If you have no clue what to do before your upper body lift, give this a rip. Before you hit the weights, should you hold a long static stretch or fire up your muscles with activation drills? The science is clear: activation wins every time. What Static Stretching Does: Static stretching — holding a muscle in one position for 30+ seconds — can temporarily relax the muscle. That’s fine after a workout, but before lifting it actually reduces power output, decreases strength, and can make your joints feel less stable. Activation, on the other hand, wake up your muscles and nervous system. The movements increase blood flow, improve mobility dynamically, and fire up the exact muscles you’re about to use. #fitness #fit #gymlife #gymtips #fitnessadvice #upperbody #upperbodystrength