Stretching after training - how to do it correctly and why it is needed. Warm up and cool down. Post-workout stretching Cool-down exercises

Every gym goer knows that before strength training, a warm-up is mandatory, but many finish the workout incorrectly, skipping the cool-down, which is just as necessary as hygiene procedures after. physical exercise. This article will talk about exercises that can and should be used as a cool-down after strength training V gym.

What is a cool down

Before loading the body, it must be warmed up, and in order for it to “cool down” correctly, you need hitch. But even experienced gym goers can neglect such an important step. Most people simply don’t understand why they should waste time and energy on this when the workout is already over!

To begin with, you need to understand what happens to the body during exercise:

the heart works at a very fast pace;
pressure rises;
body temperature can reach 38°C;
breathing quickens.

It's like an engine running at full speed. If you stop it abruptly, breakdowns will follow. An athlete who suddenly stops and leaves in the middle of training will feel the same way. Blood will not be able to return to the organs as quickly, which will cause fatigue, dizziness and even nausea.

Cooling down after a workout ensures a smooth transition back to normal.. The load on the heart, which is forced to work harder, is reduced, preventing blood stagnation. Pulse, blood pressure, and temperature stabilize. Moreover, thanks to the series simple exercises the intensity of pain after exercise will decrease, recovery of damaged muscle tissue. Therefore, the formation of new tissue occurs faster and this process will not begin until the damage in the muscle fibers has healed.

The muscles take their previous shape - they stretch, which increases the possibility of their growth. And this is often the main goal of strength training. Metabolism will also speed up - the removal of breakdown products and the intake of nutrients. Proper completion strength training also helps to relax the nervous system.

How to do a cool down

To begin with it is necessary do cardio exercises– running is good, because even the most run-down gyms have treadmills. But there is one trick here. You need to start in fast pace, gradually reducing the intensity, which will let the body know that the shock load has ended. So, at first, running at moderate intensity, gradually (within 5-10 minutes) it turns into a calm walk. In this way, the heart rate gradually decreases and the pulse returns to normal.

While on the simulator, you should follow the safety rules:

By observing these simple rules, you can achieve maximum running efficiency during exercise. The level of difficulty is selected depending on individual characteristics. Some people just want to start by walking at a fast pace, others choose difficult routes with changing incline levels. It is important to focus not on others, but to monitor your own progress. Not only running, but also other types of cardio are suitable for cool-down:

you can jump rope;
set of yoga exercises.

Duration – no more than 10 minutes., after all, the main work is over, there is no need to completely exhaust the body.

The second stage, which must necessarily include a cool-down after strength training, is stretching, and static. Rocking, stretching muscles through pain is unnecessary. You need to take a certain position, feel that the muscles are stretching, and stay in the pose for half a minute or a little more.

Best Stretching Exercises

Hanging on the horizontal bar. Hands are shoulder-width apart, it’s better to hold on reverse grip. The muscles of the lower back are involved, broadest backs, trapezius, delta biceps. You need to hang for 30 to 60 seconds. Exercise has a great effect on everything top part bodies.
Bringing your hands together. Stretching the chest and arm muscles. Both hands are placed behind your back - one from above, the other from below. You need to try to clasp your palms. If that doesn’t work, you can take a towel or a rubber expander in your hands. Be sure to switch hands. Over time, stretching will improve and no additional equipment will be needed.
Crescent. The lower back is stretched and latissimus muscles backs. It is necessary to find a vertical support (door frame, wall bars), stand next to each other, feet together. Grab the support with your hands and tilt your body to the side, feeling the stretch. Freeze in this position. Turn around and repeat on the other side.
Back of the thighs. The lower back is also involved. Standing, bring your legs together, slowly lean forward, facing your knees. In this position, grab your ankles with your hands and pull your body towards your legs as far as possible. It is advisable to keep your knees straight, but you can bend them slightly.
Snake. Helps relax the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles and pectoral muscles. Starting position: lying on the floor on your stomach. Supporting yourself with your hands, lift your body, slightly tilting it back. The head stretches up and back. A stretch should be felt in the abdomen and chest.
Static lunges - one leg behind the body, the other in front. The back leg touches the floor with the knee, the second one stands in front, the knee should not go beyond the toe. Slowly straighten your back leg; if necessary, you can slightly change the angle of your front leg. The body moves forward, you can place your palms on the floor for stability. Stretched hind leg. Lock the position. Then change legs.

Nutrition

Previously, there was a popular myth that after training you should not eat for 3 hours if you want to lose weight. Today, all trainers unanimously repeat that it is not only possible to eat after classes, but also necessary! Of course, it is important to count calories. A meal is necessary, but it must fit into the overall nutrition plan. It's better to have a snack with something protein. A protein shake, natural yogurt without additives, low-fat cottage cheese are good options.. If the body does not receive a full meal, its recovery will be slower and worse. The main thing is to exclude sweets, flour, all fried and unnatural foods.

As you know, any workout should begin with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. I have already described in detail what it is and how to warm up correctly in the corresponding article. And today we will figure out what it is cool down after workout, why it is needed and how to do a cool-down correctly to maintain health and speed up progress.

What is a post-workout cool-down?

Cool down after training is a set of light physical stretching exercises or light running, smoothly turning into walking, which is designed to gradually transition the body from training to a normal calm state.

Why do we need a cool down after training? The fact is that during training, blood flows intensely to the muscles and if you abruptly interrupt the training, the blood stagnates in the muscles, which creates excessive stress on the heart. In addition, cooling down speeds up the release of lactic acid from the muscles, which helps speed up muscle recovery. That is why after each workout it is necessary to do a cool-down.

How to cool down after a workout?

The best way to cool down is a light run, smoothly turning into walking or stretching exercises. muscle groups who worked most intensely during training. By the way, stretching after training helps increase progress by about 10%. Therefore, after training, be sure to jog at a slow pace or do muscle stretching exercises. You can also hang from a bar. The duration of the cool-down after training is approximately 5-10 minutes.

If you start a workout without warming up, believing that your body is able to “wake up” during exercise, then you are mistaken. The body needs to be prepared for training.

Introduction

We downloaded a special application and are ready to tell you about the importance of warm-up and cool-down in this review.

Any experienced athlete knows for sure that you cannot immediately start working on your body without preparation. Likewise, after active exercise, you should not leave your body in a maximally tense state.

The Bodymaster team tested a simple, free and effective Exercises app for warming up and cooling down, which can be downloaded from the Google Play store.

Most likely, if you are new to sports, at first you will be confused about the concepts of “warm-up”, “cool-down” and “stretching”. Remember that these are different types of exercises that need to be performed during a certain period of training.

Warm-up is a set of exercises to warm up muscles and joints. Are you preparing your body for power loads, improve concentration and perception. On average, warming up before exercise should take about 10-15 minutes.
Cool down – recovery exercises that help align muscle tone, adjust pulse, blood pressure and body temperature. For this type of exercise, in particular, exercises with a foam roller are suitable (link to review). Experts recommend taking about 5-10 minutes to cool down.
Stretching is also recommended after training. This complex helps trained muscles return to their original size to build new mass.

You can read more about how to prepare yourself for training and recover after it in our article Warm-up and stretching, warm-up exercises.

You can watch a preliminary review of the application on the Fly Power Plus XXL smartphone in our video:

Why do you need a warm-up before training?

By warming up before a workout, you don't just warm up your muscles, preparing them for stress. Qualitative changes occur in almost all vital systems of the body:
The heart rate increases, blood flow increases, and the muscles are better supplied with nutrients.
Blood pressure increases, also providing rich blood flow to the muscles.
Muscles become more resilient. Reduces the risk of injury.
Due to rapid breathing, ventilation of the lungs increases, the body stores oxygen for future use.
Due to improved neuromuscular communication, the body requires less energy. Consequently, the central nervous system is less overloaded.
Body temperature rises to 38.5 - 39 degrees Celsius. Due to this, physiological reactions occur more efficiently. In addition, ligaments and tendons become more flexible and elastic.
The body produces more joint fluid, increasing the volume of articular cartilage. Because of this, it is easier to bear pressure during training.
Warming up increases concentration and perception to overcome obstacles. It is easier for an athlete to motivate himself to work with his body, and the positive attitude toward results increases.

Body temperature must be increased gradually, without sudden jumps.
When warming up, take into account the weather, time of day, age and experience of the athlete.
Warm-up duration is from 10 to 15 minutes.
Between warm-up and training, no more than 5 minutes should pass, since after this the saturation of the muscles with blood begins to decrease.

Why do you need a cool down after training?

Cooling down restores the body, exhausted by intense exercise. So, after a quick climb from the first to the fifth floor, you are unlikely to be able to perform any hard work: You need to catch your breath and relax your muscles. IN sports training the same principle applies. Without effective rest, it will be much more difficult for you to start new exercises, including exercise machines.

Effects of a quality cool down:

Muscle tension decreases;
Pulse, body temperature, blood pressure are equalized;
The central nervous system is restored
Lactic acid is removed from the body, which causes you to feel a burning sensation in your muscles.

As with the warm-up, it is important to follow the rules during the cool-down:

Cool-down exercises should not last more than 10 minutes;
Monitor your pulse - it should not rise above 120 beats per minute.

An exercise bike is perfect for cooling down. treadmill or a foam roller that needs to be used to roll tense muscles. After the cool-down, you can spend some time in the bathhouse or sauna, and also have a massage session.

Warm up and cool down. Exercises in the app

The training course in the application follows a familiar and well-developed scheme. On the main screen, all exercises are collected into two complexes:

Warm Up (set of exercises for warming up)
Cool down (cool down after exercise)

You set the time during which you will perform the activities. Based on this time, the application will put together a set of exercises for you. In preview mode, you can see what the mobile program has prepared for you, and also put all the exercises in random order.

The training takes place in the format of visual lessons. The model in the video shows the technique, and the voice instructor gives commands to get ready, start, change sides and finish.

Once you've completed the exercises, your workout is marked on the calendar. So you can see on what day and for how many minutes you worked out and how many calories you burned.

All exercises for warming up before training and cooling down after it are collected in a separate list. Here, each exercise is provided with a visual video card.

If you purchased the premium version for 119 rubles, you are given access to individual training. You set the duration of the workout, the frequency and duration of rest, and make yourself a list of exercises.

The application does not contain any detailed and visual reporting; there are no graphs or tables of your workouts. The maximum you can personalize is height and weight data.

However, complex reporting is not particularly needed here. Warm-up and cool-down application. The exercises are purely practical in nature so that your workout brings the most beneficial results.

Simple warm-up exercises

Let's look at 5 simple exercises for warm-ups that will help warm up your body before training:

Stretch the neck muscles to the sides

Technique for performing the exercise: Stretching the neck muscles to the sides

Place one hand on the top of your head and extend the other along your body. Tilt your head to the side and make a slight effort with your hand on the top of your head. Don't pull your shoulders up. Hold the tilt at the maximum point for a few seconds. Repeat with an incline to the other side.

Delt stretching

Technique for performing the exercise: Stretching the deltas

Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arm in front of you and clasp your forearm at the elbow. Press your hand to your body and hold for a few seconds at the extreme point. Do the exercise for both hands.

Standing triceps stretch

Technique for performing the exercise: Standing triceps stretch

Stand up straight, bend one arm at the elbow and place it behind your head. With your other hand, grab the elbow of your bent arm and apply a little pressure. Do not do it sudden movements, there should be a feeling of slight stretching. Stay at the extreme point for 10-20 seconds. Switch hands.

Technique for performing the exercise: Swing your leg forward and backward

Stand next to a support, a chair or a wall will do, hold on to it with your hand. Swing one arm forward, keeping your leg straight, then swing back. Raising your leg, your back remains straight. Return to the starting position. Do 10-20 swings with each leg.

This set of exercises will not take much time and will perfectly prepare the body for training. These 5 exercises can be included after your workout.

Conclusion

Despite its simplicity, the application is perfect for both beginners and experienced athletes. It doesn’t matter whether you warm up and cool down in the gym, or you work out at home. Not required here additional simulators and shells - just start the video and follow all the instructions exactly. At the same time, you can safely leave the application in the basic version, although you will have to put up with advertising banners.

You can read more about how stretching affects flexibility and warming up muscles before exercise, which exercises are the best, as well as the categories of stretching in our article

Progress and muscle growth have stopped, but have you ever wondered what this is connected with? Have you ever noticed that some girls and men stretch after training? Perhaps you have already lost the logical relationship, what does muscle growth and stretching have to do with it? There is an established opinion that stretching is done to increase flexibility or splits to demonstrate the basics rhythmic gymnastics, but this is far from the case. Stretching is not just part of a workout for those who have nothing to do in the gym, but an important component of strength training for both women and men.

Why do you need to stretch after a workout?

Flexibility of muscles and ligaments is not just aesthetics physical development, which girls strive for, and the main tool of any athlete, which contributes to the fastest.

Here is the mechanism of action: under load, the muscles contract and shorten; one might say, they become more and more compressed with each workout and worse or do not return to their normal state at all. Such muscles become overloaded and inelastic. It is these muscles that stop growing, since the full range of motion is important for their growth, and the stretching phase (negative) is no less important here than the contraction phase.

So, when muscles are stretched, they are prevented from shortening and normal levels of recovery are maintained. And recovery is known for its acceleration effect. Thus, by stretching after training, the muscles will be able to rest faster, maintaining elasticity and physiological state, constantly improving the amplitude of movement, and accordingly, the muscles will grow faster.

How to properly stretch after a workout for girls and men

If we talk about stretching after a workout, of course, the muscles are well warmed up and less susceptible to injury, but this does not mean that stretching needs to be intense, sharp, painful and long-lasting.

It's important to understand that for recovery it is necessary to relax the muscles and subject them to slight stretching, but not to sharp manipulations that tear the fibers.

After training, you need to stretch all the main muscle groups, devoting 1-2 minutes to each. It is better if the exercises are static; if the exercise has dynamics, then you should not supplement it with springy amplitudes at maximum extension, which are more damaging to the fibers.

Stretching exercises after strength training

Stretching after a workout in video format

Neck muscles and trapezius

Exercise No. 1

Tilt your head towards your right shoulder, feel the stretching of the neck muscles on the left, if necessary, increase the stretching by pressing your hand on your head from above, hold for 10-20 seconds, and do the same on the other side.

Exercise No. 2

Tilt your head forward and increase the stretch by pressing your palms onto the back of your head. Hold for 10-20 seconds.

Arms and shoulders

Exercise No. 1

Lift up right hand parallel to the floor in front of you, clasp your shoulder above the elbow with your left palm and bring your hand closer to you. Hold for a maximum of 30 seconds and switch hands. The technique allows you to stretch the posterior delta band.

Exercise No. 2

Raise your arms to the sides parallel to the floor and move your arms as far back as possible, each time increasing the extension of the front deltas and pectoral muscles. You can perform smooth springs with an emphasis back.

Exercise No. 3

Raise your right arm up, bend your elbow and place your palm behind your head towards your shoulder blade. With your left hand, grab your elbow and, using light pressure from above, increase the traction of the triceps, hold for 10-30 seconds, then change hands.

Exercise #4

Raise your right hand in front of you, palm facing away from you. Use your left palm to increase the stretch, feeling the stretch in your biceps brachii. Hold for up to 30 seconds and switch to the other side.

Chest, back, abdominal muscles

Exercise No. 1

Go to any stable support and hold it with both hands at shoulder level. Then round your back, holding on outstretched arms. Stretch your back muscles for 30 to 60 seconds.

Exercise No. 2

Stand in a plank position with your feet hip-width apart and your palms under your shoulders. As you exhale, lift your pelvis toward the ceiling, forming a “slide.” Push your pelvis as hard as possible towards the ceiling, and your heels and thoracic region Pull harder towards the floor. Keep your knees straight. And so on for 30-60 seconds.

Exercise No. 3

From the previous position, remaining on straight arms, lower your pelvis and hips to the floor, forming a arch in your lower back. If the position causes discomfort, lower yourself onto your forearms. Try to forcefully push your chest forward, without raising your shoulders or pressing into your neck, bring your shoulder blades towards each other. Thus, 30-60 seconds.

Hips, lower legs, buttocks

Exercise No. 1

While sitting on your buttocks, keep your legs straight in front of you. Bend your body forward, keeping your back straight, clasp your shins or feet with your palms, increasing the stretch, but do not round your back, feel the stretch in your thigh biceps. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds.

Exercise No. 2

Remaining in the same position, place your feet wide apart. As you exhale, tilt your body forward, stretching your palms as far as possible. Tilt your head and relax, feeling the stretching of the adductor surfaces of the thighs, for about 30-60 seconds. Then tilt the body separately to each leg, holding for the same amount of time.

Exercise No. 3

Connect your legs together, bend your right knee and place your shin with outside hips, bringing your knees together. The heel should be near the buttock and the thighs should remain pressed together. If the quadriceps extension is very weak, strengthen it by resting on your elbows, while lowering your body as close to the floor as possible. You can even lie on your back. Hold for up to 1 minute, then rise in reverse order and perform left leg.

Exercise #4

Lie on your back, place one leg bent at the knee on the floor, and lift the other up with the knee straight. Grasp upper leg behind the shin or foot, keeping the knee straight. Pull the sock towards you. Using your arms, add traction to the thigh biceps, pulling your leg closer to your body. Hold as long as possible, then switch legs.

Exercise #5

The starting position is the same as in the previous version, but now instead of a straight leg, the right knee bends and the heel is placed on the thigh just above the left knee. Then grab the thigh of your left leg with both hands and pull it as close to your body as possible, increasing the stretch gluteal muscle. Keep a comfortable time and change sides.

Exercise #6

Lying on your back, spread your legs straight out to the sides, increasing the stretch of the adductor surface of the thighs. You can use your arms to add traction, or you can leave your legs suspended under the pressure of your own weight. Hold for up to 1 minute and relax.

Conclusion

The exercises are available in both easy and complicated versions, so everyone can do them. When they affect muscles, it is not necessary to complicate the load and increase traction. The main thing is to feel that the muscles are tense, as if they are leaving their usual state, but without causing discomfort. Stretching after a strength workout should be enjoyable and relax not only the body, but also the mind. That's when it will become useful and effective. Remember that there should be no sudden movements or acute pain, otherwise the effect will be the opposite. Instead of relaxing, stretching the fibers will tighten the muscles even more, and their healing will take a long time.

Of course, most have heard - this word haunts us from a young age and does not leave us alone until the end of our studies. However, a cool-down is as important a process for the body as warming up all muscles before training. Actually, a cool-down is when we give the whole body the opportunity to cool down and calm down after serious exertion.

Benefits of a cool down

We usually don’t forget to warm up before starting any physical activity, because we feel well how useful it is. But the effect from a hitch is not particularly felt, although in fact it is there, and what else. Let's look at this using a simple example: what do you think will happen to a car if you sharply pull the handbrake at full speed?

That's right, an uncontrolled skid (unless you are a professional, of course) and, possibly, an accident. Not the most pleasant experience, right? But the same thing happens to the human body when it too suddenly stops subjecting the body to stress.

Summarizing all of the above, let’s see why a cool-down is useful:

reduces blood pressure, pulse and body temperature;
reduces muscle pain during the recovery period;
affects nervous system, preparing her for the transition from active work to a calm state;
reduces the load on the heart, helps it perform its functions;
promotes accelerated recovery of damaged muscles due to improved local blood flow;
as well as relaxation of the whole body as a whole (including the psyche, which is important).

Exercises

Even at school, the teachers insisted that we not stop after the cross-country for 3-5 km - they recommended walking, walking and walking again. Even in circles, but don’t stop. This is the beginning of a cool-down - allowing all body systems to smoothly and carefully enter a state of rest and change their operating mode. That is why the cool-down should be done immediately after training - if you put it off, then there will be no result.

So, the cool-down can be divided into two phases:

1. Low-intensity work aimed at restoration normal pulse, pressure and body temperature. Here are some examples of such work:

easy running, which needs to be smoothly transferred into quick step, and then into normal walking (you can even do it while standing still, if that’s more convenient);
jumping rope (just don’t try too hard, keep a slow pace);
working on an exercise bike with a gradual decrease in the intensity of movements;
Sparring with a punching bag is also suitable - three rounds of two minutes are enough;
exercises related to general warm-up;
yoga (breathing exercises);
swimming (when you swim, almost the same muscles are used as when running or jumping).

The duration of the exercises is 5-10 minutes. You can stop as soon as you feel that you have caught your breath and cooled down a little.

2. Second phase - stretching those muscles that were intensive load before the cool down. This is necessary to remove harmful metabolic products and replace them with useful substances. In addition, local blood flow improves, which also has a very beneficial effect. Stretching on warmed muscles is considered the safest, because... they become more elastic.

It's difficult to recommend any specific stretching exercises, so just choose the ones that are most comfortable for you. Do not under any circumstances pull the muscles until pain occurs, and do not make sudden movements. Their stretching is usually felt, but there should not be pain. Use static stretching - fix the muscle tension for 15-45 seconds, depending on the sensations.

Any stretching exercise should last at least 15-20 seconds, otherwise there will be no effect. Also remember to work both sides of the body.

Another important point as part of the cool down, and physical activity In general, stay hydrated during and after your workout. Water will reduce muscle pain and increase flexibility and strength. Drink at least 2-3 glasses of water within 2 hours of starting your workout. It is also recommended to drink at least 1.5 liters of water during the day, regardless of physical activity.

After training, it is important to have a small snack - the body just does not have enough energy to restore damaged tissues. Try to eat something within an hour and a half after finishing class (close the carbohydrate window). But the sooner this happens, the more effective the training will be.

What exactly to eat?

Give preference to foods high in complex carbohydrates and protein, or use ready-made ones protein shakes. If you don’t like pre-prepared mixtures, then here is a short list of products that are quite suitable as a source of elements necessary for the body after a serious workout:

cottage cheese with fruit;
Greek yogurt;
banana with raw unsalted almonds;
protein omelet.

It is also worth mentioning massage separately - this is a very useful and pleasant procedure that is simply irreplaceable after intense training in the gym. Massage, like cool-down exercises, reduces swelling and muscle damage, promoting faster recovery.

As a conclusion

Cooling down after active loads is usually neglected, and, as you can see, in vain. Try to make these 10-20 minutes of stretching and returning to a calm mode a habit. After all, it is the first minutes after training that play a decisive role in further recovery and strengthening all muscles.

All possible tips have already been listed, so just stick to them during exercise and strengthen your body.