starting position, it can be a wall, the ɻoor, or a training
partner. The tension can also be applied to an imaginary
object.
There are diʃerent opinions about how long and with
what intensity tensioning should be done. One opinion is
that tensioning should be done at full intensity for one or
two seconds. This entails too much risk of injury, though,
and it’s also diɽcult to fully activate the muscle in such a
short amount of time. I recommend a stretch at medium
intensity for about ɹve seconds, subsequently relaxing the
muscle for one to three seconds. The exact amount of time
depends on the time your muscles need to relax.
In the second stretching phase, intensify the position
until you experience a new reaction. Brieɻy maintain the
position before tensing the muscle to be stretched again
and relaxing to extend the position. This should be done
at least once but can be repeated. Extension of the stretch
position will decrease with each exercise until nearly no
further extension can be felt.
In principle it can be assumed that the more intensive
the stretch tension is and the longer it lasts, the greater
the relaxation will be and the more eʃective subsequent
stretching will be.
Tensioning Muscle Groups
Consciously notice where exactly the stretching