For most of us, consistent and stretching is something we haven’t done since gym class or high school sports practices. While almost all climbers would benefit from a general stretching routine to help increase flexibility and protect range of motion, target forearm stretches can be hugely beneficial in helping deal with the abuse our sport puts on these muscle groups.
To help you learn effective forearm stretches, here’s an article and video by Dan Hague and Douglas Hunter of The Self Coached Climber all about how to best stretch both the extensors and flexors of the wrist and forearm. In their detailed article and through video, Hague and Hunter cover some of the kinesiology behind stretching and then illustrate how to properly apply these concepts to stretching the forearm.
“Stretching is more than holding a particular position for a certain amount of time, or a dull necessary evil attached to a vague promise of “injury prevention”. I like to think of stretching as a movement technique, and stretching with good technique will provide a better quality stretching experience and help you associate different movements with the muscles responsible for them. It should help you learn some nuances of the structure of the body and individual muscles.” – Dan Hague and Douglas Hunter
Stretching Basics:
In an effort to make sure you are stretching correctly, the authors take you through three general concerns that should be kept in mind when performing any stretch. They can be summarized as:
- Quality is important in stretching.
- All the joints a target muscle crosses must be engaged for a stretch to be effective.
- The stretch must be opposite to the action the target muscle is responsible for.
Following these basic rules will allow you to think through any stretch and make sure you are maximizing is effectiveness.
Forearm Stretches:
To apply these concepts to the forearm specifically, Hague and Hunter outlines two stretches that respectively cover both the forearm/wrist flexors and extensors. The exercises themselves are detailed in this video:
However, in the article, Hunter an Hague also walk you through the kinesiology behind how each of these stretches follow all of the above three rules. Their discussion is rather detailed and will definitely be educational for anyone who is not totally familiar with the anatomy of the forearm and hand.
Frequency:
The authors also cover exactly how often you should be stretching your forearms. They recommend stretching three times a week and suggest performing each stretch three times for 15-30 seconds with a 30 second rest between repetitions.
Click through below for the full article, and once you’ve learned all about effective forearm stretches give them a try. Adding these stretches into your training is a pretty low time commitment and may just make the difference in helping you stave off any issues of elbow tendonitis, finger pain, and the development of overuse injuries.
Full Articles: Forearm Stretches – The Self Coached Climber
(video still courtesy of selfcoachedclimber.com)
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