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Contested

Doing a lot of long static stretches can actually build up and strengthen your calf muscles just as much as traditional weightlifting. It means stretching isn't just for flexibility—it can also help you get stronger and bigger muscles.

55
Pro
73
Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (2)

55

Community contributions welcome

55

Influence of Long-Lasting Static Stretching on Maximal Strength, Muscle Thickness and Flexibility

Randomized Controlled Trial
Human
2022

The study found that stretching the calf muscles for an hour a day over six weeks significantly increased both their size and strength, supporting the idea that this type of stretching works almost as well as traditional weightlifting for building muscle.

47

Comparison of the effects of long-lasting static stretching and hypertrophy training on maximal strength, muscle thickness and flexibility in the plantar flexors

Cohort Study
Human
2023 Aug

The study found that stretching your calves for an hour every day built muscle and strength just as well as traditional weightlifting, though it takes much longer to do.

Contradicting (2)

73

Community contributions welcome

68

Effects of Chronic Static Stretching on Maximal Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Meta-Regression

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis
Human
2024 Apr 19

The study shows that long, intense stretching does build some muscle and strength, but it is much less effective than traditional weight training, so it does not match the claim that the results are comparable.

45

Effects of a high-volume static stretching programme on plantar-flexor muscle strength and architecture

Cohort Study
Human
2021 Apr

While this stretching routine did make the calf muscles stronger, it did not actually make them grow larger. The study shows that stretching alone isn't enough to build muscle size, even when done for a long time.

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Similar Assertions

Doing one hour of static stretching every day for six weeks might make your calf muscles just as strong as doing traditional weightlifting three times a week. This suggests that long stretching sessions could be a surprisingly effective way to build strength, not just improve flexibility.

47
0
88%

Adding long static stretches to your regular weightlifting routine might help competitive bodybuilders build stronger calf muscles. Over three months, this extra stretching could boost their leg strength by about 11%, making it a useful addition to their normal workout plan.

32
0
88%

Doing one hour of static stretching every day for six weeks might make your calf muscles significantly stronger. In fact, the strength gains could be similar to those from traditional muscle-building workouts that only take 15 minutes three times a week.

47
0
87%

Doing a lot of static stretching for five weeks won't actually make your calf muscles bigger or change their shape. This happens because the stretch itself doesn't put enough physical stress on the muscle to force it to grow or adapt.

45
0
85%

Adding a short, weighted stretch between your workout sets might give your calf muscles a small strength boost compared to just resting, without hurting your overall workout progress.

60
0
85%

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