The Anatomy of a Proper Warm-Up

We’ve all seen it happen: a guy walks into a gym, does a couple shoulder rolls, throws a ton of weight on the barbell and reps out a bunch of bench presses. What happens next? More often than not that guy is going to be rolling that shoulder and wincing between each set. What's worse, is that uncomfortable feeling in the shoulder will worsen over time and lead to an impingement, which can lead to further tissue damage.

When I meet with a new client, one of the questions I always ask, is “What do you do for a warm-up?”. I’m often met with blank stares, sheepish grins, and repeatedly hear the phrases “I walk 5 minutes on the treadmill”, “A few stretches” or “I don’t."

So why are warm-ups or dynamic movement before a workout important? Our joints require movement to produce synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant and allows the bones to move and rotate within the joint more smoothly. When the first thing you decide to do at the gym is a loaded compound movement (such as a bench press), you are placing stress on a joint that isn't prepared to handle that stress, greatly increasing your risk for injury and the likelihood that you will continue to have nagging pains both in and outside of your workout.

In addition to lubricating your joints, your warm-up should:

• Increase Core and Muscle Temperature: This ensures that you are ready to engage your muscle to support the movement (and the load), as well as make your muscles more pliable for increased ROM.

• Elevate Heart Rate: When HR is elevated, we are able to move blood and oxygen to our muscles more efficiently which allows us to move with more ease and not tire so quickly. An additional benefit is that it helps to clear your mind and allows you to focus on the upcoming workout.

• Increase Neuromuscular Activity: Putting your muscles through full contraction primes your nervous system to ensure you are maximizing each rep.

• Improve Range of Motion: A larger range of motion recruits more muscle fibers, which allows you produce more force and amplify your results. Improving your ROM pre-workout will also go along ways to helping improve mobility/flexibility long-term.

• Create synergy within the body: In addition to bones and muscles, our joints contain ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bursa sacs so when they are moving all of these tissues are interacting with each other. Often times we're coming into a workout after long periods of sitting or lying down (such as after work or first thing in the morning) and our alignment isn't ideal to start loading movements without these tissues rubbing against each other and causing unnecessary friction.

Follow the below steps to minimize your injury risk, prepare yourself mentally, and increase the effectiveness of your upcoming workout.

1. Optional - Self Myofascial Release (Foam Rolling): 5-10 minutes. If you feel that you have tight areas in your muscles or knots, spend a few minutes rolling over them with a foam roller, lacrosse/tennis ball, or what ever SMR tools you have available.

WARNING: Avoid spending too much time foam rolling pre-workout as this will send your nervous system into a parasympathetic state and you will likely not feel mentally prepared to continue.

2. Elevate the Heart Rate: 5-10 mins incline walking or a light jog, dynamic movement patterns such as toe touches or walkouts. Start slow and pick up the intensity as you go. You should physically feel your HR elevated before moving to the next step

3. Dynamic Stretching (movement based stretched): 3-5 minutes. Make sure to pick muscles that you will be focusing on in the upcoming workout. Each stretch is held for 3-5 seconds and performed for reps.

4. Activate: 5 minutes. Focus on the muscles you will be using early in the workout, including your core (you can continue this step during your rest periods of your first exercise for the other muscles). You want to utilize both the large muscles as well as stabilizing muscles. For example, if your workout starts with a squat, perform a circuit of air squats, plank, glute bridge, dead-bugs, leg-swings and side planks.

*Steps 2 and 3 can be combined as you become more accustomed to what you are doing

Don't be in such a hurry to get your workout started that you skip your warm-up! The right warm-up protocol will allow you to see more results in less time.