What’s one thing many male athletes overlook that could help them become better, more efficient, and potentially faster athletes?
Stretching.
After more than 10 years of working with male and female runners and athletes, I’ve noticed a pattern. Many of the boys, teenage athletes, young men, and older men I work with have tight muscles and limited flexibility. And many don’t make stretching a regular part of their training.
Most athletes focus on getting stronger, building endurance, improving their skills, and working harder. Stretching often gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list.
But here’s what I want male athletes to understand: Tightness can work against your athletic performance in ways you might not realize.
It can make movement harder, limit your range of motion, and potentially contribute to muscle strains when you try to push beyond what your body can comfortably handle.
If you want to run faster, accelerate quicker, jump higher, or move better on the field or court, improving your flexibility deserves more attention.
Tightness Can Be an Energy Leaker
Think about what happens when you try to move a body part that’s tight. You’re working against resistance.
Now imagine that happening repeatedly while you’re sprinting, running, jumping, or playing a sport.
Your body should be using its energy to produce movement and athletic power. But when tightness restricts your movement, you may have to work harder to get into the positions and through the ranges of motion your sport requires.
That extra effort can come at a cost.
It may make movement less efficient, slow you down, or contribute to fatigue sooner. And when you’re already working hard during competition, you don’t want to spend unnecessary effort fighting against your own body.
Think of it this way: You want your energy going toward moving faster, not overcoming avoidable restrictions.
That’s why I consider excessive tightness an energy leaker. It’s another obstacle between you and your best performance.
Tightness Can Limit How Much You Move
There’s another way athletes respond to tightness: they simply stop moving as far.
When a particular movement feels restricted or uncomfortable, you may unconsciously shorten it to avoid fighting against that resistance.
For example, a runner with tight shoulders or upper-body muscles might not be able to swing their arms through their full range of motion. As a result, they could miss out on the momentum that effective arm action helps generate and transfer through their running stride. Their arms aren’t just along for the ride. They’re an important part of producing speed and maintaining efficient running mechanics.
The problem is that athletic performance often depends on being able to use the range of motion a movement requires.
If you’re limiting your movement because your muscles feel tight, you may be limiting what your body can do.
You don’t want to give up useful range of motion just because your body doesn’t feel comfortable moving through it.
Improving flexibility can help you access more of the movement your sport demands.
Forcing Movement Can Increase Your Risk of Muscle Strains
Of course, some athletes take the opposite approach. Instead of reducing their range of motion, they try to force their bodies through it.
That’s not necessarily a good solution either.
If your muscles are tight and you try to force a movement beyond what your body can comfortably handle, you may place excessive strain on those muscles.
This is particularly important for athletes involved in explosive activities such as sprinting, football, basketball, soccer, and track and field.
These sports require muscles to lengthen and contract rapidly while producing and absorbing significant force. If you’re consistently asking your body to do more than it’s prepared to handle, you’re putting yourself in a difficult position.
Stretching and improving flexibility won’t guarantee that you’ll avoid muscle pulls or other injuries. But maintaining the range of motion your sport requires is an important part of taking care of your body and preparing it for athletic demands.
Most Guys Don’t Make Flexibility a Priority. That’s Your Opportunity.
Here’s something I’ve noticed working with male athletes of different ages: stretching often isn’t a priority.
Many guys spend plenty of time lifting weights, running, practicing their sport, and working on conditioning. But ask them how often they stretch, and the answer is often not very often.
That creates an opportunity.
You don’t have to become a gymnast. You don’t need to spend an hour stretching every day. But you should make flexibility a consistent part of your athletic development.
Getting stronger is important. Developing speed and power is important. But don’t overlook your ability to move freely through the ranges of motion your sport requires.
While other athletes focus almost exclusively on strength and conditioning, you can take a more complete approach.
And that could give you an advantage.
Want to Become a Faster, More Complete Athlete?
Getting faster isn’t just about doing more sprints or lifting heavier weights. It’s about developing the physical qualities that allow your body to perform at a higher level.
That includes strength, power, running mechanics, coordination, and flexibility.
As the RUN FASTER NOW Coach, I help athletes develop those qualities so they can become faster, more efficient, and more confident in their sport.
Don’t let tightness become an unnecessary obstacle between you and your athletic potential. Make flexibility part of your training and give your body the freedom to perform.
Ready to take the next step in your athletic development? Reach out to RUN FASTER NOW and let’s work on getting you faster.
–Martise
The RUN FASTER NOW Coach
GreenRunner
Four-Time State Hurdle Champion
USC Division I Scholar-Athlete