“Muscle bound” used to be a synonym for “stiff,” but we’ve come a long way from such nonsense. Just look at Daniely “Dany” Castilho—the 34-year-old IFBB Pro League women’s physique competitor who won the 2017 Arnold Classic and took third at the 2018 Olympia.
The 5’4″, 160-pound Brazilian native has incorporated flexibility training to keep her injury-free, while adding the lean mass needed to help her stay atop the ever-competitive physique division. Here are her five key tips to ensure “muscle bound” remains nothing more than a myth.
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Make Stretching a Priority
“While it’s not like fitness competitions, the women’s physique division still requires flexibility. You need to be able to move fluidly and hold poses. Because of that, it’s an element I’m careful not to neglect, stretching multiple times per week.”
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Wake Up and Reach Out
“While I stretch at various times, I’ve found that a great opportunity to do it is right when I get up in the morning. It helps loosen up the body after a long sleep. I keep it simple and hold poses for up to 30 seconds—things like toe touches, twists, and stretches for the legs, core, and lower back.”
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Lift First
“I like to stretch after workouts to relieve tension in the muscles and improve blood circulation, which can help transport nutrients to muscles for recovery. I focus on the area I’ve worked—for instance, the deep side lunge and modified hurdler stretch (with the resting-leg foot on the inside of your opposite thigh) on leg day, or the overhead triceps stretch or cross-body shoulder stretch on upper-body days. I’ll introduce a resistance band sometimes as well for additional leverage.”
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Consider Classes
“Once or twice a week I take a group fitness class that specifically centers on stretching. I’ll also do pilates sometimes, which teaches efficient movement patterns and involves a lot of flexibility training.”
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Ask for Help
“This doesn’t apply only to stretching but to all physical activity. It never hurts to have an orientation session with a qualified professional to learn how to perform the various stretches correctly. It helps you avoid possible injuries.”
