Why Do I Need To Warm Up?
By Sean Nunan
We’ve all been guilty of throwing on our runners and heading out to pound the pavement before we do our stretches, or breezing into a booty workout without properly activating your glutes. But if you want to take your training from passable to peak performance, a dedicated warm up should be a staple of every session. Here’s why.
1. INJURY PREVENTION
Heading straight from the workplace to the weight room without taking the time to prepare can put you at a higher risk of injury. When your muscles are at rest, they’ll be much cooler than the rest of your body, meaning your tendons, ligaments and cartilage will be just as cold. Cold muscles with minimal blood flow are more prone to straining or pulling, meaning that going from 0-100 can end your workout just as quickly as it started. A 5-10 minute warmup improves the length and elasticity of your muscles, meaning they’ll be better adapted to the repeated shortening and lengthening that takes place during a resistance workout.
2. PEAK PERFORMANCE
Your best workouts could be one warmup away. Muscles at rest receive minimal blood flow, meaning that oxygen and other compounds your muscles need to work optimally will be in short supply. When you warm up, your muscles will become flooded with enzymes that allow them to contract and relax faster, stronger and longer, which will be reflected in how you feel during your workouts!
3. MENTAL PREPARATION
The warmup isn’t just about physical preparation, it also offers time for you to focus mentally. It allows you to shift focus away from the stresses of life, and fully focus on the workout ahead. A warm up gives you the time to prepare your mind to push past discomfort or discouraging thoughts that could emerge during your workout, and can even be a great way to calm your nerves and cope with any anxiety or intimidation you feel at the gym.
4. RANGE OF MOTION
A good warmup can increase your range of motion, which is especially beneficial when it comes to resistance training. Ensuring you go through a full range of motion when you perform your exercises will naturally activate more muscles, meaning better muscle balance, joint stability and movement quality. The more muscles you activate, the better results you’ll see on the journey to a stronger, sculpted body.
What Makes a Good Warm Up?
IT’S SPECIFIC
Your warm up should reflect the movements you’re about to perform. You wouldn’t warm up like a distance runner if you’re about to do an upper body strength session. Each Pushh warmup is personalised according to what muscle groups you’ll be training during that workout!
IT’S REALISTIC
Your warmup shouldn’t leave you in a puddle of sweat in the middle of the squat rack. Keep your pre-workout warmups between 5-10 minutes to avoid fatigue, and have you perfectly primed to perform at your best.
IT’S DYNAMIC
A dynamic warmup is one that involves movement, helping to increase your flexibility and range of motion. While static stretching is highly beneficial and has its place, the continuous movement of a dynamic warmup will maintain warmth in your muscles, improve coordination and muscle activation, while typically offering greater focus and concentration ahead of your workout (it’s easy for your mind to wander holding that hamstring stretch).
IT RAISES YOUR CORE TEMPERATURE
It’s called a warm up for a good reason. The increased blood flow and muscle temperature improves the length and elasticity of muscles, which is important for keeping you healthy and injury-free. It’s hard to hit your goals, build your body and live your best life when you’re constantly injured!
1. INJURY PREVENTION
Heading straight from the workplace to the weight room without taking the time to prepare can put you at a higher risk of injury. When your muscles are at rest, they’ll be much cooler than the rest of your body, meaning your tendons, ligaments and cartilage will be just as cold. Cold muscles with minimal blood flow are more prone to straining or pulling, meaning that going from 0-100 can end your workout just as quickly as it started. A 5-10 minute warmup improves the length and elasticity of your muscles, meaning they’ll be better adapted to the repeated shortening and lengthening that takes place during a resistance workout.
2. PEAK PERFORMANCE
Your best workouts could be one warmup away. Muscles at rest receive minimal blood flow, meaning that oxygen and other compounds your muscles need to work optimally will be in short supply. When you warm up, your muscles will become flooded with enzymes that allow them to contract and relax faster, stronger and longer, which will be reflected in how you feel during your workouts!
3. MENTAL PREPARATION
The warmup isn’t just about physical preparation, it also offers time for you to focus mentally. It allows you to shift focus away from the stresses of life, and fully focus on the workout ahead. A warm up gives you the time to prepare your mind to push past discomfort or discouraging thoughts that could emerge during your workout, and can even be a great way to calm your nerves and cope with any anxiety or intimidation you feel at the gym.
4. RANGE OF MOTION
A good warmup can increase your range of motion, which is especially beneficial when it comes to resistance training. Ensuring you go through a full range of motion when you perform your exercises will naturally activate more muscles, meaning better muscle balance, joint stability and movement quality. The more muscles you activate, the better results you’ll see on the journey to a stronger, sculpted body.
What Makes a Good Warm Up?
IT’S SPECIFIC
Your warm up should reflect the movements you’re about to perform. You wouldn’t warm up like a distance runner if you’re about to do an upper body strength session. Each Pushh warmup is personalised according to what muscle groups you’ll be training during that workout!
IT’S REALISTIC
Your warmup shouldn’t leave you in a puddle of sweat in the middle of the squat rack. Keep your pre-workout warmups between 5-10 minutes to avoid fatigue, and have you perfectly primed to perform at your best.
IT’S DYNAMIC
A dynamic warmup is one that involves movement, helping to increase your flexibility and range of motion. While static stretching is highly beneficial and has its place, the continuous movement of a dynamic warmup will maintain warmth in your muscles, improve coordination and muscle activation, while typically offering greater focus and concentration ahead of your workout (it’s easy for your mind to wander holding that hamstring stretch).
IT RAISES YOUR CORE TEMPERATURE
It’s called a warm up for a good reason. The increased blood flow and muscle temperature improves the length and elasticity of muscles, which is important for keeping you healthy and injury-free. It’s hard to hit your goals, build your body and live your best life when you’re constantly injured!
By Sean Nunan
