Warming up for a strength training session is often a boring, yet unbelievably critical, task in order to optimize the training session ahead of you. Warming up BEFORE the session will also help you recover faster AFTER the session.
In fact, we even have scientific literature that shows us these results of enhanced training performance:
“The control group and static stretching group did not significantly affect any flexibility, strength, or vertical jump measures. However, the dynamic warm up group significantly improved eccentric quadriceps strength and hamstrings flexibility, whereas the static stretching group did not facilitate any positive or negative changes in muscle flexibility, strength, power, or vertical jump. Therefore, the dynamic warm ups may be a better pre-activity warm-up choice than a static stretching approach or skipping completely.” (1)
So what this ultimately means, is that if you’re skipping your dynamic warm ups pre-training, you’re skipping out on gains in strength and muscle growth that you could be getting, had you actually warmed up properly.
Now begs the question….
What Is An Appropriate Dynamic Warm Up?
Well, in most cases we want to work from the ground up. Start by simply getting your core temperature up from some very light and low intensity cardio modalities. Then as you get into the mobility aspect, you’ll start at the ankles, move to the hips, up to the t-spine, and then into the shoulders. Along the way, performing some dynamic stretches (i.e. moving in and out of the stretch, rather than holding it statically).
And of course, when someone has pre-existing or previous injuries that need to be monitored more closely, a more individualized approach is necessary (click here for one-on-one coaching). But outside of those scenarios, a very general approach to a dynamic warm up is perfectly suitable and highly beneficial.
Which is exactly what I give you, today:
Dynamic Warm Ups: Explanation and Application
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