Topic of the Week - How Important Is Warming Up?

[Admin]

you see it all the time , people stretching their legs before they go for a run , or in the gym stretching the body part befor they train

How important is warming up before a workout?

Does stretching help prevent injury and soreness?

What types of stretches do you perform before a workout? Do you stretch you whole body or just the body parts ?

What stretching routine do you follow?

How important is the cool down?

 

[dave]

Stretching is not warming up in fact it is the opposite.

Warmups are over rated. Keep it simple, easy and quick. If you really want to warmup use it as an active/dynamic mobility session to teach you how to move better and you kill two birds with one stone.

 

[Fadi]

I would not advice anyone to stretch before warming up, (by raising their core temperature slightly) utilising a compound movement such as a stationary bike or a seated rower etc. Walking, from a slow walk to a gradually brisk walk is a great way to raise one's temp slightly. Movement of the arms in any which way is a great way to warm up the shoulder joints also and it can be done whilst walking. After 5-10 minutes of generating some heat; some forehead perspiration, then (and only then) are we ready for some stretches. And even then, those stretches are unlike the post workout stretches no; these are done with less "intensity" and less time held in the stretched position.

The above is not from a book, but is based on the way we did things back at the AIS before lifting the heavies.


Fadi.

 

[macca]

When i dead i start explosively with 1 plate and work up to 4 or 5 for work sets adding a plate each set. For bench, squat and press i just do a set on 1 plate, quick stretch in rest period and straight to working weight.

 

[Morgan]

I am naturally VERY tight in the legs,hips,groin and lower back so I do light stretching to start, then 5 mins on the stepper at a moderate pace, by then the blood is pumping, I head for the power rack and start at 1 plate and work my way up from there.

When I finish my session I do an epic big big stretch session for about 20 mins, if I don't I tighten up so bad I can barely tie my shoes the next day.

 

[bigD]

I stretch my legs, hips and lower back lightly and do some arm swings and that style of walk where you lift your knees high. This makes me a little more supple before I advance to warmup sets.

To those that do not stretch before warming up; what is the reasoning behind this method?

 

[Fadi]

To those that do not stretch before warming up; what is the reasoning behind this method?

Having not warmed up (increased the body’s temp slightly) was my reply (and still is). Picture this in your mind if you will; a rubber band (your muscles and fascia) placed in the sun, and then stretched. In other word, you've warmed up the rubber band before stretching it. Now apply the same stretch on that rubber band and see (as well as feel) the difference in your fingers (as they would need to apply more pressure to get that same stretch) that was accomplished by first placing that rubber band in the sun and warming it up. You would find that after the sun exposure, that rubber band is more pliable now. Of course, too much stretching prior to working out would be equivalent to a rubber band that is overly stretched that it would not generate much force (or at least less force) when pulled back.


Fadi.

 

[bigD]

Having not warmed up (increased the body’s temp slightly) was my reply (and still is). Picture this in your mind if you will; a rubber band (your muscles and fascia) placed in the sun, and
Fadi.

I can see what you're saying, Fadi, but would gentle stretching (slowly increasing the stretch) have the same effect?

Both you and Dave have interesting and perhaps differing points. If stretching is the opposite of warming up what is the point of doing stretches at all after warming up?

Would it be best just to move into warm up sets and get gentle stretching as a side benefit through those?

Edit: perhaps because as you say the stretches are less than post stretches as the time held static is less?

 

[walt]

just do specific warm up. On 1st big exercise only. Today i squat squats, start with bar for reps, add 1 plate for reps, add another plate for reps, ect.

 

[Fadi]

If stretching is the opposite of warming up what is the point of doing stretches at all after warming up?

I'm not saying (and have not said) that stretching and warming up are opposites. All I'm saying is that you would need to do one before you can do the other, that's all really bigD.

Look at it this way: you've slept for 8 hours or so and now upon rising, you walk up to the squat bar and proceed to squat. Now what others here are saying is that one can begin squatting slowly (perhaps with a broom stick then followed by an empty bar) and so on until they begin to hit the serious weights. With that method which I've tried and found to work, still, I would prefer travelling on the longer road if you will (which is to raise my base temperature slightly) before even attempting to lift that empty bar.

Now if you wish to introduce some light stretches prior to performing the squat (even with an empty bar), then that would be icing on the cake.

If you were to take anything from all that I've written in this thread so far, then please take the following:

1. Increase your base body temp slightly (generating some forehead perspiration) before attempting to perform any type of stretching (if at all) pre workout.

May be the fact that I'm really emphasising warm up then slight stretching prior to commencing one's workout is due to the level of flexibility and chance of injury an Olympic weightlifter requires and is faced with (as I once was). Bodybuilding not being such an explosive type of a sport such as weightlifting, I see that there may not be as much emphasise placed on this whole warming up/stretching aspect to it.

When all else fails, apply your intuition.


Fadi.

 

[bigD]

I'm not saying (and have not said) that stretching and warming up are opposites. All I'm saying is that you would need to do one before you can do the other, that's all really bigD.
Fadi.

You certainly haven't, Fadi. I was hoping for you to consider Dave's response above for discussion.

This I think you have done in the rest of your post so thanks.

It appears there are many ways to skin a cat when it comes to preworkout preparation!

 

[RyanF]

I do specific warm ups for all the main lifts. I seldom do any sort of general warm up per se. I normally have squats at the start of each training day, so just thoroughly warming up for them (eg starting with a set of 10 bodyweight squats, then 10 with the empty bar, then 5 at 40kg, 3 at 60kg, 2 at 80kg, 1 at 100kg for a working weight of 120kg) provides a general warm up in and of itself. I'll often have 5-6 warm up sets for squats, whereas the other big lifts usually only get 4 warm up sets. Assistance exercises might get 1-2 warm up sets, but often I'll just go straight into them, depending on the nature of the exercise.

I normally don't do any stretching in the warm up stage, except maybe some leg swings or some brief leg stretches if my hips or thighs are tight on the day. Like Fadi, if I do any static stretching before training, it'll be gentle and short-lived. No long, deep holds.

 

[dandexter]

I never do any real stretching when warming up or foam rolling. My warm up starts with the bar for whatever lift i'm about to, adding weight every time until I get to my working sets.

Cool down, I don't do anything. Maybe some light stretching if i'm feeling overly tight etc.

Most nights I do some stretching for my lower body, over the last year it has got very tight, mainly in the mornings.

As for soreness, tired it before. Does shit all to stop it, however that said I rarely get much soreness anyway.

 

[dave]

Reason for not static stretching prime movers: it inhibits the muscle therefore making it weaker.

This does not mean dynamic stretches can not nor should not be used.

You can static stretch antagonistic muscles to inhibit their opposing of the prime mover but is not really needed. You can static stretch a tight muscle that is reducing your ROM significantly such as a tight Glute Medius or Tensor Fascia Latae
affecting one side of the pelvis from moving as well as the other (the single leg cork screw effect if you have ever seen it before).

 

[callan]

i dont stretch, but i squat the bar for say 8, them warm up with weight 5,3,1 then working set.

 

[Antman]

For me, I warm up area to be hit if needed. Generally though by the second set on any given day I'm warm and pumped and ready. I stretch hard as the workout continues, and get more blood pumping by stretching and tensing muscles I'm training. Also I like to stretch and warm muscles every night for 30-45min and through the day periodically. And keep some muscles warm for most of the day, depending on the recovery needed for that muscle.

By the time I get to the gym I'm ready to go again.

Stretching like this helps me keep atop of any knots/strains, and clears them quicker with the aid of ointments/voltaren if needed.

I train 6 days - Max out Deads, Bench, Military every week and do alot of volume aswell(40-46 sets most days) with little rest (30sec - 1.30min) and touch wood have no major injuries, which I attribute to the care given after training and during rest periods at training.

 

[Bazza20]

I never stretch. It never seems to make a difference.

If I'm doing squats I will warmup by doing squats. Basically just do enough low rep sets at 60kg until everything is feeling fast and warmed up.

Never liked the idea of doing a warm up on a bike or rower. It may warm you up and get a sweat going but doesn't seem to help loosen you up for the exercise you are about to do.

 

[k_21]

Having not warmed up (increased the body’s temp slightly) was my reply (and still is). Picture this in your mind if you will; a rubber band (your muscles and fascia) placed in the sun, and then stretched. In other word, you've warmed up the rubber band before stretching it. Now apply the same stretch on that rubber band and see (as well as feel) the difference in your fingers (as they would need to apply more pressure to get that same stretch) that was accomplished by first placing that rubber band in the sun and warming it up. You would find that after the sun exposure, that rubber band is more pliable now. Of course, too much stretching prior to working out would be equivalent to a rubber band that is overly stretched that it would not generate much force (or at least less force) when pulled back.


Fadi.

As always I like this Fadi.

In my case I just ride the bike for 10mins before Hitting
the weights before every session.

Simple and especially the days I do squats I see a great
improvement in my soreness the next day.

Thanks
Devante

 

[Goosey]

Here's a question.

If your ROM in a given exercise, is say; 300 mm

But you take that movement in a relaxed stretch past that point to 310 mm

Is that going to actually improve your ROM?
Is that in fact going to stimulate strength in that extra 10mm?

Or... Would you be better off taking that exercise to the ROM of 310mm or finding an exercise that will facilitate that 310mm around the particular joint being exercised?

 

[Sydking]

i do dynamics,

i was told never to stretch cold, Especially kick boxing

Our warm up is skipping/jogging,

to warm up for weighted squats, I just do body wiehgt squats, about 20 odd, How ever many i need till i feel good,

Shadow boxing is also great to loosen up everything.

I will static stretch after a workout tho. but even then cooling down with a light jog or skipping is still good aswell