The muscle relies on the number of contracted fibers. The more fibers that are stretched, the greater the length developed by the stretched muscle. When you stretch a muscle, the muscle will naturally want to “reflex”. This stretch reflex is directly related to how fast the muscle is stretched. If you stretch a muscle quickly, it will naturally want to return quickly. One of the reasons for holding a stretch for a prolonged period of time is that as you hold the muscle in a stretched position, you give the fiber a chance to slowly extend to its longest point. When muscles contract due to the stretch reflex, they produce tension at the point where the muscle is connected to the tendon. When this tension exceeds a certain point, it triggers a "lengthening reaction" which stops the muscles from contracting and causes them to relax. There are many internal and external factors that restrict the natural relaxation of the muscle. Internal factors include the elasticity of your skin, tendons and ligaments, and muscle tissue; type of joint (some joints weren’t made to be flexible); or temperature of the joint (joints extend better when they are a few degrees higher than normal). External factors include the temperature of the place where you are training; the time of day; and your commitment to perform the exercises.Strength training and stretching should go hand in hand. Many people think that there must always be a compromise between flexibility and strength. If you neglect flexibility training altogether in order to train for strength then you are certainly sacrificing flexibility. The same goes for excessive flexibility training. However, performing exercises for both strength and flexibility does not inhibit each other. In fact, flexibility training and strength training can actually enhance one another. One of the best times to stretch is right after a strength training workout. Contrary to popular belief, it is n...
