Warm-Up – Don’t Start Cold
What do you do when you start your workout? Do you hit the tread, find a foam roller, hit the mat and stretch, or do you just walk in and start? The importance of a good warm-up cannot be understated. It is one of the most critical components of a workout because it is the foundation of your work. It gets the body prepared for what it is about to do. The goal of a warm-up is to get the body as close to 100% prepared for the activity as possible. It is all about getting the body ready the movements that are about to be performed. This not only applies to prep for workouts but also to practices, games, matches, and/or competitions. No matter what, everyone will perform better when they perform a warm-up.
There are a couple of things that every warm-up needs to include. First, is that it must be tailored to the activity that is ahead. If you are going to jump, warm up the muscles that you need to jump. If you’re going to lift upper body with bench press and pull ups, warm-up the pecs, shoulders, lats, etc. It starts with the activity being done, thinking about the goals for that activity, then the warm-up can be made specific for that. Second, is to warm-up the ‘background’ (aka the support) muscles. Make sure to include the muscles that will be supporting the main movements that will be performed. These could also be called the stabilizer muscles. For example, when warming up for golf, don’t forget the trunk muscles or when warming up for squats in the gym, make sure to warm up the hips. Doing this will make sure that the whole body is ready for the movement/activity ahead.
The warm-up is all about getting the body moving and increasing blood flow to the muscles that will be used in the subsequent activity. What this really does is increase the temperature in the muscles. This is the key. Increasing the temperature in turn increases the sensitivity of the nerve receptors and transmission speed of the nerve signals. What this means is that signals to and from the nerves are going faster and the nerves are more sensitive those signals. Along with this and the increased temperature, there is an increase in speed and reaction time as well as in blood flow. The increase in blood flow helps to get carbohydrates (muscle energy) and electrolytes into the muscles and get waste out. Basically, the warm-up clears and prepares the muscles for activity through getting rid of what’s not needed while allowing for more of what fuels the muscles. Physically, in the bigger picture, a warm-up helps increase range of motion and mobility which is helpful going into activity so that the body is not put into positions that it is not prepared to perform.
In the end, a warm-up is essential prior to an activity, workout, match, or game. It prepares the body for what is about to happen through getting the muscle set up for success. This occurs through increasing the temperature which in turn adds more blood flow, and through that more fuel to the muscles. A warm-up should be focused on what will be done and what muscles will be needed in the subsequent movements. A warm-up should be specific. It should be focused and tailored to the activity and athletes performing that activity. Do not start cold in your workout or game. Get the body moving, get warm, and do not take this time lightly. It is critical to movement success and to injury prevention. A quality warm-up has been shown to decrease injury risk which can mean more time working out and competing. Do not start cold so do not overlook you warm-up.
-Tyler Grisdale, MS, CSCS, RSCC, CES, TPI