Fascial Stretching for Muscular Growth
The muscular system o
f the body contains smooth muscles that are contained in organs, cardiac muscle, which is located in the heart and skeletal muscles which we use voluntarily everyday to control our every move. All can be grouped together as muscles, however they are all unique in and of themselves. Skeletal muscle is what we will focus on for the purpose of this article and its relationship with the fascia. Fascia is no actually muscle, but a connective tissue that surrounds the muscle. It is important to note that the fascia is different from muscle tissue being connective tissue. That means it will have different properties in terms of growth and stretch as opposed to the muscle itself. The muscle is packed tightly within the fascia with the fascia holding the muscle in place and holding the fibers together. This is great for the efficiency of the working muscle, however, if the fascia is extremely tight, there is no room for the muscle to grow. In the average lifter with no concern for muscle shape this really isn’t a problem. However, for us bodybuilders, who are greatly concerned with the growth and shape of the muscle, we should be very concerned with the fascia in addition to the actual muscle.
So, you might ask, how can I prevent the fascia from being a limiting factor to my muscle shape and muscular growth? There is one simple answer to this question and that is, stretching. Stretching, stretching and more stretching. Stretching should be defined and specified as well. There can be two types of stretching to consider when concerned with the fascia. Dynamic stretching, which is the stretching that the muscle experiences during motion, say, while lifting. Then there is static stretching which can be equated to a stretch and hold, or more so the muscle experiencing a stretch while under no tension and experiencing no motion. These types of stretches are usually defined when referring to skeletal muscles, however, since the fascia is closely attached to the outside of the muscles, we can use these same terms. It is important to remember that the fascia is not a muscular tissue, it is a connective tissue and, therefore, has different properties tha
n that of the muscle. Hence the reason as to why we must stretch it in specific ways to achieve a desired result.
Fascial stretching should be done while the muscles are full of blood, warm and soon after an exercise has been performed. That being said, the best time to perform the stretching would be directly after all exercises have been completed. Stretching during a workout can effect exertion and since weightlifting for hypertrophy is our assumed goal, we don’t want to mess with that. Ideally, with proper form the motion of the exercise will induce some stretch and then the rest of the extreme stretching can be performed directly post-workout. The “pump” that is achieved from the weightlifting is a product of adequate exertion and proper dietary intake. The reason for the pump is simply this. With a muscle at resting state with no blood it is smaller. Imagine it like a balloon with no air, the balloon being the fascia. You can only stretch this balloon so much with no air in it. Once you inflate the balloon and then you squeeze the balloon, it will stretch to a greater degree than when you stretched it with no air. So take into account the fascia when the muscle is full of blood, it can be stretched to a much greater degree this way. By repeatedly stretching the muscles when they are full of blood directly after a workout, you can begin to permanently stretch the fascia. It is important to note that this is not a one-time deal. You must continue this type of stretching for desired muscles for it to become effective.
Fascial stretching is best achieved by using a weighted tension directly after the workout is finished. That is, holding weight while inducing a stretch of the muscle in question. Also, the stretch should be held for about 30 seconds. Fascial stretching is also done in the eccentric phase of the particular movement. For example, if finishing a workout with a pec flye, weight should be held and in the eccentric phase be held at the bottom of that movement to induce the extreme stretch. It is important to notice how the stretch feels. For most bodybuilders, we can tell the difference between a good stretch and a bad stretch. The fascia stretching should just feel like an extreme pull in the muscle but not to the degree of any pain or tearing in the muscle. The degree of pull may be greater than that of a normal stretch because of the nature of the stretch but there should not be any pain or painful discomfort within the muscle or joint.
It is important to be cautious when using the fascial stretching technique for muscle growth because like any stretching regime you can injury yourself if you do it incorrectly. However, the implementation of a fascial stretching program into your weight training could greatly benefit you and your muscular gains for the long term.
Sources and Photo Credits:
http://www.selfcare4rsi.com/fascia.html
http://www.weight-lifting-complete.com/tricep-stretches/
http://www.weight-lifting-complete.com/back-stretches/
Finando, D., & Finando, S. (2005). Trigger point therapy for myofascial pain.
Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
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