By JayDee Cutting III, MBA — Total Gym Master Trainer
JayDee has taught stretch and mobility classes at Rancho La Puerta, one of the world’s original destination fitness spas, and has spent over a decade coaching Total Gym users on injury-free movement.
Quick Answer: How to Stretch Properly
To stretch properly, warm up first, then stretch after exercise — not before — while your muscles are still warm. Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds without bouncing, focusing on the muscles you just worked plus the ones tightened by daily sitting: chest, shoulders, hamstrings, low back, and hip flexors.
Why Most People Stretch Wrong (or Skip It Entirely)
I used to be one of the people who rarely stretched. It felt like the part of a workout you skip when you’re short on time. That changed when I started teaching stretch classes at Rancho La Puerta. Once I made stretching a consistent habit, chronic pain I’d carried for years in my neck, shoulders, hamstrings, low back, and hip flexors started to disappear — and my golf and tennis game improved along with it.
Most people don’t stretch incorrectly on purpose. They just never learned that when and how you stretch matters as much as whether you stretch at all.
The 3 Biggest Stretching Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake #1: Stretching Cold Muscles
Think of your muscles like taffy. Cold taffy is stiff and tears if you pull it apart. Warm taffy stretches smoothly. Muscles behave the same way — stretching them before they’re warmed up increases the risk of a strain instead of preventing one.
Mistake #2: Stretching Before You Warm Up
Static stretching (holding a stretch in place) works best as a cool-down, not a warm-up. If you stretch first, do it lightly and follow it with 3–5 minutes of movement at about 25% lower intensity than your workout — for example, an easy pass on the Total Gym glideboard — before you stretch further or add resistance.
Mistake #3: Ignoring Chronically Tight Muscles
A once-a-week stretch after leg day isn’t enough if you sit at a desk 8+ hours a day. Sitting chronically shortens the chest, shoulders, hamstrings, low back, and hip flexors — regardless of how often you train. Those muscles need daily attention, not just post-workout attention.
How to Stretch Properly, Step by Step
1. Warm up at lower intensity first
Spend 3–5 minutes moving at roughly 25% less effort than your working sets — this raises muscle temperature and blood flow so tissue is pliable before you load or lengthen it.
2. Train through a full range of motion
On the Total Gym, this means controlling the glideboard through its complete travel rather than using a shortened range — full-range strength work is itself a form of dynamic flexibility training.
3. Stretch immediately after, for about 30 seconds per muscle
Right after your set — while the muscle is still warm — ease into the stretch and hold, without bouncing, for roughly 30 seconds.
4. Target the muscles sitting shortens most
Prioritize the chest, shoulders, hamstrings, low back, and hip flexors even on days you didn’t specifically train them, since daily sitting tightens these regardless of your workout split.
How to Stretch on the Total Gym: 3 Key Stretches
Chest and Shoulder Stretch
After a set of chest presses, stay seated on the glideboard, slowly open your arms out behind you, and let your own body weight ease the stretch across your chest and front shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds and breathe normally — don’t pull further with muscle effort; let gravity and the glideboard’s position do the work.
Hamstring and Lower Back Stretch
Using the squat stand or Pilates toe bar attachment, extend one leg and hinge forward from the hips with a flat back until you feel tension (not pain) behind the thigh and along the low back. Hold 30 seconds per side.
Hip Flexor Stretch
From a half-kneeling position on the glideboard, gently shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch across the front of the hip on the trailing leg. This directly counters the hip tightness caused by hours of sitting. Hold 30 seconds per side.
Watch: JayDee's Total Gym Stretching Routine
FAQ: How to Stretch, Answered
How long should you hold a stretch?
Hold each static stretch for about 30 seconds. Shorter holds don’t give the muscle enough time to lengthen; much longer holds don’t add meaningful extra benefit for general flexibility maintenance.
Should you stretch before or after a workout?
Stretch mainly after your workout, once muscles are warm. Before a workout, prioritize a light dynamic warm-up (easy movement at lower intensity) over static stretching, since stretching cold muscle increases injury risk without improving performance.
Is it bad to stretch cold muscles?
Yes — stretching cold muscle is one of the most common stretching mistakes. Cold muscle tissue is stiffer and more prone to strain, similar to cold taffy cracking instead of stretching. Always warm up first.
Can stretching fix pain from sitting all day?
Regular, targeted stretching of the chest, shoulders, hamstrings, low back, and hip flexors can meaningfully reduce the chronic tightness and pain that comes from prolonged sitting, though it works best combined with movement breaks throughout the day and full-range strength training.
Go Deeper With JayDee's Full Stretch Routine
For a complete 12-stretch routine you can follow along with, check out JayDee’s Ranch Stretch DVD, or explore more mobility-focused routines:
