I think warmup up has been getting a bad wrap. Most warmups I see are bastardized versions of some kind of movement that has no bearing and or meaning on the given task at hand; whether it be general fitness, practice, rehearsal, game etc. I was guilty of butchering a warm up for years unfortunately and did not fully appreciate it until age and injuries started to catch up with me.
I have tried many routines and modalities over the years and have found what works best for me and my clients. I believe it is one of the most vital areas of the workout / training session even though it makes up a relatively small percentage of the entire time.
We will get to the what and how of a workout later, but before, we must answer the question “why do we warm up?” We warm up before exercise / sport to prep our body and its tissues for the stress its about to endure. Depending on the athletes history and movement limitations, a systematic approach should be used to help that person move more efficiently. An example would be a person with a shoulder issue may have a slightly modified warmup than a dancer that is hyper mobile. We want to prep both of these athletes tissues, but the the way we do it will differ from athlete to athlete.
My warmup protocol has evolved over the years, with many thanks to friends and colleagues challenging and teaching me many new movements, concepts, and brining new ideas to the table. Starting out, a warm up might be a static stretch, mostly in the sagittal plane, maybe some arm circles, then a slow jog. Welcome to my high school soccer warmup!
When assessing an athlete / client for the first time, I find that around 90% can be put in the “mobility” bucket. These are people that feel stiff and find it hard to move and sometimes even painful. Now if you have never heard of the Joint by Joint theory, then here is a VERY QUICK synopsis. Our bodies are a stack of joints that have alternating stability / mobility responsibilities. When we lose the ability to move at mobile joints, our body will figure out a strategy to move anyways. That new motion, which is not good, will be forced on the stable joints causing pain in these areas. Knees and low backs are some of the key areas. If I can get some mobility back in the mobile joints, I find moving feels better for the client and their exercise protocols can be maximized.
Here are a few of my favorite warm up exercises to help you get ready for exercise or competition.
Self Myofascial Release (SMR)
SMR is a simple yet effective way to directly effect the muscle tissue. There are different thoughts on what is happening at a cellular level from decreasing muscle adhesions and neural tension, to increasing tissue hydration and decreasing viscosity between tissues layers. All I know is that it works and makes people feel better. The target areas most people should focus on are the shoulders and hips. Hip flexors and lateral leg, gluten, thoracic spine (mobility), and lats are areas that should be hit when foam rolling. Check out the video to see some simple ways to help ready your tissues for activity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5c5ZmusDc0
90 / 90 Shin Box
Great bang for your buck exercise getting those hips to move through a full range of motion. Most people don’t move enough (shocker) and when this happens over a long period of time the joint (and in this case the hip) loses the ability to move. We have mechanoreceptors in the socket that need to be stimulated with movement and this warm up exercise is great in hitting those corners that we may not get to daily. For people that cannot get into this position, some easy fixes can be used like yoga blocks or pillows placed under the knees to keep the stress off of other joints. When performing this movement, find the tight corners by leaning with your torso around your hips. Hold the tight spots for 3 breaths and rotate to the other side. Repeat on this side.
Inchworm to Downward Dog
While most people view this as a hamstring / calf stretch, I view this warm up as a fantastic thoracic extension and scapula upward rotation movement. Whatever you want to make of it, the benefits are fantastic for many. I begin this exercise in a pushup position with hands under shoulders. Take a deep breath in the position making sure we have a good zone of apposition (pelvis and rib cage alignment). Using your hands, push your hips up while keeping your legs straight. The motion should cause an upward rotation of the scapulae as you are pressing the ground away. Maintain that long spine while pressing hips up. Hold the downward dog position for 3 breaths, then walk your hands back to your feet. Stand tall and repeat 2 to 3 times.
Inchworm to Downward Dog Side View
3D Squat Matrix
This has been a staple in my programs for many years. I cannot say enough how important it is to get those hips moving. For beginners to exercise, this warm up can be built into their exercise protocol if time constraints are an issue.
I call this 3D because we go in 3 directions. Use a light weight plate or medicine ball to help offset the center of mass and allow you to get in to the squat a little deeper.
1D: Sagittal Plane Squat: This looks like your traditional squat. My main coaching key here is to keep the heels down and try to spread the ground without moving your feet. Go for 5 to 10 reps on this exercise.
2D: Lateral / Frontal Plane Squat: The set up on this is a wider base than a normal squat set up. A good reference is to outstretch your arms and your feet should be placed under the elbows. Keep the toes pointing straight ahead. Coaching cue here is to sit your hips back into your heel as you squat laterally. Keep your chest up and weight on the heel AND inside of your foot. This makes it easier to push out of the bottom of the exercise. Do 3 to 5 reps on each side for this exercise.
3D: Rotational / Transverse Plane Squat: Very similar set up to the Frontal Plane Squat, BUT this one has a rotational component. Standing with your feet straight ahead, rotate your left foot out around 90 degrees. As you squat down towards the rotated leg, keep the other toe facing forward (lose the rotary component if you let it spin). Sit back on the left heel and again keeping the weight in the heel inside foot. Use that to push you out of the bottom of the rotational squat. Do 3 to 5 reps on each side for this exercise.
TRX Overhead Squat
One of my new favorite warm up exercises. This helps the entire kinetic from dorsiflexion at the ankles, hip mobility, thoracic extension, scapular upward rotation and shoulder stability. I see the overhead squat being butchered daily and for some people, maybe there arthokinematics will not allow them to do the exercise. I believe the TRX Overhead Squat is a great alternative to help the body move and feel better.
Place a dowel / PVC through a pair of TRX handles. As you pull the bar into an overhead position, you want the TRX straps to be pulled straight. This gives the client / athlete some extra external stability which allows them to go deeper into the squat. The lower trap kicks on and is a bonus on this exercise. Squat down keeping the stick over your foot print. As you come up form the squat, reset your arms to ensure that the quality of the exercise stays high. Do 3 to 5 reps of this exercise.
This is by no means an end all be all list of warm up exercises. If you are a Fitness Professional / Strength Coach, you cannot spend all your time warmup up your clients or athletes. If we can combine movements and educate our people on not only doing the exercises but let them know WHY we are doing them and how this will impact their fitness goals and performance, that will be fantastic. If we move better, we feel better; if we feel better, we perform better.