Visualizing and knowing what your body is doing while you’re stretching is just as important as visualizing and knowing what muscle you’re using when you’re lifting weights. So begins your science lesson for today . . . and, if you’re anything like me, you have little interest in science, so I’ll try to be brief and get right to the point!
The stretching of a muscle begins with the most elementary unit in the muscle fiber —the sarcomere. As the sarcomere is stretched, the overlap of the myofilaments decreases, allowing the muscle fiber to elongate (Whew! Now that’s a mouthful). At that point, the surrounding connective tissue gives way to the force of your stretch and it also stretches. In other words, the greater number of myofilaments you can stretch, the greater flexibility you have in the muscle.
The stretching of a muscle begins with the most elementary unit in the muscle fiber —the sarcomere. As the sarcomere is stretched, the overlap of the myofilaments decreases, allowing the muscle fiber to elongate (Whew! Now that’s a mouthful). At that point, the surrounding connective tissue gives way to the force of your stretch and it also stretches. In other words, the greater number of myofilaments you can stretch, the greater flexibility you have in the muscle.
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