Warm up? Come on, I want to get into the workout. I want some gainz!
Hold on there! If you want the best results, you need the warm up. Don’t overlook this crucial step just cuz you want to get into something else. Take your warm ups seriously! They are the doorway to new gainz and staying injury free.
WARM UPS ARE A MUST
Pretty clear huh? I want to thank Kevin D. for the idea for this post. He shared it with me a week ago or so. It’s a big topic and honestly, I know it is tempting to skip warm ups cuz you want to get right to work. But the warm up is a crucial part of the workout and you really need it to make the most of your workouts. That is why BB puts them in their programs. If you didn’t need it, they wouldn’t do it. So let’s dive in!
First off, the main goal of a warm up is to get the blood flowing and gradually increase your heart rate. This gets your circulation going and raises your body’s temp. A cold muscle does not respond well to exercise and you are running a big risk of hurting that cold muscle if you go right into real work. The increased blood flow also brings more blood to your joints and loosens them up. I love the classic P90X warm ups, even something as simple as arm circles really move some blood and help your shoulders get ready for the work ahead. Having your joints and muscles warm prevents injuries like strains that can be common with cold muscles.
We really want stretching after the “warm up” stage cuz you need your muscles warm before you put a solid stretch on them. Never push yourself in a stretch in you don’t feel warm. Take some time to add a little more running in place or jumping jacks to warm up a bit. You want to get a good stretch and that is best with warm muscles. You’ve probably heard, your muscles are like rubberbands. A cold one can’t stretch as far as a warm one. Cold ones are tight – get warm and get loose and then stretch to really bring your warm up full circle.
Quick (But Good) Warm Up
I would still lean on your program’s warm up, but if you want to add a little before, maybe to just get warm – here is what I have done in the past. Notice there is no stretching, this is just to get you warm
- 3 Rounds – 30 sec JOG – 30 Jump Ropes – 10 bodyweight squats
- 20 lunges – step a single leg out, so 10 each side
- 10 – 20 push ups
- 10 leg swings (each leg – front to back)
- 30 sec JOG (knees a little higher)
Do all of that back to back – little to no rest – and you should be pretty warm. You can add in things like arm circles (forward rotation and backwards) to get the shoulders toasty too.
Then you will be ready to get into your BB warm up or a quick workout when time is tight.
Thanks Kevin for the input and idea! Stay warm TR!
Coach Wayne
PS – Here’s another good option for the man himself – Tony Horton!
Need a coach?
My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
