In my experience, people calling it BS do so due to definition of terms. I think it's the "exercise" in the statement that throws people. I think some might understand it better if it read "Don't stretch prior to warm-up". It's nuanced, I know. 

For example, I do a lot of martial arts. I would never walk into my Muay Thai or Judo class and stretch out cold. As you pointed out, it's asking for an injury - cold things are more likely to tear or pop, not stretch. But we commonly do some light warm-up/conditioning drills, THEN stretch out and then get into the meat of the workout (exercise). I do the same thing on strength training days. I'll warm up with 10 minutes of jump rope and/or some other calisthenics and then I will stretch PRIOR to lifting. 

When I would get a pain in my lower back, I would try to bend forward and stretch down to my toes.  Lots of times I would actually make my lower back pain worse, but just figured it was because I had not been stretching enough in general.  Finally figured it out with helpful articles like this one from Robb, that I needed to warm up before doing anything...then stretch afterward. I also stopped getting the Flu when I stopped getting the Flu shot every year.  Some things work for some folks but not others.

Absolutely true.

I was competing in track and field and sculling (single shells) back in secondary and prep schools, and it was absolutely imperative, essential to warm up very well first and then stretch. First of all, take a slow warming up by jogging for a few laps, or a mile. Relax, drop your shoulders and allow your muscles to engage gradually. Don't run in jumps and leaps like a showboating basketball player, don't throw your feet and knees up in the air, and carry your hip joints parallel to the ground. Roll your feet heel-to-toe, use your legs as suspension to reduce impact to the joints (not too criticals for us- girls, but it is certainly for guys with bigger upper bodies).

Proper posture, technique and relaxation vs engagement should and will prevent form any back pains.

Make sure you wear warm-up suit (unless of course you are somewhrere here around PHX or LA, in comfortable 80 degrees plus), to be sure your muscles stay warm and flexibile. Cold muscles are more prone to injuries, common physics.

Only after getting completely warmed up you can stretch and proceed with other training modules.

Gives me aches just watching those so called runners everywhere on the streets, jumping out of their cars and starting their stretches, especially in cooler temps.

Coach Robb, Thanks for posting this video.  Your advice and information make sense.

100% with you. You warm up prior to exercise, which may include stretching after warmup.

Coach Robb, Thanks for posting this video.  Your advice and information make sense.

+1 coach rob. im implementing this as i am in prep for Western Australian enduro series (ORCWA) in my first year of seniors (under 23's)

it really helps mate thanks  

   coach rob

masterblaster1998