Warming up is CRITICAL

Let’s face it, when we get to the gym, we are eager to get to those weights and start training to kickstart your day or to release the day’s tension after a long day at work.

You may not realize that you are missing a crucial step in setting yourself up for success: the warm-up.

Properly warming up is crucial to any program to address any muscle imbalances and tension carried in the body throughout our day to day lives. Unaddressed stress and imbalance is the leading cause of injury among athletes of all kinds.

Flexibility is often stereotyped in the fitness community as unimportant or a waste of time. The most elite athletes in their prime make their warm-up a critical part of their training as they prepare for their specific training needs.

Many of us spend most of our days sitting down at a desk or performing repetitive moments during our day to day activities. Heading into a workout with tight hips or shoulders will cause synergist (helper) muscles to complete the work, potentially putting you at risk for injury.

The first 10 minutes of your workout should be spent warming up, but if you feel that you may need extra time, don’t skip it and move on for the sake of time. Do these movements with the same purpose and intention you would dedicate to your lifts. Your body will thank you for it.

Some dynamic warm-up movements I enjoy:

Lower Body

Lateral Banded Walks
Banded Monster Walks
Cossack Squats
Light Kettlebell Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Ankle Rolls
Exaggerated Lunge Stretch

Upper Body

Wrist and Arm Circles
Pull Aparts
Prone ITYW
Scapular Rotation
Standing Overhand Lat Stretch
PVC Pass Throughs
PVS Shoulder Dislocations

As part of our gym programming, every client is assigned a comprehensive warm-up meant to prime their movement for the day.

If you are not utilizing the beginning of your session for this, reach out to us, and let us help you build a warm-up plan to get you ready to train like a boss!

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