I used to waste half an hour before I even touched a weight.
Foam rolling, band drills, stretching every muscle that felt even slightly tight.
Trying to mobilise every joint before I did anything serious.
By the time I finished my warm-up, I was already knackered and I had not even started training yet.
Looking back, I wasn’t really solving anything.
I was just faffing about.
Because what I didn’t understand at the time and what a lot of people still don’t is this.
Tight muscles usually aren’t tight.
They are weak.
I learned that the hard way through my own back issues.
Years ago, my lower back used to go randomly.
Even before I had a big gym injury.
Sometimes just bending down to pick up my phone would leave me stuck like a plank.
Eventually, after enough trouble, I paid for an MRI scan.
Turns out there is some disc involvement.
So yes there is a real issue there.
But everything changed once I stopped wasting my sessions with endless warm-ups and stretching and doubled down on strengthening the right muscles, my core, erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings.
My back is so much better now.
It still grumbles every now and then but it “goes” way less often.
I feel strong, stable, in control, not fragile.
And it’s not just me.
Over the years, I have seen client after client come in with bad knees.
Told by physios or doctors.
“That’s just how it is now.”
“Wear and tear.”
“Manage it the best you can.”
But we got them doing proper strength work.
Romanian deadlifts to load and stretch the hamstrings.
Full range calf raises with a real deep stretch at the bottom.
Not endless band walks.
Not foam rolling themselves into oblivion.
And their knee pain disappeared.
Same thing with shoulders.
Clients who could not lift their arm properly without pain.
Instead of spending hours with bands and stretches, we built real strength through their upper back, rear delts, traps, mid back.
Strength, not stretching, was the missing piece.
Something incredible happens when you build real strength through a full range of motion.
Muscles stop bracing and tightening up to protect weak joints.
Joints move smoother without grinding or pinching.
Your body trusts itself again.
You don’t just feel looser for five minutes after a stretch.
You move better permanently.
That’s the difference.
Stretching feels good.
Strengthening fixes the root of the problem.
I am not knocking stretching.
I still do a weekly online yoga session myself (THQ trainer Jackie runs them online and they fit perfectly alongside your transformation training if you are joining the next phase).
But the big lesson.
If you are stuck feeling tight, stiff, achy.
If you are wasting time stretching the same thing over and over, yet getting no improvement.
It is not a stretching problem.
It could be a strength problem.
Start strengthening those weak links.
Train properly through a full range.
Slow it down.
Move with control.
Stop faffing about.
Start fixing it properly.
Your body will thank you for it every time you pick something up without fear again.
Ryan
P.S
Sick of feeling tight and broken?
This is exactly what we fix in the 6 Week Meltdown.
Next intake starts soon.
Most spots are gone.