The warm up, probably one of the most boring parts of your training but actually the most important to perform and be consistent with. However the trap we can sometimes fall into is either not warming up properly or spending so much time warming up that we waste time and energy for our actual session. In todays blog post I explain what our aim for warming up is and how to get the best out of it.
Why do we warm up? Well our muscles are like giant elastic bands, if you stretch an elastic band when its cold it’s more likely to tear & break. If we slowly warm up the band by stretching it slowly it will be more ready for the bigger loads. Likewise warming up will reduce injury risk and increase performance, this can then have a knock on effect to our muscle size. Studies are showing however what we do in our warm ups is very important, static stretches have shown to decrease strength during our sessions. Therefore it’s important we look to dynamic stretches as part of our warm up routine. This is because dynamic stretches also takes your joints through the full range of motion, so your body gets used to the exercises. The most important part of warming up isn’t stretching the specific muscles you’ll be working, it’s raising your core body temperature. This means put on your baggy hoodie and hit the stair master, as this will help get your blood flowing and get your muscles warm ready for training. There can also be a psychological benefit to warming up, for me when I finish my warm up session I’m not just physically prepared but mentally ready to train.
I want to just touch on foam rolling for a bit, it’s a product that’s become very popular in recent times. Do you need one? Well maybe, the answers a bit more complex than you first think. Foam rolling has been shown many times to decrease DOMs, however when you’re already doing a good dynamic stretch routine the benefits in muscle recovery are minimal if any. However, and this is the reason why I use a foam roller, foam rolling improves mobility and range of motion. I feel a lot better when I use it on certain areas which is especially important when I’m performing lifts such as sumo deadlifts.
In conclusion, you don’t need to be spending an eternity stretching, I’ve found a sweet spot of around 10 minutes. You can perform static stretches (keep the hold for wayyy under 30 seconds) but dynamic stretches are more beneficial. Foam rollers should be used to increase mobility and range of motion, only concentrate on specific areas as a full body foam roll will just waste time and energy. They are not essential if you are short on time or already have a good dynamic stretching routine in place.
I hoped you enjoyed the post, as always have a good day.
Cameron
Additional Sources
Athlean X - 10 Best Mobility | Flexibility Drills (PRE-WORKOUT)
Jeff Nipard - Does Foam Rolling Work? (Better Recovery and Less Soreness?)