- Light Cardio
- General Warmup
- Specific Warmup
1. Light Cardio
This is exactly what it sounds like. Prior to beginning training, you should be increasing your body temperature and blood circulation to the point of breaking a light sweat. This is to prime your body both mentally and physically to intense movement. This will also increase your force production capabilities as you move into your actual exercises for the he day.
This can include really anything. Walking, treadmills, reverse treadmills, reverse sled, reverse stationary bike, or jogging. Generally, I would recommend around 400m or 5-10 mins of light cardio first.
2. General Warmup
This includes movements that are going to limber up your joints and mobilize your muscles. A good protocol is the "Agile 8" warmup created by Joe DeFranco. However, I have made some modifications to this routine to make it more time efficient and applicable to the general population. Here is the routine:
- Foam Rolling/T Spine Mobility: Foam roll your hamstrings, IT band, glutes/piriformis and your adductors. Then, lay on a flat bench and roll your T spine with the foam roller. Also roll your lower back. This will serve as a great warmup for any lower-body workout or bench press session. Aim for 2-3 minutes total: do not spend too long on this.
- Leg Swings: Do both side/side leg swings and front/back leg swings, 10 reps for each movement. This will warmup the hips and adductors, both of which are problem points in the squat. Hold onto a support to make the swings for effective and stable.
- First Basemen Stretch OR Couch Stretch: Both of these will loosen tight hip flexors. Choose one or the other. If you have a bench or plyo box, do the couch stretch for 15-30 seconds on each leg. Avoid hyperextending the lower back. If you do not have this equipment, do a simple first basemen stretch with one knee on the floor. The trial leg is the one being stretched here. Also aim for 15-30 secs/side, squeeze the glute to encourage the hip flexors to loosen.
- Band Facepull: This will warm up the rotator cuffs with external rotation, which will help in shoulder mobility/pain in the back squat and in warming up the shoulders and upper back prior to pressing. You can also use banded shoulder external rotations here. Do 1 set of 20-25 reps.
- Deep Squat Prying: This is a little drill that I recommend for anyone struggling with squat mobility or to warmup to a deep squatting session. First, hold onto supports(like in a power rack), go into a deep squat and drive the knees over the toes whilst staying on your toes. Move around in this position. Then go back onto your feet and sink the hips back. Rotate the hips and 'pry' them open. Then, push the ankles forward by driving the knees forward and shifting you bodyweight. Do some cossack squats if you like. This is a great primer to limber up the knees, ankles and hips before squatting or weightlifting,
3. Specific Warmup
A specific warmup should emulate which exercise you are doing next. This can really be anything. For example, if you were performing a deadlift next, you may do some light RDLs with the empty bar, and then do some barbell rows, and then some backs squats in one complex. If you were doing overhead pressing, you may warmup by doing behind-the-neck presses and presses in the hull. Below are a list of movements I recommend for a specific warmup for the big barbell lifts:
- Bench Press: Light overhead presses and light bench presses
- Back Squat: Barbell rows, RDLs, front squats
- Deadlift: Goodmornings/RDLs, barbell rows, back squats
- Snatch: Muscle snatch, overhead squat, snatch balance
- Clean & Jerk: Overhead press, front squats, push presses
I should mention that another part of the warm up process is ramping up to your working weight. These is a proper way to go about this, and I have detailed this in this post.
Here is everything put together:
Enjoy!
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