can stretching hurt performance?

[QSAlexander]

My 4th workout on SS: During my squats yesterday, I forced my hands and the bar into your recommended positions. It wasn't painful, just felt like a really good stretch in the shoulders. So I kept it through the sets.

When doing the press next, I had nothing. Had to drop 10 lbs. off the previous work set numbers, and felt like all I had working for me was triceps.

Could the stretching have caused this? I don't think I overstretched and caused any injury, as my shoulders aren't really sore at all.

[Mark Rippetoe]

All the studies have shown that stretching prior to either strength or power work diminishes performance. That was in fact what probably happened. The real question whether you keep doing it, and the answer is yes, you have to so that you can squat better, and when you don't need to stretch anymore -- when your shoulders are flexible enough to get under the bar correctly -- you can stop, because at that point you won't need to anymore.

[Justin Baum]

hi mark, follow-up question. the official crossfit warmup includes the samson stretch. would you recommend against it if the workout that follows is strength or power-based and not metcon?

thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

It depends on your needs. If you are so inflexible that your lack of ability to get into position hurts your power production, you need to stretch despite the fact that stretching diminishes power production. But if you are sufficiently flexible, don't stretch before a power-dependent workout.