Bill's Blog - Warming Up: The Key to Optimal Performance

By Bill Katinsky, Next Level Training

Good Morning!

I originally was planning on writing an article on High Intensity Interval Training, but, as I was scraping inches of ice off of my car this morning, I decided to go in a different direction.  My body was completely tight and cold, which made me think about all of our clients who are in the same situation—and who are coming into the gym both cold and tight, too.  So, today I will focus on how to warm up properly, as well as on the importance of doing so each and every time you go to work out.       

The worst thing that you can do is go into the gym and dive right into your workout. It doesn’t matter if you are doing intense cardio or weight lifting, a proper warm-up is key for injury prevention and optimal performance.

The first thing you need to do is increase your muscle temperature.  Muscles contract and relax much more proficiently when warmed.  When your body temperature rises, it allows for a greater range of motion, leading to fewer injuries. Hop on a treadmill or grab a jump rope.  Both of these are great full-body warm-up options. 

After 5-10 minutes of those, your muscle temperature will be raised and ready for a dynamic stretch.  Dynamic stretches are a series of stretches that bring the muscles that you are using through a full range of motion, as opposed to static stretches, which just hold muscles in a specific contraction for a set period of time.  DO NOT STATIC STRETCH!  If you are looking to enhance your workout and achieve optimal performance, you should perform approximately 3-5 minutes of dynamic stretches. (There are dozens of different dynamic stretches—too many to list. Feel free to email me or stop by the gym, and I’ll take you through some!)

If you still feel tight after all of this, then you may need to perform some SMR (self myofascial release) with a foam roller to break up and/or loosen any “trigger” points that may be lingering.  To perform foam rolling properly, please see a professional trainer or physical therapist, as you can potentially hurt yourself by doing it incorrectly.

So, now you are warmed up and ready to work out.  What you may not know is that, by properly warming up (raising your body temperature, warming your blood up, and dynamically stretching), you ensure that your body will sweat and cool down properly.  In extreme cases you can overheat and pass out if you are not cooling down appropriately.  Odds are that something so extreme will not happen, by why take the chance?  Also, by doing a proper warm-up, your body will make a switch in energy usage in order to free up carbohydrates and fatty acids for use to burn through the workout, instead of burning protein (muscle).

A proper warm-up should be no longer than 10-15 minutes, which may sound like a long time.  But, when you consider that you have already invested your time and money into going to a gym, it is only logical that you make the most out of it by achieving better results—faster.

As always, feel free to email me your thoughts at Bill@nextlevelnj.com. 

Stay warm!