Proper Warm Ups

It is safe to assume that every single person who trains would like to get the most out of each training session and would like to do so without suffering an injury. There are many methods to ensure these two things, but one with the simplest ways is to incorporate a simple warmup beforehand. Properly warming up before a training session or competition has shown to both decreased risk of injury and increase performance. The key word there is “properly”. Now what does a proper warmup look like?

Before we get into what a warmup may need to look like, let us discuss why we need to warmup in the first place. Essentially, we are taking the body from its “rest and digest” mode to its “fight or flight” mode. We spend much of the day sitting behind a desk, never really moving at more than a brisk walk. To perform at a high level requires high speeds and extreme ranges of motion. Consider the warmup a bridge from your everyday life to performance. To cross this bridge, we need to prepare the muscle and joints for movements, increase the body temperature and heart rate, and get the mind focused on the task at hand as well. Now that we know why, how do we do it?

Like stated early, our bodies do not move very fast throughout the day. This means we need to start the warmup slow to begin bridging that gap. Slow movements that begin warming up the muscles for movements are ideal at the beginning of the warmup. Target areas that are specifically going to be in use during training. This is also a fantastic opportunity to get soft tissue work done such as lacrosse ball work and foam rolling. We take all of our athletes through an ankle band series and a hip bridge plus plank series. Low intensity movements that begin to prepare the core and hips for the demands of training. Our hip bridge series also begins challenging end ranges of motion by forcing maximum hip extension, which leads us to the next portion of a warmup.

Something that is often neglected throughout the day is finding deep or end ranges of motion for our muscles and joints. So, it is particularly important to begin to introduce these movements to the body during the warmup. Dynamic stretching is often the “Go To” at this point. We take our athletes through a dynamic warmup protocol that begins simple and progresses in intensity and complexity as it goes. This allows the body to experience these end ranges, allowing for better movement quality and safer loading. The muscles are ready for loading and the joints lubricated and prepared for movement. Once the athlete is ready for movement, we can then begin ramping up the intensity

Just like starting out slow to meet an athlete where they are at, we need to finish the warmup at the intensity of the workout to properly prepare them. The end of the warmup should blend with the beginning of the workout. We take our athletes through a series of form running drills. These mimic the speeds and impacts they are going to experience during the initial phases of their workouts. Not only does this allow the body time to adjust and prepare for these forces, but it is a good opportunity for the athlete to mentally make that last jump into “go mode.” At this point, the athlete should have an elevated heart rate a body temperature (beads of sweat is usually a good sign) and be completely ready to perform.

So next time you show up to a training session or a competition and your coach keeps getting on you about properly warming up, you not only have the why, you have the how. Quit butchering your warmups and go prepare yourself to perform at an elite level!