'd all the time, don't you, people doing stupid shit in the gym, you're like, what the fuck did you do that? But it's same kind of thing, right? You'd be like, JT, why are you fucking, why are you doing that? Yeah. But whatever, you. Speaker 1: You were kind of feeling it, you had the energy, it felt good, you're like, what could be the harm? Speaker 2: Yeah. Speaker 1: What's the worst that could happen? Right? We all do that. Speaker 2: And we got to, we got to about to zoom out and go, well, the thing that made you do that is also the thing that makes you stretch generally and keeps you flexible and in shape. Yeah. So, you know, one time out of 10 it fucking bites your back. Yeah. The other times it's, the juice is worth the squeeze. Speaker 1: Squeeze. That's right. And so, yeah, like you said, I think that's a good, a good call from before. We take the, we take the small knocks to avoid the big problems later. There it is, folks. Keep stretching.