Written by Fahiza Danjuma
Image by @Ellessechar
This is for everyone who hates warm-ups and for those of you who would otherwise skip out on them altogether.
What you need to know
I want to clarify warming up on the treadmill is not the warm-up you think you need to have the best workout. Let this be the sign you need to ditch the five-minute treadmill or Stairmaster warm-up to “get the blood flowing.” There is no real harm that can come from this, but what are the benefits? Five minutes of low-intensity exercise doesn’t really help you move efficiently throughout your workout.
Stop wasting away your precious training time on unproductive warm-ups and set the tone for the rest of your workout session properly. Do you want to prepare to work out the right way that will help you get results, or the wrong way that will leave you fatigued, or burned out before your workout even starts? The choice is yours.
What you should be doing
Dynamic warm-ups are the only warm-ups we should acknowledge because you can make your warm-up go by much quicker with a lot better movement from the body. A dynamic warm-up will increase the core body temperature and prepare the joints, tendons, and muscles to move which is the key to preventing injuries to the spine and improving performance when working out. The dynamic warm-up should always target multiple joints and muscle groups (e.g., the shoulder and hip, as mobility).
I want you to look at your warm-up routine. Do you have one? Do you alter it based on your workout session? Figure out what you have in place currently and consider one or all these exercises below as an addition or substitution to that. It may be time to switch out your warm-up routine, so the next time you’re working out try this 5-10 minute highly effective and efficient warm-up and it could make all the difference in your results!
Full body warm up routine
1. Hip stretch | 1 set | 45s each side
2. Bird Dog | 2 sets | 6 reps
3. Banded Glute bridge | 2 sets | 10 reps
4. Band Over and Back | 1 set | 10 reps
5. Band Pull Apart | 2 sets | 10 reps
6. Squat and reach | 1 set | 5 reps, each side
7. Seated Jump Squat | 1 set | 5 reps8. Seal jacks | 1 set | 10 reps
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