mroldguy
New member
Getting hurt sucks!
We exercise to lose weight, build muscle, and feel better about ourselves, right? Well, it’s pretty tough to do any of those things lying on a couch with a pulled hamstring/groin/face.
Every day I cringe as I watch people wander into a gym, immediately lie down on a bench, and start cranking out their workout with heavy weight within seconds. These are the people that end up hurting themselves and missing weeks/months due to ignorance/apathy (Which is worse? Don’t know, don’t care!)
Why warm up?
Above all else, the most important thing you can do when working out is warming up properly. Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Come on. Surely it’s not the MOST important thing…” To which I’d reply: “First, don’t call me Shirley. Secondly, if you don’t have enough time to warm up, then you don’t have enough time to work out.”
Boom!
So WHY is it so important? Think of your muscles like rubber bands.
If you spend all day sitting at a desk, hunched over a keyboard, those rubber bands have gone almost completely unused. Now, combine this lack of movement with some cold winter weather – your bands are now extra tight and constricted. Then, go to a gym and immediately start lifting heavy weights or sprinting really fast – those cold, un-stretched rubber bands get pulled apart very quickly and will snap. #Fail
So, what about just regular, static stretching then? Unfortunately, just doing static stretching before a workout can overextend those muscles and actually rob them of the power and strength necessary for your actual workout.
For that reason, dynamic warm-ups are the winner! Think of it like a pre-gaming for your muscles. By jumping around and getting your muscles loose, active, warm, and ready for action, you will keep yourself strong and injury free.
On top of that, doing a dynamic warm up can help activate your central nervous system, priming your muscles and body for a great workout that produces your best effort.
Add “improved blood circulation” to the list of benefits of warming up, which will help you perform well in each exercise.
Need another reason? When your body is properly warmed up, your muscles and joints are ready for maximum flexibility, which means you can perform each exercise with PROPER form (like deep squats, for example) that maximize results and minimize risk of injury.
So, whether you are running or strength training…a proper warm up is probably the most important 5-10 minutes of your day.
We exercise to lose weight, build muscle, and feel better about ourselves, right? Well, it’s pretty tough to do any of those things lying on a couch with a pulled hamstring/groin/face.
Every day I cringe as I watch people wander into a gym, immediately lie down on a bench, and start cranking out their workout with heavy weight within seconds. These are the people that end up hurting themselves and missing weeks/months due to ignorance/apathy (Which is worse? Don’t know, don’t care!)
Why warm up?
Above all else, the most important thing you can do when working out is warming up properly. Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Come on. Surely it’s not the MOST important thing…” To which I’d reply: “First, don’t call me Shirley. Secondly, if you don’t have enough time to warm up, then you don’t have enough time to work out.”
Boom!
So WHY is it so important? Think of your muscles like rubber bands.
If you spend all day sitting at a desk, hunched over a keyboard, those rubber bands have gone almost completely unused. Now, combine this lack of movement with some cold winter weather – your bands are now extra tight and constricted. Then, go to a gym and immediately start lifting heavy weights or sprinting really fast – those cold, un-stretched rubber bands get pulled apart very quickly and will snap. #Fail
So, what about just regular, static stretching then? Unfortunately, just doing static stretching before a workout can overextend those muscles and actually rob them of the power and strength necessary for your actual workout.
For that reason, dynamic warm-ups are the winner! Think of it like a pre-gaming for your muscles. By jumping around and getting your muscles loose, active, warm, and ready for action, you will keep yourself strong and injury free.
On top of that, doing a dynamic warm up can help activate your central nervous system, priming your muscles and body for a great workout that produces your best effort.
Add “improved blood circulation” to the list of benefits of warming up, which will help you perform well in each exercise.
Need another reason? When your body is properly warmed up, your muscles and joints are ready for maximum flexibility, which means you can perform each exercise with PROPER form (like deep squats, for example) that maximize results and minimize risk of injury.
So, whether you are running or strength training…a proper warm up is probably the most important 5-10 minutes of your day.
