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Stretching FAQ 2.4 - OverflexibilityStretching FAQ 2.4 - Overflexibility
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Subject: 2.4 - Overflexibility
It is possible for the muscles of a joint to become too flexible. According to `SynerStretch?Create':
There is a tradeoff between flexibility and stability. The looser you
get, the less support offered to the joints by their adjacent muscles.
Excessive flexibility can be just as much of a liability as not enough
flexibility. Either one increases your risk of injury.
Once a muscle has reached its absolute maximum length, attempting to stretch the muscle further only serves to stretch the ligaments and put undue stress upon the tendons (two things that you do *not* want to stretch). Ligaments will tear when stretched more than 6% of their normal length. Tendons are not even supposed to be able to lengthen. Even when stretched ligaments and tendons do not tear, loose joints and/or a decrease in the joint's stability can occur (thus vastly increasing your risk of injury).
Once you have achieved the desired level of flexibility for a muscle or set of muscles and have maintained that level for a solid week, you should discontinue any isometric or PNF stretching of that muscle until some of its flexibility is lost (See "3.6 - Isometric Stretching"), and See "3.7 - PNF Stretching").
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