Can Stretching Make Muscles Stronger and Bigger Like Lifting Weights?
Influence of 8-weeks of supervised static stretching or resistance training of pectoral major muscles on maximal strength, muscle thickness and range of motion
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study checked if stretching your chest muscles every day works as well as lifting weights to make them stronger and bigger.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 547 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study checked if stretching your chest muscles every day works as well as lifting weights to make them stronger and bigger.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 547 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Wohlann T, Warneke K, Kalder V, Behm DG, Schmidt T, Schiemann S
Related Content
Claims (6)
You can grow muscle not just by lifting weights, but also by stretching—just as long as the muscle feels enough tension, no matter how it's created.
If you're someone who exercises regularly, doing chest workouts 3 times a week for 8 weeks might make your chest muscles about 10% stronger, but it won’t change how far you can move your shoulders.
Stretching your chest muscles for 15 minutes, 4 times a week for 8 weeks, might build muscle just as much as lifting weights — studies say it could increase muscle thickness by around 6%.
Stretching your chest muscles regularly might make them stronger—almost as much as lifting weights does—if you do it for 15 minutes, 4 times a week for two months.
If you stretch your chest muscles regularly for about 15 minutes, 4 times a week, for 8 weeks, you’ll likely get more shoulder flexibility—more than if you just did strength training.