Customer Reviews

Sport Stretch-2nd Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Although this book may have some good overall general stretches in it it does not cover all the methods of stretching, or any routines for the athlete to build apon. Although passive stretching is good for your flexability maintanence if you dont incorperate isometric and combining it (PNF), you will never achieve the greatest rang of flexability as a top athlete. I have been studying the martial arts for 19 years now and I am always looking for good material for stretching to recomend to my students of friends. I can say I would never recomend this book to another living soul involved in any demanding sport.

I was very pleased with this book. As I read the other reviews, there unhappiness with the book comes from the fact that it is not for every day people. I am very pleased with that fact and the title does imply that it is for people involved in sports. I am a mother of a 7 year old gymnast and I have been very challenged to find a book on stretching that will enhance her flexibility at an advanced stage. I am working with her coaches to ensure safety and develop a schedule that will make her a better gymnast. I was very pleased with the variety of stretches, pictures and descriptions for the stretches.

If you are looking for more advanced stretches than in Bob Anderson's book, this is it. (Though it has very basic positions too)

If I could only have one book on stretching, this would be it. Not only are there a whole lot of stretches, there is a very solid introduction covering the different types of stretching, how and why stretching works and how to stretch. I like the way there are plenty of choices for each body part. As a martial artist, I need to stretch every day and doing the same few stretches every time gets really boring. There are a quite a few advanced stretches here - especially if you participate in an activity that requires extreme flexibility like dance, gymnastics or martial arts.

I am a Personal Trainer who teaches flexibility and stretching to my clients. I saw this book and thought "Wow, 311 stretches, I should be able to learn some new stretches to teach my clients."
This book was a major let-down. Most of the 311 stretches featured are impractical, dangerous, or just ridiculous. The author even points out in the beginning that some of the stretches are dangerous but necessary if you participate in gymnastics or martial arts. There are some good stretches featured but out of 311 illustrated stretches I found only about 20-25 to be practical and safe to use on the general public. The author seems to think that 20 goofy stretches for a bodypart is much better than 3 that are really effective and make sense. The only thing I found to be well done about this book was the text in the begining about stretching and the effects and physiology of stretching. If you already know 1 or 2 really good stretches for each bodypart then don't waste your time on this book. If you do pick up this book and try the plough, or the bridge, you are surely asking for an injury.

This is the worse book I ve ever read.There is only a bunch of theory and many pictures of passive stretches -forget abuot PNF technique which is much more effective than conventional stretching.There is no shedule or a good routine.The routines for the different sports are quite stupid.You dont know after reading this when to stretch or how often.
There is only one routine-everyday 1-3 times a day.Pasiive stretching of course.
If you want some science there are better books on the market

and if you want some practical advices don't buy this book,because you find there only some drawnings and nothing more!!!

This book is one of the better books on streching. I like the fact that it gives the top stretches so that you can still get a good stretch in a shorter time. The drawings are actually not to bad. Too many books that I have seen have bad contrast in photos and it becomes hard to see what is going on.

Nicely compliments Alter's Science of Flexibility, this book has many many flexibility exercises and applies then to a good variety of sports (or you can use this as a very nice stretching reference - both for exercises and for theory and methods). I think this book is better than Anderson's book which has been used as the reference for stretching. One typo though, when talking about dynamic stretching, but the illustration is correct.

Michael J. Alter's Sport Stretch is one of the
best sources out there for the Modern Athlete.
I have used the book to assist in my Martial
Arts training and it has helped to greatly
improve my whole training program. Idea for
every athlete but best for anyone who need to
work on flexablity. Get this for the Martial
Artist, Gymist, or Dancer that you know.