Warming up for training is one component that is often over looked. When I program the warm up many people often tell me it’s like a mini WOD. GOOD! It should!!! If you aren’t warm after your warm-up…you are doing it wrong. I want you ALL members and non-members of the gym to understand the why behind the importance !
There’s a difference between stretching and warming up. Hence the infamous 200-400m jog or row at the beginning of every warm-up. A cold, tight muscle, is much harder to stretch than a warm, loosened one! You want to physically prepare your body for the demands of a strenuous workout by gradually increasing your body temperature.
Your workout is more effective. In simple language, our bodies operate from different energy sources and in different “zones”. I am sure most of you have heard of, or even trained with the method of getting your cardio to the “fat-burning” stage. Same principle. When you don’t properly warm-up, you accumulate less time in the correct energy system. This “not only makes your training less effective, but creates more variables” in performance and progression.
You want to prepare for the work you are about to do. Do you ever look at the elements of the warm up ? They are in direct correlation with the workout. WHY ? I am trying to prepare your mind and body for the work it’s about to do. You want to practice the technique of lifts at a light weight and gradually move into your working sets. Going from 0-180 will lead to injury and set you back. Think back to a training session that you skipped out on the warm up just a little. The first few lifts felt just a little “off” then by the time you finish the working sets your into the training. That’s a lot of wasted time in between that your warm up could have prevented.
Warming up properly also reduces the risk of injury which will increase your longevity in fitness. Your ligaments and tendons are more flexible when you have some blood flowing, meaning you’re less likely to end up with pulls and tears. The more complex the lift, the more intense the warm-up that is programmed that day.
You will see better results, all around… Period! We all chase the PR. It’s in your blood as an athlete. The worst thing you can do is chase it without being warm! Have you ever jumped to a moderately heavy weight, one that you can usually do efficiently and it feels extra heavy? Or on the opposite end of that or have you hit a point in a workout, namely something like a longer row, and realized you catch that “second breath”? It’s because your body finally warmed up!
What ever warm up you choose to do, treat it as PART of the workout. It’s just as important for your mind and body to be ready and prepared to work hard. Put the effort into the mind to muscle connection !