Warming up

[Trevor Lane]

This is great stuff:

Originally Posted by Dan Harrison

I learned this from some sports docs who work with the US Olympic Weightlifting Team. I had gone there many times to get muscle work done when I have had various issues. They have really helped put me back together when I needed it as well as show me a warmup that I will keep for the rest of my life.

It is really quite simple. They explained how static stretching is bad to do before lifting but a way of stretching in a somewhat ballistic manner as well as warming up all the muscles in the lower body was the best way to go.

The warmup routine that keeps me in one piece:
Walking lunges, all with just bodyweight. No added weight.

10 steps of walking lunges forward
10 steps walking lunges backwards (very hard at first, never feels super easy even if you've been doing them a while)
10 walking side crab lunges to the left
10 walking side crab lunges to the right

They stressed that the side to side lunges were as important as the front/back ones if not more so. With the side lunges, you don't stay in one place, it's like a crab walk. For example, to go right, you slide your right foot away from you about 3 feet, lean into it, then bring your left foot to meet the R foot as you stand back up erect. Repeat and you will be covering distance. Is that clear for everyone?

I just do these at home before I leave for the gym. When I get to the gym I do 1 or 2 sets of light reverse hypers, 10-15 reps.

Then I begin my normal warmup sets on the exercise that I have chosen for that day.

I do ZERO ZERO ZERO static stretching before training!!!!! Not needed!!! It is detrimental to performance!!! The walking lunges in all directions serve to stretch you out but since you are doing walking lunges, it is a type of ballistic stretch. Stretch and immediate contraction, not a slow, destructive static stretch.

So in review:

The walking lunges in all directions and 1-2 sets of light/medium weight reverse hypers (to get the low back pumping and aligned) is all I do, then I begin my squats or whatever I'm doing that day.

This warmup is INCREDIBLE. Since I began doing this, I never pull a groin or get random strains in my hams or quads during training. After the walking lunges you will have a pretty decent quad pump too, so I usually just sit down for a few minutes after I do those. Then, I get up and go to the gym.



For upper body, I always start out with some standing wall pushups, and lots of sets of 20-30 reps with the barbell on flat bench and overhead triceps extensions. I also love dong some light rope pressdowns to get the elbows feeling great and warm. One last thing, I hold my arms out to my sides and make small circles, 20 circles forward and 20 backwards. This in an amazing shoulder warmup that will keep your rotator cuff and delts healthy and warm for training. If my upper body still feels weird during my heavy exercise of the day, I will absolutely keep repeating those light upper body warmups between sets just to pump more blood into the upper body until I feel 100%.