Warming up has changed throughout the years. Back when I was in high school athletics we did a series of static stretches. You know the kind…the whole team spreads out in lines on the field and you bend over and reach for your toes while trying to keep your knees straight at the same time you count to 10 as a team then clap and move onto the next stretch. Most the time nobody was real serious about getting a good stretch, half the time someone would break wind and then the whole stretching session was blown because we would be laughing so hard. I’ll be honest we were just going through the motions to keep coach happy. When I worked in a large commercial gym I saw the same attitude. People bending over a few times, stretching their “hams” and then walking over to the bench press and proceed to workout. I have no idea how hamstring stretching gets one ready for bench press, but I saw it everyday. If they were real serious they would shake their arms while walking over to the bench.
Here are some key point to a correct warm-up
- Perform a general full body warm-up: Some people think a quick run on the treadmill works, but unless you’re only doing legs in your workout than it is hardly an appropriate warm-up, and even then it would only be appropriate if all your movements were in the anterior/posterior plane (exercises only moving forward or backward, like forward lunge).
- Focus on full ranges of motion: Even though running may somewhat warm your legs up for forward exercises like lunges it hardly takes your legs through the complete range of motion required for real lunges.
- Multi-planar movements: Again in our running example above we are only moving in the forward/backward motion, we skip the lateral plane (side to side) and the transverse (rotational) planes too. Life is multi-planar, front/back, side to side, rotational movements are required daily, so our workouts should incorporate them as well.
- Emphasize the activation of key muscle groups like the core, scapular stabilizers and glutes
- Elevates total body temperature: an effective warm-up will induce a sweat
- Excites the nervous system: Not only are key muscle groups activated through the nervous system, but balance and coordination are called into play as well.
- Utilize dynamic stretching movements: Dynamic stretches are held for 2-3 seconds compared to 20-30 seconds with static stretching. And instead of being completely passive, the antagonistic (opposite) muscle is contracted while stretching the target muscle. In functional stretching (a form of dynamic stretching) multiple muscles are stretched at once, balance is incorporated as well as neural integration (coordination). The stretches look similar to yoga poses.
- If performing maximum effort movements ie: 1 rep max, then perform a specific warm up with that exercise. In the bench press example above, do some scap push-ups or a low intensity set(s) of bench press to get the specific muscle and movement warmed-up.
Below are a few of the warm-ups we utilize in our Orem EXL Fitness Boot Camp, as well as in our personal training settings. The big advantage to these routines is that they can literally be performed anywhere…no equipment and only with enough room to do a push-up.
Stay Fit,
Mat “the trainer”
Mat Gover BS, CSCS and Pam Gover CPT are Orem fitness boot camp instructors, personal trainers, and real world fat loss experts. They also own EXL Fitness & Performance, a personal and group training studio. To book Mat to speak at your Utah Valley company, club, or organization please contact him by email at matthetrainer@me.com or by phone at (801) 836.7185. For a free two-week trial to boot camp and experience the best personal training in Utah Valley please call Mat or drop by the gym (1623 N State St, Orem right next to Costa Vida).
One week ago we launched the anagrual EXL Fitness Skinny Jeans Contest, a lifestyle transformation contest based on compliance. I’ve been genuinily surprised at the response. I think there is something in our DNA that responds to competition. Even if it’s just to improve oneself. It’s strange some people view competition as evil and advocate cooperation over competition, claiming competition always produces a loser and more is accomplished with cooperation. I disagree competition makes us better, it imbues a deep desire that drives us to explore our limits and to improve ourselves. Here’s a great excerpt from W. Timothy Gallwey’s book The Inner Game of Tennis (an amazing book that explores the true meaning of competition as well as how to truly win in life, and maybe a game of tennis too). ”Winning is overcoming obstacles to reach a goal, but the value in winning is only as great as the value of the goal reached. Reaching the goal itself may not be as valuable as the experience that can come in making a supreme effort to overcome the obstacles involved. The process can be more rewarding than the victory itself.” I can’t think of a literal manifestation of this phrase than a lifestyle transformation contest. Sure my clients are competing against each other to win, and there will be a points winner taking home a new pair of designer jeans. But, will there be any losers? ”In true competition no person is defeated. Both players benefit by their efforts to overcome the obstacles presented by the other. Like two bulls butting their heads against one another, both grow stronger and each participates in the development of the other.” (Gallway 111) I imagine there will be a wide array of points by the end of this friendly contest. But, every point represents one obstacle conquered on the journey to ideal health and wellness. One obstacle closer to conquering diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis or even being able to walk up the stairs without getting winded or wrestle with your kids and not pull something. Here in lies the “win”, chalk up another “X” in the win column.
As most of you know I am an outdoor/adventure enthusiast. For some individuals working out is an end in and of itself. Which is fine because improved health and wellness are great reasons to workout. For me its a means with which to enjoy life more fully. What good is fitness if you can’t use it? And I prefer to use my fitness for fun whether it’s skiing off Mount Timpanogos, rock climbing the face of Angel’s Landing in Zion NP, or mountain biking the White Rim trail in Canyonlands NP. 
Typically around the beginning of the year, I get people I haven’t heard from in a long time calling me up wanting to get going again in the gym. Which is great. It’s great to catch up with old friends and it’s great to help assist them with their New Year’s resolutions, and exercise is typically one of the most common resolutions. I feel it is an honor that they are asking for my help.
