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Why is it important to warm-up prior to strength training? And how should this warm-up activity be conducted?
A warm-up is a slow rhythmic exercise of larger muscle groups and is conducted before an activity. It prepares the body for what is about to come. The benefits of a good warm-up are numerous:
- Increases blood flow and nutrients to active structures.
- May improve Central Nervous System receptors to improve kinesthetic awareness (body position) during activity.
- Prepares soft tissue, including muscle, for the flexibility necessary for any particular activity.
- Permits a gradual increase in metabolic requirements, which enhances cardio respiratory performance. This performance will help in recovery.
- Prevents the premature onset of blood lactic acid accumulation and fatigue.
- Causes a gradual increase in muscle temperature, which decreases the work of contractions and reduces the likelihood of muscle injury.
- Facilitates neural transmission for motor unit recruitment.
- Improves coronary blood flow in early stages of conditioning exercise, lessening the potential for myocardial ischemia.
- Provides a screening mechanism for potential musculoskeletal problems that may increase at a higher intensity.
Intensity should be such that the muscle is prepared for activity without inducing fatigue.
Warm-up is categorized as general and specific. General warm-up targets the entire body. General warm-up will help elevate the body temperature and increase blood flow. Examples of general warm-up are brisk walking, low intensity cycling or a slow jog. Before a lifting routine, perform a general warm-up and follow it with a specific warm-up for the particular muscles to be worked.
A specific warm-up should mimic the activity of program to be performed and target the area that the pending activity will affect. The specific warm-up prepares the soft tissue in the specific area of the workout. A bench press warm-up could consist of a few sets of push-up or completing the full range of motion with just the Olympic bar.
The amount of time dedicated to warm-up will vary from workout to workout as well as from person to person. The greater the intensity of the expected workout the more stringent the warm-up should be.
Example Warm-up Protocols:
General Warm-up
- Walk briskly for 6-10 minutes on the treadmill.
- Start out slowly.
- Focus on good posture with shoulders retracted and a tight core.
- Swing the arms in conjunction with the legs to increase full body blood flow.
- Slowly increase the speed or the elevation of the treadmill.
- Remember to breathe deeply and rhythmically.
- Begin the workout.
Specific Warm-up for Upper-Body Strength Training
- Complete a general warm-up.
- Using light dumbbells or just the bar, perform 8-10 repetitions of a bench press and overhead press.
- Perform a comfortable number of traditional push-ups or modified push-ups.
- Using light dumbbells or weight plates, perform 8-10 repetitions of biceps curls and triceps extensions.
- Remember to breathe and focus on the contraction and full range of motion utilized for each warm-up exercise.
- Begin the strength training workout.
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