Should you stretch before a workout?

[ConnellD]

I was looking for advise on pre-workout stretching. Is it good or bad? If you look at certain runners (You know who you are), they will stretch for up to 30 minutes before and after a run. However if you read articles in Magazines or articles such as www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0396.htm they suggest otherwise.

The suggestion is that you should warm muscles up by using a rower or cross trainer, thus making them more pliable. However if you stretch muscles without warming them up, they will be brittle and more likely to snap.

I'm also interested if anyone knows of any good web page that shows exact form for stretching? Is this something we should be shown by an experienced runner?

[colin]

stretchin is critical but can work in different forms ie dynamic warm is good ie like you see footballers doing also that helps in elastic strenght sadly lacking in most distance guys high knee etc it not rocket sience really common sense basically the more flexable you are the better and faster you will be , muscles get stiff so they need loosend id say streaching is good