November 1, 2023, 3:22 am | Read time: 6 minutes
If there’s one training element many amateur athletes often neglect, it’s stretching, or rather, stretching before or after exercise. FITBOOK shows how you can stretch your entire body in less than 2 minutes with the “World’s Greatest Stretch.” However, sports scientist Jörn Giersberg views the exercise critically.
The topic of stretching, or stretching exercises in sports, is controversial. Some swear by it for warming up between training sets or relaxing after a strenuous workout. At least for muscle growth, it’s not crucial. However, it can have negative effects if done too intensely between strength exercises or immediately after training, as our fitness professor Stephan Geisler explained in another article. Nevertheless, stretching exercises are important to increase the body’s flexibility. Especially after 40, one should pay attention to flexibility and agility, or risk stiff joints and limited mobility (FITBOOK reported). Many, however, are reluctant to take the time or lack the expertise to stretch the body extensively. But with the so-called “World’s Greatest Stretch,” it can be done in less than 2 minutes.
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Overview
How the Stretching Exercise is Performed
The “World’s Greatest Stretch” is a so-called dynamic stretching exercise. This means you don’t hold a position but perform the exercise as a sequence of movements. Admittedly, the execution sounds a bit complicated at first, but you internalize it after a few rounds. To better understand it, we have also shot a short demonstration video in addition to the written explanation.
Step 1
From an upright standing position, take a large step forward (e.g., initially with the left leg) and bend the knee.
Step 2
Place your hands on the ground parallel to the foot. Ensure the foot is parallel to both hands on the ground. For beginners: The extended back leg can be slightly bent.
Step 3
Now, slightly lift the left hand off the ground and move the left arm in a smooth motion to the right in front of (or behind) the right arm at about elbow height.
Step 4
After moving the left arm in front of (or behind) the right, pull it back out and rotate the upper body and head to the left while extending the arm upward. Perform this movement sequence slowly five to ten times.
Step 5
Finally, straighten the left leg and bring the arms down to the ground on either side of the foot. The fingers should touch the ground as far as possible. The back should be as straight as possible.
Step 6
Now bend the left leg in front of the body, bring the right back leg with the knee toward the ground to achieve a stable position. At the same time, straighten the upper body and extend the arms straight up over the head. Gently bounce the hips toward the ground to intensify the stretch.
Step 7
Return to the starting position and perform the entire exercise with the right leg forward.
Benefits of the “World’s Greatest Stretch”
If you’ve ever done yoga, parts of this exercise may seem familiar. Indeed, the “World’s Greatest Stretch” includes many elements from basic yoga exercises as well as other stretching elements. These are performed here in a dynamic sequence. This leads to the stretching of many large muscle groups in the body: legs, arms, back, shoulder blades, neck, and glutes are all stretched in this comprehensive routine.
The special advantage: By combining the stretching elements and maintaining a continuous movement flow, you can stretch the entire body in about two minutes. This is a significant time saver, as a single stretching exercise often takes at least 30 seconds.
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The Fitness Expert Views This Stretching Critically
But how does sports scientist and personal trainer Jörn Giersberg view the “World’s Greatest Stretch”? “In my opinion, the stretch is not that effective,” states the fitness expert. “It’s neither here nor there,” says Giersberg. In stretching, there are two main types: “Normally, it’s about getting into a stretch position and holding it for a longer period of at least 20 seconds, gradually easing into it without bouncing,” explains the expert. This is about making the structures more flexible and effectively pulling them apart. This can increase the range of motion.
The second type of stretching: “And there are short stretches that you do, for example, between sets. These should not be done too long because you otherwise lose the tension in the muscle, which is important for training. This, for example, ensures better blood circulation in the muscles,” says Jörn Giersberg.
In his opinion, the “World’s Greatest Stretch” is not very effective because the stretching phases are too short in this exercise routine. The exercise is also not suitable for performing between individual sets. Between sets, it’s about briefly stretching only the muscle group you are currently training.
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The “World’s Greatest Stretch” is Ideal for Beginners
Nevertheless, Giersberg says the stretch is ideal for beginners who don’t exercise very often and want to improve their flexibility. The exercise can be easily performed at home at any time, stretching the body in just a few minutes. “You should warm up a bit beforehand if you want to do this exercise at home occasionally. It’s enough to climb a few stairs or do some loosening exercises like arm circles, shoulder shrugs, hip circles,” says Giersberg, to avoid injuries. Because even with too intense stretching, you can injure yourself.
When performing the exercise, it’s important to execute the individual stretching elements correctly–focusing on the sequence and “going into” the muscle. If possible, he advises holding the stretch for at least a short moment.
Stretching is good and important to improve your flexibility. Light stretching after training can also promote recovery. Jörn Giersberg recommends stretching especially as a form of active recovery between training days or after a workout when the body is well warmed up. However, you should not stretch exhausted muscles too intensely, as this can harm them and even hinder muscle growth. Additionally, stretching is important to relieve tension in the body. His motto: “Better to stretch more often and less intensely than too intensely.”