BRRRRRR its been WAY to winteresque in Texas lately!!!!!! We def. had to dress like snow bunnies in order to squat today!!!
Today made me REALLY think about the importance of a good warm-up before a strength training session.
I’m a creature of habit and I like to warm-up slow and steady. And I have to be careful not to use up too much of my energy, so I keep my reps low during my warm-up, sometimes its merely to feel the weight.
I always warm-up in the same way for my main lifts. The body and mind love routine and consistency! I always warm-up with an empty bar REALLY slow and pause slightly at the bottom of the rep. I start with 5-6 reps with the empty bar and then add quarters for a few reps and then plates and then a plate and a quarter, etc.
The most important benefit of the warm up for me is to activate my central nervous system. Its imperative for me to prepare my mind for action especially on lifts that DON’T come natural to me.
But, other benefits of a proper warm up include:
- Injury prevention
- Gets your heart pumping- improved blood circulation
- Improved performance- when your body is properly warmed up your muscles and joints are ready for maximum flexibility, which means you can perform each exercise with PROPER FORM like squatting to depth for example; which using proper form and squatting to depth maximizes your results and minimizes the risk of injury.
- Movement practice- Practicing the movement patterns teaches muscle harmony (neuromuscular adaption) and continues to prepare your body for acton (NSCA).
Bad warm-ups leave strength on the table because you never train at your highest potential. And if you don’t have time for a proper warm-up then you don’t have time for a workout.
Things to Remember-
- Listen to your body’s cues during your warm-up, correct form and posture before you get to your working weight OR if something doesn’t feel right or if the lighter weights feel heavy then you might want to bail on that workout/lift for that day
- Your warm-up should NOT fatigue you!!!
The result of a good warm-up is MORE muscle and LESS injuries!
Stay #strong & warm!
Laura Nicole Hughes
Owner of #strong, LLC
