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Should You Stretch Before or After Martial Arts Training?

February 8, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

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You wouldn’t think that something like stretching before a martial arts class could be controversial, but it is (I blame the running community for muddying the waters)!

Some evidence and experts suggest that you should only do it after your workout, whereas most traditions say that you should do it before.

Who’s right and what should you do?

Well, in the following video and/or podcast episode I break it down for you (hint, it really, really depends on the sport you do)!

A runner getting ready to go for 5 km jog is in a very different situation than someone who’s about to be working on their spinning back kick or their armbar from guard. But going deep into long static stretches before training probably isn’t the way to go either…

Here’s the info in video form from the Youtube channel (Self Defense Tutorials) which I’ll embed below…

Or, if you prefer, you can also listen to the same information on my podcast called “The Strenuous Life”…

The topic of stretching before or after a martial arts workout is covered in episode 114  and you can listen to it below, or go iTunes, Google Play, Soundcloud, or Stitcher and subscribe to the podcast itself (a rating and a review is always super appreciated!

Hope this helps!

Stephan

Filed Under: Conditioning, Featured, Self Defense Basics Tagged With: anatomy, injuries, kicks, podcast, preparation, stretching, video

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