Fat arms (2 Viewers)

[Always]

Who told you that?

Firstly, can you explain what you mean by "muscle build-up"? You increase the size of your muscle(s) through resistance. Damage to the muscle fibres results in subsequent muscular adaptation = hypertrophy. This is a gradual process. That is, your muscles do not increase in size (or "chunkiness") as you train, or directly after you train. The only change in size will be due to blood flow, commonly referred to as a 'pump'.
Strethching before or after will therfore not affect which muscle fibres have, or have not been activated; this is determined by the range of motion used during your training.

Stretching after you have properly warmed up and after training does have many benefits - however, making you leaner or "less chunky" is not, to my knowledge, one of them.

I've always been told stretching helps to elongate muscles (?) which is why I stretch religiously every morning. Also, in my pilates class, we stretch after each "set" and I've always assumed that was to stop muscle bulking in one area. Perhaps I've been misled.

 

[lilkiwifruit]

or you could always get surgery
fixes the problem right away

 

[MiuMiu]

Ive found barre work in classical ballet has really improved my arms...I stopped wearing sleaveless tops there for awhile cos I was conscious of my arms but after going back to some serious ballet my body shape is changing significantly....

 

[hYperTrOphY]

I've always been told stretching helps to elongate muscles (?) which is why I stretch religiously every morning. Also, in my pilates class, we stretch after each "set" and I've always assumed that was to stop muscle bulking in one area. Perhaps I've been misled.

Nah, I don't think so. I just don't see how. Maybe if you could get someone who has told you this to actually explain how it would achieve this, that would help.

Even though this may not be true, don't be deterred from stretching often!! Stretching between each set will increase your range of motion, blood pump and prevent injury, among other benefits. However, if you're also going to do it outside pilates make sure you are warmed up first!

Anyway, keep up the work!

 

[Always]

Nah, I don't think so. I just don't see how. Maybe if you could get someone who has told you this to actually explain how it would achieve this, that would help.

Even though this may not be true, don't be deterred from stretching often!! Stretching between each set will increase your range of motion, blood pump and prevent injury, among other benefits. However, if you're also going to do it outside pilates make sure you are warmed up first!

Anyway, keep up the work!

The word "stretch" suggests lengthening or extending, does it not? "Stretching" has been given that name for a reason, don't you think?

 

[MiuMiu]

I don't think he's debating what stretching actually is, just the benefit you said it has--I have had a personal trainer and I never remember hearing anything like this.

 

[hYperTrOphY]

The word "stretch" suggests lengthening or extending, does it not?

Most definitely.

I just did a little but of research and found (from one source) that if you regularly stretch you can gradually increase the muscle's resting length by lengthening the connective tissue that surrounds your muscle fibers. But does this explanation suggest that the muscle itself does not increase in length?

Edit: It may very well be that what you heard is correct. I will ask a professsional.