The structure of any training session is a flexible system, it depends entirely on the goals you set for yourself when you come to the training session, but there are also mandatory components. One of them is the warm-up, the presence or absence of which in the training complex depends on the effectiveness of the session and its result.
However, some people, especially beginners, neglect this important element of training, considering its performance a waste of time. If you think the same, this article is for you. Let’s find out, is the warm-up really necessary?
Pre-workout warm-up: what is it for?
95% of visitors to gyms and fitness centers, as soon as they have changed their clothes, start the most, as they think, productive part of the workout: the work with equipment and on machines. Don’t repeat their mistake! People who skip the pre-workout warm-up, sometimes do not even realize how important functions it fulfills. This independent complex of special exercises mobilizes the body before the upcoming loads, warms up the muscles and gently prepares ligament-joint system of the athlete.
The warm-up performs the following tasks:
toning of the cardiovascular system in order to quickly circulate blood to the muscles involved in the exercise;
stretching of muscles and tendons to avoid traumas
gradual increase of heart rate up to 100 beats per minute
Creating of adequate mood for the forthcoming training
Simply put, the result of the workout and the absence of undesirable consequences, such as muscle pain after exercise and injury, depends largely on the warm-up.
Now that we have understood the necessity of the pre-workout warm-up, let’s move on to its correct execution to achieve the best results.
How to do a pre-workout warm-up
There is no model warm-up program, suitable for all purposes. It must necessarily correlate with your individual physiological characteristics, depend on the type of physique and the level of joint mobility. In addition, the warm-up must help in solving a given sports task, for example, in the development of a particular muscle group.
It can be said that the warm-up conditionally consists of the following elements:
General warm-up, which is responsible for the functional preparation of the body for the upcoming exercise;
Stretching, which is carried out after a preliminary warm-up of muscles and consists in slow, controlled execution of a set of movements;
a special warm-up, usually carried out before the work with the weight;
Warm-up is a set of movements, which completes the training, with the help of which the excited load body goes to a calmer state.
General warm-up
Takes no more than 10-15 minutes, this is the usual warm-up before training: jumping rope, light jogging, rotary movements to increase the flexibility of the ligament-joint system are quite suitable.
Stretching
Many beginners (and not only beginners) athletes confuse the concepts of “warm-up” and “stretching”, considering them synonymous. Meanwhile, these are absolutely different principles of preparation of the body to the upcoming training loads. The essence of stretching is stretching of muscle and fascial tissues and it is performed only after the warm-up, i.e. after the warm-up of muscles.
Special warm-up
This is performed with minimum working weights before each exercise of the training program, usually not more than 10 repetitions. It is believed that after such a warm-up the body “remembers” the correct technique of performing this exercise.
Warm-up
After the workout, do not forget about the warm-up. This is the final part of the workout, which takes no more than 5-10 minutes, it consists of a sequence of relaxing exercises. Usually it is either slow stretching in different directions, or smooth running with the transition to walking. The warm-up speeds up the removal of lactic acid from the muscles and also helps normalize blood flow after the workout.
What is a joint warm-up?
There is such a thing as a “joint warm-up.” It is especially important for athletes who are exposed to high loads, gymnasts, and bodybuilders. Proper preparation of the joints for training ensures their safety in terms of possible injuries, contributes to a more effective training.
Joint warm-up includes side bends of the body, rotations of shoulder, elbow and wrist joints (upper extremities), rotations of knee, ankle and hip joints (lower extremities), bends, inclines and twists of the spine.
Our coaches believe, “It is better to do a warm-up without a workout than to do a full workout without a warm-up.” Compliance with all the rules of conducting sports activities is guaranteed to keep athletes safe from injury and help increase the effectiveness of the workout.