How to warm up before a gym workout. Joint warm-up. Joint warm-up programs

Somewhere between lacing up your running shoes and your first set of squats, you encounter the most important issue regarding training: Should I warm up or not? And there's a good chance you'll skip your pre-workout warm-up. Nobody wants to waste time rolling their shoulders and neck.

But even such minor efforts pay off, you just need to choose the right warm-up exercises. According to Nick Tumminello: “Dynamic stretching is The best way warm up your muscles before training.” This type of stretching involves using the muscle's full range of motion (such as lunges).

Cold, unwarmed muscles are at risk of injury during exercise. Warming up before training makes muscles more flexible and stronger. The effectiveness of classes increases after a good warm-up. A compressed muscle is difficult to train and load. When we pump any muscle group, our task is to involve the maximum number of fibers in the work and not get injured. Pre-workout warm-up helps us cope with these two tasks.

Warm up before training 5 minutes

How to properly warm up before training

Dynamic stretching improves flexibility, regulates blood flow, reduces the risk of injury, and reduces the time it takes for muscles to recover. Simply put, the training will take place easier, and the result will be noticeable faster. This warm-up consists of 3 stages and will help you speed up your heart rate, prepare your muscles for stress and tune in to the desired rhythm.

1. Get involved: nervous system activation(exercises 1-3)

Even if you are mentally ready to lift as much weight as possible, your body needs a little more time. When you first enter the gym, the central nervous system, which actually controls all movements, is in “energy saving mode” (this is due to the whole day spent at the computer or in front of the TV). So first, your brain needs to signal your body to get ready for explosive activity. These coordination exercises will instantly “wake up” your nervous system, speed up your heart rate and increase your body temperature. And as a result, the muscles will respond better to the load you give during training.

2. Entirely: muscle involvement(exercises 4-6)

Now that your heart is pumping at the right pace, it's time to strengthen weak and rarely used muscles: buttocks, abs, hip flexors and lower back. These stabilizer muscles regulate the position of joints during movement. By forgetting to stretch these muscles, you increase the risk of injury.

3. And a little more: dynamic mobility(exercises 7-9)

And at the end of the warm-up, you will increase joint mobility and flexibility of large muscle groups from head to toe. And this is very important: if the muscles are stagnant, frozen, then training turns into a fight with oneself, and not burning calories.

Warm-up exercises before training

Exercises 1. Jumping legs together, legs apart

Starting position: feet together, arms at sides (A). When jumping, spread your legs wider than your shoulders and raise your arms above your head. (b) . IN fast pace, without pauses, do 10-15 repetitions.

Exercise 2. Cross jumps, legs together, legs apart

Feet wider than shoulder width, arms extended to the sides (a) . At the same time, cross your arms in front of you and jump with your right foot in front of your left. (b) . Without stopping, return to the starting position and repeat on the other leg. Repeat 10-15 times.

Exercise 3. Body turns

Feet wider than shoulder width, slightly bent at the knees, arms extended in front of you, palms cupped. (a) . Without straightening your legs, turn your body to the right, and, accordingly, move your arms to the right side, then to the left. (b) . The press should be tense. Perform alternating turns as quickly as possible 30-40 times.

Exercise 4. Warm up your shoulders before training

Bend your legs slightly, bend over so that your body is parallel to the floor, arms straight (a) . Raise your arms parallel to the floor, bending your elbows at right angles (b) . Without moving your elbows, rotate your forearms as far as possible (c) . In reverse order, return to the starting position. Repeat 12-14 times.

Exercise 5. Warm up the abs before training

Get on your knees, with your arms bent at right angles, lean on the floor. Pull out slowly left hand in front of you and your right leg behind you (a) . Raise your left arm and right leg as high as possible, return to the starting position (b) . Do 12-14 reps on each side.

Exercise 6. “Climber” at a slow pace

Get into a plank position with your arms straight (a) . Slowly bring your right knee toward your right elbow (b) . Hold this position for 2 seconds and straighten your leg. Perform alternate 12-14 repetitions (i.e. 6-7 repetitions for each leg).

Exercise 7. “Rolls” with hands

Lie on your left side, bend your right leg at the knee at a right angle. Stretch your arms in front of you, palms facing each other (a) . Without moving your arms and legs, turn your body to the right until your right hand touches the floor (b) . Hold for 2 seconds and return to the starting position. Do 10 reps on each side.

Exercise 8. Yoga for warming up

Get into downward-facing dog pose (a) . Slowly pull your right leg toward your chest and place your foot between your hands. (b) . Turn your body to the right and stretch right hand to the ceiling (c) . Return to the starting position. Alternately do 5-6 repetitions on each side.

Exercise 9. Side lunges + cross lunges for warm-up

Stand up straight, arms extended in front of you (a) . Lunge to the right (b) . Then step your left foot behind your right foot to the right (c) . Do 6-8 reps, then repeat on the other side.

How to warm up before training - video complex

Based on materials:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/stretch-workout

The key to successful, effective and productive training is competent and correctly executed warm-up. It has a direct impact not only on the effectiveness, but also on the safety of training, allowing you to distribute the load. In addition, thanks to the warm-up, the recovery process after exercise occurs much faster. A workout without a warm-up cannot be considered complete.

Many are new and some experienced athletes They often skip the warm-up, starting classes with basic exercises. This is a fundamentally wrong approach. Warming up before training is not just an integral part of sports training, but its most important element. It prepares the body for upcoming stress. Consequently, how effective the lesson will be directly depends on the warm-up.

Start off good workout necessary only with warm-up exercises. It is a mistake to consider their implementation a waste of time. Basically, this opinion is based on the belief that during the warm-up there is no build-up muscle tissue, no reset excess weight. Things are a little different. If the warm-up is done correctly, it helps to accumulate a large amount of strength required for pumping up muscles, or performing weight-loss exercises when a person wants to get rid of extra pounds.

The set of exercises included in the warm-up solves a wide range of problems:

  • prepares both the muscular and skeletal systems, as well as all organs involved in the training;
  • provides aerobic exercise, saturates muscles with oxygen and blood;
  • dilates capillaries, strengthens the pulse, preparing blood vessels and heart muscle for stress;
  • prevents injury while lifting heavy weights or working on exercise equipment;
  • provides an additional release of testosterone with adrenaline;
  • tones the sympathetic nervous system;
  • accelerates cellular metabolism;
  • increases the elasticity of muscles and ligaments;
  • increases joint mobility;
  • accelerates the transmission of nerve impulses;
  • allows you to fully concentrate on the upcoming workout.

A high-quality warm-up before training helps to achieve the goal set for the athlete. If this is strength training, then the right mood and preparation of the body allow you to do exercises with maximum impact, lift heavy weight. The role of warm-up exercises is also great. They give confidence to every movement, make the body even more agile, and increase flexibility.

It’s not enough to just do warm-up exercises; you also need to choose them correctly. There is no single and universal system that is suitable for this or that training. The athlete must independently find for himself ideal complex, selecting exercises that maximize potential and help achieve your sporting goals. It is necessary to take into account not only the type of sport, but also physiological individual characteristics.

An important role is played by physique, degree of joint mobility, condition of ligaments, as well as other factors that influence which organs and muscles need more attention. You need to have a clear idea of ​​the expected result. A warm-up can serve to lightly warm up the body or fill a specific muscle group that will be involved in training with blood.

Each athlete, of course, decides for himself what the warm-up will be. The main thing is to know both the theoretical and practical basis. This, first of all, concerns the idea of ​​​​various sets of warm-up exercises.

Warm-up happens:

  1. General. Serves to warm up and prepare the body.
  2. Special. It is usually performed before a specific exercise and has similar features to training movements.
  3. Stretch. Increases muscle stretchability and joint mobility.

The most universal, that is, suitable for almost everyone, is considered a general (classical) warm-up. It also includes stretching.

Classic warm-up

It is a set of the following exercises:

  • aerobic - running, jumping rope;
  • to warm up the muscles of the torso, legs, arms;
  • to increase the degree of mobility and flexibility of joints.

Important to remember

All dynamic warm-up exercises, including running and jumping, should be performed without muscle tension and any forcing. The pace should be kept average. This does not mean that they should be slow and apathetic. This kind of warm-up is called “sluggish.”

Along with jumping and running, general warm-up involves doing:

  • squats;
  • tilts;
  • rotation of the body;
  • exercises in a lying position;
  • knee lift;
  • walking in place.

The complex is a set of exercises, each of which is aimed at working a specific muscle group:

  1. Shoulders. Lower your chin, press it to chest, throw your head back. Also perform neck rotations.
  2. Breast. Place your palm on the wall, lean forward and slightly to the side so that you feel tension, hold for a while, then do the same procedure in the other direction. An excellent way to cope with the task is to stretch your clenched hands up behind your back.
  3. Back. Use a post or pole. Grasp it with one hand, pull your body back, straightening your legs so that you feel both stretching and tension. Stay a little in the final position, repeat similar actions on the second half of the back muscles.
  4. Stomach. Bent in elbow joint put your hand on your belt, and stretch your free one up, lean to the side, while trying to stretch your raised arm as far as possible. Change hands, do the same actions, but in the opposite direction.
  5. Shoulders. Raise your arms to shoulder level. Rotate top part body until it stops, changing sides alternately.
  6. Legs. Lunge your legs back, forward, to the sides. When walking backwards, bend your other leg at the knee joint. Side lunges differ only in the direction of movement; forward lunges differ in the length of the step, which should be maximum.
  7. Anterior thigh muscles. Raise your leg back, clasp it with your hand at the ankle.

This complex contains ideally balanced exercises that allow for high-quality warm-up and stretching of all major muscle groups. Its implementation before training will affect the productivity of classes. They will become more efficient and effective. The general recommended warm-up duration is a quarter of an hour. Spending more time is likely to cause premature fatigue.

Warm up before running

It is required to warm up as during classes conducted in gym, and when running. Warm muscles are the main key to a successful run. Both professionals and amateurs practice running. Therefore, the question of what a proper warm-up should be is quite relevant.

It is best to start warming up before a run by walking at a distance of 100 to 200 meters, gradually increasing the pace. To increase the speed of blood supply, you need to swing your arms, bend back, forward, to the left and right side. It is recommended to complete the warm-up with squats. An alternative option would be to jog for two or three minutes.

These are enough simple exercises do not cause any difficulties in execution, quickly become a habit for runners, allow you to increase your performance and running time, and protect you from the risk of injury.

Morning exercises are the key to vigor and health How to get on the bridge quickly while standing?

One of the main reasons for injuries during training is the lack of a quality warm-up. This trend is observed not only in bodybuilding, but also in all other sports. IN power types sports Special attention is given to warming up the shoulder, elbow, knee, hip and some other joints. Moreover, the shoulder joint is most often subject to injury. In this article we will talk about how to properly warm up your arms and shoulders and why it is so important.

Why do you need a warm-up at the beginning of your workout?

A warm-up is a set of exercises that is performed at the beginning of a workout to warm up the body, ligaments, muscles and joints. Why do you need to warm up:

  • It prevents injuries, as proven by numerous studies;
  • Warm-up exercises increase the effectiveness of the workout as a whole;
  • Warm-up causes a release of adrenaline, increases tone nervous system, accelerates metabolism;
  • Warm-up helps improve the elasticity of joints and ligaments, as well as increase the speed of transmission of nerve impulses;
  • Warm-up movements improve muscle blood circulation and nutrition of muscle tissue with nutrients.

Before starting your workout, you should spend about 10 minutes doing warm-up exercises for your shoulders and elbows. This includes various rotations with deltas, rotations with arms, and elbows. Also, as a warm-up, we would recommend doing push-ups, delt swings and warm-up approaches in basic exercises with an empty neck.

In addition, before starting training with working weights, we recommend performing 2-3 warm-up approach. It is best to use the pyramid method, for example, at the beginning do an approach with an empty bar, then with 40% of the working weight, then 70% of the working weight, and only then move on to normal loads. The warm-up is considered successful if during its execution you bring your heart rate to 100 beats per minute and feel a general warming effect.

Stretching your arms and shoulders before exercise

Stretching before starting a workout is equally important. It is usually divided into two types:

  • Dynamic- This is when you stretch to a point where you feel a stretch in the muscles, and then return back to the starting position. Stretching your arms and shoulders before exercise increases your strength potential.
  • Static- this is when you pull the muscles to a certain point and stay there for a while. This stretching option is considered safer, but it has a negative effect on strength indicators, if performed before training or between approaches.

Stretching is very beneficial after a workout, often called a cool-down. Its purpose is to calm the body after high-intensity exercise, as well as:

  • Remove accumulations of lactic acid;
  • Reduce the risk of blood stagnation in muscle tissue;
  • Prevent muscle pain;
  • Return the muscles that have contracted to their original position;
  • Return to normal body temperature.

The cool-down is also performed for 5-10 minutes and is mandatory after training.

What conclusions can be drawn? Warming up before training your arms and shoulders should be in the arsenal of every athlete who takes gym training seriously and values ​​his time. Stretching and cool-downs are also highly recommended, as they can increase the effectiveness of your overall workout.

Athletes should be sure to warm up their shoulders and arms not only because it greatly reduces the likelihood of injury, but also to improve mental focus, conditioning for training, and increase their strength potential.

Video: Shoulder and arm workout with warm-up

Denis Gusev about stretching exercises

Reading time: 24 min

Warming up before training is a set of exercises to prepare the body for physical activity, which will help you avoid injury and perform the exercise as efficiently as possible. The main purpose of warming up is to gradually increase body temperature and warm up muscles that are in a state of inactivity.

We offer you a selection of warm-up exercises and a ready-made sequential plan for performing them. These exercises are equally suitable for warming up at home or in the gym.

Why do you need a warm-up before training?

Warming up before training is the most important part of a fitness routine. A good warm-up will gradually increase your heart rate, increase blood circulation to your muscles, tendons and ligaments, and prepare you mentally for the workout. Regardless of whether you are going to do strength training or cardio exercises, it is necessary to warm up before training.

Benefits of warming up before training:

  1. You warm up your muscles, ligaments and tendons, this improves their elasticity and reduces the risk of injuries and sprains.
  2. Warm muscles contract and relax better during training, which means your strength capabilities during exercise will be higher.
  3. Warm-up exercises optimize the activity of the cardiovascular system: this will help reduce the load on the heart during exercise.
  4. Warming up before exercise improves blood circulation, which will saturate your muscles with oxygen and nutrients. This will help increase your endurance during exercise.
  5. During a warm-up, your body increases the production of hormones responsible for energy production.
  6. Training is a kind of stress for the body, so a high-quality warm-up will prepare you for stress from a mental point of view, improve coordination and attention.
  7. During light warm-up exercises, adrenaline is released into the blood, making your body better able to cope with physical activity.
  8. Warming up speeds up metabolic processes.

A good warm-up before training will help you not only avoid injuries and problems with the cardiovascular system, but also make your workout more effective. If you want to skip the warm-up and save time so you can focus more on increased loads for quick results, then this is the wrong way. After warming up, your body will work better, you will be more energetic and resilient, which will give you much more best result in perspective.

Dynamic warm-up must be carried out before any workout, regardless of the type of load: strength training with weights, running, bike ride, kickboxing, plyometrics, split stretching, and any other sports area. Warming up before training is necessary both when exercising in the gym and at home (outside).

Why don't people warm up before working out?

Many people don't warm up before exercise, considering it a waste of time. You've probably heard more than once from friends or acquaintances: “I regularly do strength and cardio training in the gym and never warm up or cool down. I didn’t feel any harm.”. Never rely on someone else's dubious experience!

Firstly, each person has his own individual level of strength; no one knows the reserves of his body. It may not fail for a month, two, six months or even a year, gradually wearing out, but how long this can last is unknown. Secondly, in conditions of excessive and very often contradictory information on fitness, many of us already make a lot of mistakes that can affect our health. Therefore, try to follow at least the canonical recommendations - doing a warm-up before each workout is one of them.

It is important to note that even personal trainers and coaches group classes may not devote the minimum amount of time to warm-up. But you yourself are responsible for your health, so don’t be lazy to come 10 minutes before training and do the warm-up yourself. Even if you haven’t had any injuries to date, remember that a cold tendon tear or other unpleasant injury can happen at any time.

The situation is similar with home workouts, of which a large number are now being produced. Typically, programs are designed for 20-30 minutes, which is very important for many people in busy conditions. And of course, in such short programs in the best case, 2-3 minutes will be devoted to warm-up, and in the worst case, there will be no warm-up at all.

What are the dangers of not warming up?

Research shows that only 5% of people do a good warm-up before exercise, and this is a very sad statistic. Many exercisers believe that this is a waste of time, which is already limited in fitness classes. Let's remember once again why not warming up before training can be dangerous, in addition to reducing the effectiveness of the activity?

  • The most common problem that occurs when there is no warm-up before training is sprain. A very unpleasant and painful syndrome, due to which you will have to take a break from training.
  • An even more unpleasant problem is joint injury. If you exercise on a cold joint, there is a high risk of damaging it. The danger of a joint injury lies not only in the duration of recovery, but also in the fact that after the injury it will constantly remind itself. Due to improper loads, they especially often suffer joints of the knees, ankles, shoulder and hip joints.
  • Without a good warm-up, dizziness or even fainting may occur due to the high load on the heart.
  • A sudden sharp load without a preparatory warm-up can cause a sharp rise in pressure, which is equally dangerous for people with hypertension and hypotension.

Pre-workout warm-up structure

It is advisable to devote time to warming up before training. minimum 7-10 minutes. It is better to start warming up with light cardio exercises to warm up the body. Then you should do dynamic exercises for warming up joints and stretching muscles. The warm-up ends again with cardio exercises with already O greater intensity. At the end of the warm-up, we restore our breathing by taking a deep breath and exhaling.

Warm-up structure before training for 7-10 minutes:

  • Light cardio warm-up: 1-2 minutes
  • Joint gymnastics: 1-2 minutes
  • Dynamic muscle stretching: 2-3 minutes
  • Cardio warm-up: 2-3 minutes
  • Recovery breathing: 0.5-1 minute

Cardio warm-up will increase your body temperature, increase blood circulation, and prepare your muscles for further stretching. Joint gymnastics activates the work of joints, tendons and ligaments, improves their mobility and helps to work out the periarticular muscles. Dynamic stretching will make your muscles more elastic, which will help them work more efficiently throughout your workout.

Thanks to this warm-up, you will make your heart work faster, speed up blood circulation, and gently awaken all the muscles of the body. After proper warm-up A pleasant warmth spreads throughout your body, you feel cheerful and full of energy. If you are planning stretching or splits stretching as a workout, then the final cardio warm-up can be increased to 5-7 minutes.

Do not confuse warming up before training with stretching after training. In the warm-up, your goal is to warm up the muscles and joints, increase blood circulation, and prepare the body for stress. Warm-up should not be slow and static, you should warm up well. After training, on the contrary, you should restore your breathing, lower your heart rate and perform static stretching exercises.

Warm-up exercises

The importance of warming up is difficult to overestimate; it is a fundamental part of training. First, a good warm-up before exercise reduces the risk of injury. Secondly, warmed muscles work more efficiently. Warm-up should include a complete and well-thought-out set of exercises that will help prepare your body for training.

Stage 1: Light Cardio Warm Up

You should always start your warm-up with light cardio exercises to warm up your body and avoid pulling a muscle during dynamic stretching. Cardio warm-up lasts 1-2 minutes and may include light jogging or brisk walking in place. During the frame warm-up, your heart rate should rise and your body should warm up. We perform each cardio warm-up exercise 30-45 seconds .

1. Walking with knees up

2. Walking with arms and legs spread

Stage 2: Joint gymnastics

Joint gymnastics, by the way, is also useful as a regular exercise. morning exercises. We repeat each exercise 10 times, if necessary, on the right and left sides. Don’t forget to perform some rotational exercises both clockwise and counterclockwise.

1. Crescent head rotation (do not throw your head back)

7. Leg rotation

Stage 3: Dynamic Muscle Stretching

After joint gymnastics there is a stage for dynamic stretching different groups muscles. Exercises are performed according to 15-20 seconds .

1. Arm raises for the chest and back muscles

2. Stretching the shoulder joints

4. Bend to the side to warm up the sides

5. Bend over your legs to warm up your core.

6. Bench squats for back and legs

7. Squat Rotations for Back and Shoulders

8. Side lunges to warm up your legs

9. Lunges to warm up your legs

10. Lunge Twist to Warm Up the Core, Legs, Arms, and Shoulders

Stage 4: Cardio Warm Up

On final stage After warming up, we return to cardio exercises to further warm up and raise our body temperature. The speed and intensity of the exercise can be increased; the duration of the final cardio warm-up is 2-3 minutes. We perform each exercise 40-60 seconds, speed of execution is based on your capabilities.

3. Jumping with arms and legs raised

4. Running with knees up

Stage 5: Restoring breathing

Be sure to remember to restore your breathing after performing cardio exercises by taking a deep breath and exhaling 0.5-1 minute. Choose one of these exercises:

1. Restoring breathing with squats

2. Restoring breathing with a tilt

Thanks to YouTube channels for the gifs: FitnessType, Nicole Perry, PsycheTruth, Dayanna Marz, Deporlovers, Tuiwok Talento.

Stage 6: Special warm-up

If you do strength training with heavy weights, then be sure to also pay attention special warm-up. It is aimed at maximum warming up of those muscles that will actively participate in the training. As part of a special warm-up, you should perform exercises from the main complex, but without weights or with light weight (20-30% of the maximum).

A special warm-up should be performed immediately before an exercise or before training an entire muscle group. Attention, a special warm-up does not replace a general warm-up before training! This is only one of the stages of the lesson, but also very important.

Let's give an example of a special warm-up. Let's say you are planning to do squats with a barbell weighing 80 kg. This means that before this exercise you should do a warm-up set of 10-15 repetitions with an empty bar or with a bar weight of 20-30% of maximum weight. We emphasize once again that a special warm-up is performed after the general warm-up, and not instead of it.

How to warm up before running or doing cardio?

How to properly warm up before running or other cardio exercise? In this case, proceed according to an absolutely similar scheme: a small cardio warm-up for 2 minutes (running in place, light jumping rope) and then joint gymnastics + stretching. And only after that, proceed directly to cardio training, gradually increasing the intensity.

Many people think that it is not necessary to warm up before a cardio workout. However, this is not true. Muscles, joints, and heart receive serious stress while running and jumping, so it is very dangerous to exercise without warming up. Just walking and gradually increasing intensity without doing warm-up exercises for joints and muscles is not enough! Be sure to do joint exercises and stretching before cardio training.

Features of warming up before training:

  1. We warm up from top to bottom (neck, shoulders, arms, chest, back, core, legs). But this is rather a traditional approach to warm-up exercises; the order of the exercises does not play a fundamental role.
  2. Warm-up should take place at a dynamic but gentle pace. Your goal is a gentle warm-up and preparation for more intensive loads. You should feel warm throughout your body from the warm-up, but don't overdo it.
  3. You should start warming up with a slow pace and small amplitude of movements, gradually increasing the pace and amplitude.
  4. Avoid long static positions; warm-up before training should include dynamic exercises. Do not confuse this with post-workout stretching, which involves freezing in one position for 30-60 seconds to stretch the muscles.
  5. When warming up before a workout at home or in the gym, avoid sudden movements, try to perform the exercises smoothly. Do not allow pain or discomfort in the joints (there may be a crunch in the joints, it’s not scary).
  6. If you work out in a cool room (or outdoors), then dress warmly to warm up faster or increase the warm-up to 15-20 minutes.
  7. If you know that you will train some part of your body particularly intensely today, then pay special attention to it during your warm-up. For example, on a lower body workout day, thoroughly stretch your hips and knees, and stretch the muscles in your legs and buttocks.
  8. If you work out at the gym, you can use it as a cardio warm-up. treadmill or . Always start at a slow pace and let your heart rate rise gradually.

Pre-workout warm-up video

If you need ready-made warm-up options before training, we offer you 6 short videos , which will help you warm up and prepare for intense exercise. Programs last 5-10 minutes and are suitable for both men and women.

Warm-up video in Russian

1. Universal warm-up before training for 7 minutes

2. Warm up before training for 7 minutes

3. Warm up before training for 8 minutes

Warm-up video in English

1. 5 Minute Total Body Warm Up Workout

2. 5 minute Quick Warm Up Cardio Workout

3. 10 Minute Pre-workout Warm Up

Wherever you exercise: at home, on the street or in the gym, be sure to warm up before training, and then physical activity will bring you pleasure, benefit and results.

Everyone has long known that before any workout you need a warm-up. Many people simply know this and that’s where it all ends. We often observe how some, even seemingly experienced athletes, begin their training immediately with a warm-up approach. Having loaded the bar with minimal weight, they begin to perform, and for the second approach the working weight is already set. Then a time bomb is launched. Since this is far from a warm-up, such athletes sharply reduce the effectiveness of their training, and the consequences can be disastrous.

Why do a warm-up?

To put it in simple, “automotive” language that is understandable to many, warming up can be compared to starting an engine. In the cold winter time It is unlikely that there will be those who, without warming up the car, start abruptly, because it is known that this way the car can be quickly “killed”. And the same thing with warming up, but if a car is iron, then you still have to live in your own body for the rest of your life and it won’t be possible to replace it.

Warm-up keeps joints and muscles healthy; it is with proper warm-up and training that you can keep your body youthful for a long time and improve joint health, which will not become inflamed ahead of time. Mobility of joints, careful attitude to warming up muscles and ligaments will prevent any injuries caused by contraction and stretching muscle fibers during the exercise. In addition, the range of motion improves, because the sleepy and cold muscles are in a compressed state.

In addition, warming up gradually accelerates blood throughout the body, carefully accelerating blood circulation and pulse, which smoothly brings the body to heavy physical activity.

What consequences can happen if you don’t warm up before strength training?

  1. Firstly, by training without warming up the muscles, you can get any injuries to bone, muscle and connective tissue. Tightening of muscles and ligaments in a cold, unheated state is a normal process, but if such muscles are immediately contracted with additional weights and, in addition, stretched, you can get at least a spasm, inflammation, and, worse, stretching and rupture, depending on the external temperature and resistance forces in the muscles.
  2. Secondly, joints suffer. Fortunately, modern medicine has come to implantation of joints, but this cannot be called a full life. Unheated joints are a very fragile mechanism, although when warmed up they are able to overcome heavy loads. Starting a workout without including joint warm-up leads to inflammatory processes, deformation of cartilage and deterioration of joint mobility in the future.
  3. Third, ignoring the warm-up before training at home or in the gym leads to deformation of the ligamentous apparatus, which connects muscles and joints. Ligaments are also susceptible to stiffening and stretching, so performing a load without warming up can easily injure them, and they take a very long time to heal, or even last a lifetime, just like joints.

How to properly warm up before training: warm-up plan

Any workout should start with an easy one: it could be walking, a slide. These are any exercises that warm up the body and gradually increase the heart rate without contracting the muscles, as with weight equipment and exercise machines.

Under no circumstances should you start warming up abruptly; this applies not only to the strength of extension or range of motion, but also to speed. You need to start warming up slowly, gradually increasing the pace, and then the range of movements.

The main sign that the muscles are really warm is a feeling of warmth in the muscles and sweating. When the first sweat appears, this means that the body has warmed up enough and you can start exercising.

Warm-up plan

  1. Walk for 1-2 minutes, then increase the pace of cardio exercise, but at a moderate speed for 5 minutes.
  2. Joint gymnastics and exercises for the whole body.
  3. Muscle stretching.

Features of warming up in the gym before training

IN gym The choice of warm-up methods is great: this is a cardio zone, in which all exercise equipment is located - from exercise bikes to exercise bikes, as well as other equipment.

You can also warm up in the gym using simple equipment: sliding on slides, jumping rope, and the like.

The principle of warming up on cardio equipment is the same: starting at a slow pace, gradually increase the speed, while using the pulse sensors to hold . On average, 120-130 beats per minute is enough to warm up. Do a cardio warm-up for 5-7 minutes, then slow down to a gentle walk for the last minute.

Exercises for warming up the whole body at home

  1. Start by walking in place, adding breathing techniques, raising your arms out to your sides.
  1. Perform side steps, and the pace should be energetic, 1 minute is enough.
  1. Raise your knees to your chest one at a time, as in, then at the same pace, perform heel sweeps to your buttocks.
  1. Tilt your body to the sides alternately.


Warm up for the neck

  1. Turn your head to the sides 5-10 times in each direction.


  1. Bend to the sides (ear to shoulder) 5-10 times.


  1. Make a semicircle with your head, rolling your chin over your collarbones from side to side, without throwing your head back.

  1. Circular rotations hands in shoulder joints in both directions 5-10 times.
  1. Circular movements in the elbows and hands 5-10 times.
  1. Stretching your arms parallel to the floor with an emphasis back, palms behind your back.


Warm-up for the back

  1. Bend your torso forward on straight legs, without rounding your back: 10-15 repetitions.


  1. Slow twisting of the body towards the floor and back up. Gradual relaxation of all parts of the spine – 5 times.
  1. Lock under the knees, rounding and arching the spine (similar to the “cat” exercise).


  1. Twisting (turning) the body from side to side. Perform without sudden movements.

Leg warm-up

  1. Circular rotation of the pelvis in one direction and the other.
  1. Circular rotations with one leg hip joint on both sides. To the right and left leg, respectively.
  1. Leg extension in knee joints while keeping your leg suspended.
  1. Circular rotations ankle joints on both sides.
  1. Bend your torso towards your straight legs while standing, holding the flexion of your hamstrings for a few seconds.


Fitness warm-up in video format

Mistakes made when warming up

  • Warm-up time is too short, often, 1-2 minutes is not enough to properly warm up the muscles and joints.
  • Only the part of the body that the athlete will load according to plan is warmed up, For example shoulder girdle. But in vain, regardless of the complex, you need to warm up the whole body.
  • Warm-up begins with stretching, sharp swings or twisting, and this is very traumatic. Start with cardio, only then do joint exercises and muscle stretching.
  • A warm-up is considered to be the first warm-up approach with a light weight. This has already been said, this is an incomplete warm-up; muscles or joints will quickly get injured from this method.

Conclusion

Another important point is that Lack of exercise brings old age closer. And it’s not a matter of age, but of mobility and health, inert and muscular systems, which even in young athletes reach the same state as many in old age. Namely: joints hurt, muscles and ligaments become tight, old injuries bother you, and cardiovascular diseases appear. Lack of respect for your own body accelerates the manifestation of all premature “troubles”. It’s easy to prevent them - don’t neglect warming up.