#1 General Warm-Up (5-10 minutes)
📌 Purpose: Increase body temperature, heart rate, and muscle blood flow. This phase helps to increase oxygen delivery to muscles and enhances muscular elasticity.
🔹Cardio: Start with light cardiovascular exercise. Examples include brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or using an elliptical machine.
#2 Dynamic Stretching (5-10 minutes)
📌Purpose: Improve range of motion and activate muscles. Dynamic stretching increases muscle temperature and stimulates the nervous system, preparing the body for more strenuous activity.
🔹Leg Swings: Forward and sideways, 10-15 repetitions each leg.
🔹Arm Circles: Small and large circles, forward and backward, 10-15 repetitions each.
🔹Hip Circles: Rotate hips in circular motion, 10 repetitions each direction.
#3 Specific Warm-Up (5-10 minutes)
📌Purpose: Target muscles and movements specific to your workout. This will help you practise the movement pattern and prime the specific muscles you’ll be using.
🔹Light Sets of the Exercise: Perform the first exercise of your workout with a light weight or no weight.
For example, if you’re bench pressing, start with the barbell alone.
#4 Activation Exercises
📌Purpose: Engage and activate key muscle groups. Activation exercises enhance muscle recruitment and improve muscle coordination.
🔹Glute Bridges: 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
🔹Scapular Push-Ups: 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
🔹Band Pull-Aparts: 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
#5 Mobility Work (Optional)
📌Purpose: Address any areas of tightness and improve joint mobility. This can help release muscle tension and improve joint range of motion.
🔹Foam Rolling: Spend 1-2 minutes on each major muscle group, focusing on areas that feel tight.
🔹Joint Mobility Drills: For example, ankle circles or thoracic rotations.
Example Warm-Up Routine
1️⃣General Warm-Up: 5 minutes of light jogging.
2️⃣Dynamic Stretching: 10 leg swings forward and sideways each leg, 10 arm circles each direction, 10 hip circles each direction.
3️⃣Specific Warm-Up: Perform 2 sets of 10 reps of light squats if your first exercise is squats.
4️⃣Activation Exercises: 2 sets of 15 glute bridges, 2 sets of 15 scapular push-ups, 2 sets of 15 band pull-aparts.
5️⃣Mobility Work (Optional): 1-2 minutes foam rolling quadriceps and hamstrings.
Warming up properly prepares your body for the demands of lifting weights, reducing the risk of injury and improving performance. Happy lifting!
