If you’re anything like me, I know that you love to lift heavy stuff.

It makes me feel super strong, and I just love the feeling on my body when every muscle has to contract to overcome the weight I couldn’t yet lift last week.

And I also don’t like to waste time, and I’m quite sure you don’t like that, either.

But, we need to be cautious here.

Because those two things put together lead very often to training without warming up.

You might not feel it now, but this will eventually lead to problems down the road. And, in the game of ultimate physique & strength development, those who play the longest, win.

What a good warm will do to you:

It will increase your heart rate & body temperature, and influence your nervous system & your hormone profile.

This means that you will be able to move better during your training, recover faster between your working sets, and improve your ability to move well over time.

It also means that you will have a better power output and more stability. This leads to more progress and more confidence.

So, what does make a warm-up good?

Start with 10min on a cardio machine. I like rowing machines, air bikes, and treadmills. Bring your pulse up to 160 minus your age.

When you’re done with this, take another 5 minutes to move your joints through their full range of movement.

It doesn’t have to be long. Start with your ankle, then your knees, move up to your hips, move your spine, then your shoulder, elbows, and wrist, boom, you’re done, ready to move on.

A few flexions, extensions, and rotations for each will do.

When this is done, you’re good to go to the first exercise of your training. Take the time to practice the movement with little weight for a few rounds of 8-10 reps. When you feel like everything is moving like a well-oiled machine, increase the weight gradually until you reach your working weight.

And then, smash it with
More fitness, Less fluff

Yannick

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