by Steven Mathis | Oct 19, 2015 | Blog, Training, Uncategorized
We’ve seen (or done it!) hundreds of times! What exactly? Start a workout without doing any prep work. I understand… you are rushed, you are pumped to get into the training, you don’t like working on mobility… However, those excuses don’t negate the need to properly prepare our bodies for the upcoming work! A warm up is generally described as preparing the body for physical activity. An effective warm up will enhance overall performance, allow for more effective and efficient movement patterns, and decrease the risk of injury. [i] In other words, suck it up and do it… your body will thank you! So, how should we program a warm up? Well, that depends. What are you doing during the training session? Are you just lifting, running, rowing, or are you doing some combination? The warm up should be geared toward the upcoming activities. For example, if I am only running, I am not going to spend a lot of time working on my upper body. Instead, I’ll focus on my ankles, calves, hamstrings, hips, and core. On the other hand, if I am performing large lifts that require a significant range of motion (squat, snatch, clean & jerk, etc), I need to prepare my entire body. Even though the exact elements may vary, a good warm up will generally consist of cardiorespiratory work, foam rolling, dynamic movements, and specific mobility work. Cardiorespiratory Work The purpose is to increase your heart rate and body temperature and should last 2-5 minutes. Some good examples include jumping rope, slow jogging, rowing, etc. While I don’t always include cardiorespiratory work, it is...
