Today I cleared up a common rule:
- Post-workout stretching is optional, not mandatory. As a stand-alone recovery method it usually doesn’t change much, but gentle stretching can feel good.
- Muscle growth depends more on effort level (how close you train to failure with good technique) and long-term progression than on how “brutal” the workout felt or how sore you are.
Practical approach I recommend: if you feel tight, do 1–2 gentle stretches for 20–30s; if not, skip it.
What Is your routine? Do You Do stretching after a strength Training?