Warming up should be a serious staple in every individual’s routine. Unfortunately, I see the vast majority simply walk into the gym, they MIGHT do a 5 min cardio warm up and then they go slapping plates on a bar thinking they are The Rock or something. Not warming up properly will not only increase your chances at receiving an injury, but it will severely decrease your overall performance in the gym. The point of any routine is to become better, right? Then you better start taking these easy steps to warm up the next time you hit the gym. 1. 5-10 min Slow Cardio: Depending on the time of your workout, you might have to lengthen this portion so you can give your body and mind enough time to physically wake up and adjust accordingly to what is about to happen. This will increase blood circulation and brain activity and become a good mental primer to get you ready for the seriousness that is about to go down!
Want more helpful tips, workouts, motivation and more? Subscribe to our e-newsletter today! 2. Myofascial Work (Foam Rolling): There has been multiple tests to discover if it is better to do foam rolling before or after your workouts. Now, IMO from experience, it has always been better for me to personally foam roll and try to remove any knots I have in my muscle tissue BEFORE starting my routines. This is due to the fact that tightness in your muscles can restrict your range of motion during complex lifts and if pushed too much, can cause serious injury.
3. Dynamic/Nervous System Primer: Dynamic and CNS primer movements help increase heart rate and get your joints ready for larger loads. Ex: if you are performing heavy squats one day, performing a 2-3 round circuit of air squats, box jumps and inchworms will wake up your joints, similar muscle groups and alert your CNS that something fierce is coming its way! Never ignore this portion of the warm up.
4. Core training (glutes, lower back, hips, abdominals) is an area most ignore due to the immediate and painful effect it has. However, this area should be the most trained area of the body due to its central positioning to the body. Your core is directly responsible for stabilizing muscle groups and the spinal column during heavy compound lifts (deadlifts, squats, bench, etc.) Developing this area can prevent several injuries from occurring later in life. Instead of waiting after your routines to perform core exercises, do it in the beginning while you still have energy in your tank!
Warming up definitely won't make for any sexy Instagram posts but it's an area that needs much of your attention. Too many individuals are jumping into their vigorous routines without giving their minds, muscles or nervous systems time to prime itself for the physical demands that lay ahead. Thus, resulting in hundreds of thousands of injuries every year. Use these tips above to help warm your body up for your next routine and if you are in need of training assistance, reach out to us today!
God Bless,
Taz