Stretching/ warmup

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Hey,

The thing is that I need advise on how, exactly, to stretch and warm up/ down. I'm only asking because for the past couple of weeks I've been stretching each muscle group for about 15 seconds and then start the workout by gradually upgrading the weight to my maximum.

Also, after a workout I stretch and gradually decrease the amount of weight I do until its just the bar.

Now then, the problem is that after the work out my muscles are fine, however, the day after they're tight and it hurts to move them.

Is there something I'm missing with the stretch/ warm up/ down or am I just not doing it correctly, or both?

Thanks in advance.

I've heard of studies that show that some stretching will actually increase the risk of injury. Generally, for joints such as the shoulder, stretching is a good thing. For running or squatting, I've seen thoughts on stretching the hips being a bad thing because when they're tighter they provide more support and decrease the risk of injury. Once again, this is something is widely debated and being studied since we have no definite answers about stretching.A good guideline I find, is that if it is the muscle that is sore (aside from a tear) then it's just because your muscles are recovering from the workout. If you feel pain in the joints, then you may want to do more stretches for that area (my rotator cuff, particularily in my left shoulder, sometimes hurts if I don't stretch it properly). Stretching is also most effective when done for for 20-30 sec. More than 30 doesn't seem to do much.

Well, i'm contemplating buying a bike machine as a workup/ down. Reckon I should?

A bike machine is great for warming up and cooling down. It works well for getting heart rate up. Not only that, but it doesn't put any significant stress on your muscles or joints (unless you go against a high resistance setting).The flip side of that is the cost. If you want to get one and use it then that's great. If you're sure that you'll be using it then it should be a good investment.When riding the bike, aim for a constant RPM and stick with it. This number is usually between 70-100. I usually go with about an 80 average, and my workouts usually range from 10-18 resistance setting (not sure if they vary with brand). Using that number is a good way of pacing yourself so you don't start out too fast and go at a pace that you can't hold. Riding the bike after a tough workout on resistance 15 for about 15 minutes at 80 RPM gets sweat rolling off my face and my legs extremely tired, but I continually look at the number to make sure that I don't fall below 80.