One of the most abused or overlooked components of working out is taking the time to incorporate a proper warm-up.  Instead of jumping right into a gut busting workout or half heartedly performing a few static stretches, try integrating a proper dynamic warm-up.  This is the only way to prepare your body for the demands that a workout may have on you and decrease your chance of injury.  The first part of a warm-up is heating your body which simultaneously increases your respiratory rate, blood flow, oxygen, which will enhance delivery of nutrients to your body's cells.  This ultimately notifies your body's systems that some demanding work is approaching. 

Once you've obtained a light sweat in a short time via a few calisthenics or rope jumping, you're then ready to move onto the dynamic stretching portion of your warm-up.  This involves slowly performing the same kinds of movements you'll be making in your workout, and gradually increasing your speed.  As specific muscles, tendons, and joints follow the movement patterns they'll be expected to complete later, they become used to the movement, and less likely to tear when the movements are made at higher speeds.  This stage also works as a cue for your nervous system to switch on the specific neuromuscular connections it need for those movement patterns.

Lastly, this two-stage warm-up helps you to prepare mentally for coming workout.  Regardless of what that workout, might be, you'll do it better, and enjoy it more, if you're able to bring your full focus into it by taking the time to warm-up properly.

Benefits of a Proper Warm Up:

• Increased Muscle Temperature
• Blood Vessels Dilate
• Improve Efficient Cooling
• Increased Blood Temperature
• Improved Range of Motion
• Hormonal Changes
• Mental Preparation

CALISTHENIC MOVEMENTS:

JUMP ROPE

PRISONER SQUATS

• ¨ Your Objective: Athlete should stand with feet wider than shoulders, hands behind the head with interlocked fingers, sit back while bending at the knees, shins stay vertical, and weight on heels. Your tempo should be fairly fast (1-0-1)
• ¨ Where you should feel it: Your quadriceps should start to fill up with blood.
• ¨ Goal: Perform 10 repetitions before moving onto Jumping Jacks.

WIDE OUTS

• ¨ Your Objective: Begin in a squat position with the knees together. While in squat position, jump and open legs past shoulder width. Feet stay pointed forward and the head should not change height. Return to the initial position and repeat.
• ¨ Where you should feel it: Your quadriceps will undoubtedly!
• ¨ Goal: Perform as many touches as possible over the course of ten seconds before heading right into Gate Swings

GATE SWINGS

• ¨ Your Objective: Begin in the squat position with the knee together. Stay in the squat, jump and open the legs feet and knees point out. Focus is the stretch across the groin muscles, head stays level
• ¨ Where you should feel it: Your quadriceps and groin.
• ¨ Goal: Perform 10 full repetitions before heading right into Mt. Climbers.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

• ¨ Your Objective: Begin in the push-up position. Jump only one foot forward on the inside of the elbows. On the return of that foot, the other foot then alternates into forward position. Focus on low hips and executing full hip flexion and extension
• ¨ Where you should feel it: Your core will be fired the entire time as well as your hip flexors and quadriceps.
• ¨ Goal: Perform 10 repetitions each leg before heading right into

GROINERS

• ¨ Your Objective: Begin in the push-up position. Jump only one foot forward on the outside of the elbows. On the return of that foot, the other foot then alternates into forward position. Focus on low hips and executing full hip flexion and extension
• ¨ Where you should feel it: Your core will be fired the entire time as well as your hip flexors and quadriceps.
• ¨ Goal: Perform 10 repetitions each leg before heading right into Dynamic Stretching

DYNAMIC MOVEMENT VIDEO

Video will be in next blog post.

HAND WALKS or INCH WORMS       

• ¨ Your objective: To build stability in the shoulder and core. Also to lengthen the hamstrings, calves and muscles of the lower back. Start by placing your legs legs straight, hands on floor. Proceed by keeping legs straight and belly button drawn in, walk your hands out. Still keeping your legs straight, walk feet back up to your hands. Repeat. Walk back up to your hands taking baby steps using only the ankles ("ankle steps"). Don't use the knees, hips or quads.
• ¨ Where you should feel it: a stretch in the hamstrings, lower back, glutes, calves and front of the shins.
• ¨ Goal: Perform at least 4 full inch worms unless more is required

INVERTED HAM STRINGS

• ¨ Your objective: To improve hamstring flexibility and balance and dynamic pillar stabilization. Starting Position: Balance on your left foot with perfect posture (tummy tight, shoulders back and down). Procedure: Bending at the waist, maintaining perfect posture, grab the left foot with your right hand, extending right leg back as you fire the right glute. (You might find it easier to extend forward with both hands rather than grabbing a foot.) Your shoulder and heel should move as one, forming a straight line. Take a step back at the end of each rep as you alternate legs. Your body should be in a straight line from ear to ankle. Keep the back and pelvis flat! Someone should be able to place a broomstick snugly across your back.
• ¨ Where you should feel it: a stretch in the hamstrings.
• ¨ Goal: Perform at least 5 fluid repetitions each leg

WALKING LUNGE GROIN, HAM, & HIP

• ¨ Your objective: To improve flexibility in the hips, hamstrings, lower back, torso, groin, hip flexors and quads. Start by taking a large step forward with the right leg, as if doing a lunge. Place and support weight on the left hand even with the right foot. Take the right elbow and reach down to your instep (forward leg) while keeping the back knee off the ground. Move the right hand outside the right foot and push hips straight to the sky, pulling the toe up toward the shin. Keep the back knee off the ground. Exhale as you reach the elbow to the floor. At the end, make sure both hands remain in contact with the ground as you lift hips and pull toe toward the shin.
• ¨ Where you should feel it: a stretch in the back leg's hip flexor and front leg's glute. During the second part, you should feel a stretch in the front hamstring and calf.
• ¨ Goal: Perform at least 4 full repetitions each leg unless more is required

WORKOUT:

ROOKIES:

Perform new dynamic warm-up three different bouts a week coupled with 15-20 minutes of light body weight strength training.  IE 3 sets of maximum body weight repetitions of pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, squats, and back extensions.  Perform cardio by trying something different than your usual workout IE incorporate elliptical, stairmaster, hike with a pack, snow-shoe, jump rope, play basketball, etc

VARSITY:

Perform new dynamic warm-up before workout bouts coupled with hard cardio 3x per week.  In addition to your own workouts, integrate a 3,000 meter workout on the rower for time.  One workout to integrate weekly is to bench your bodyweight for max reps, deadlift your body weight for max reps, and perform pull-ups for max reps.

PROS:

Perform the Crossfit "Fran" workout and record your time.  Fran is bouncing back and forth between "Thrusters" (Barbell front squat to an overhead press) and pull-ups.  Three rounds of each at 21 reps, 15 reps, and 9 reps.  Make sure your squats are to parallel and that your presses and pull-ups involve full range of motion.  There is no room for rest when doing this bad boy!  Post your time if you dare!