I am finally getting into lifting on a more regular basis sicne my shoulder injuries. What are good warm-up routines for before starting a work out? Currently I do a few minutes the Elliptical to get the blood flowing and literally get warm and break a light sweat. After that I do some range of motion exercises for the upper body. Shoulder circles that sort of thing to get thing moving.
What do you guys who have more tim in the gym doing to get yourselves ready for the real work-out?
Thanks
This is what works for me: light foam rolling, shoulder band stretching (fellow shoulder injury guy), 10 min eliptical, 4-5 sprints. Depending on plan for action that day I try and do a few box jumps or med ball throws as well. Wish I was doing this years ago when my warm up was bench sets.
When I was younger, single and able to go to the gym during peak “meet market” hours, I could stay on either a stair machine or elliptical for a good 30-40 minute “warmup” due to the more interesting “scenery”. Now I am busy with work and family and can only go at 9:00 or later at night when its empty and realized how bored I get on cardio machines and my old idea of a “warmup” wasn’t really working. I just can’t stand it if I am looking at nothing but a TV with food network or some garbage on it. I would rather spend my quality time with Russia’s finest than sit on some human hamster wheel, so now I park at the furthest point away from the entrance and jog to the entrance, then spend 2 1/2 to 5 minutes fast on a rowing machine (depending on the song I’m listening to) to get a sweat going, then stretch for a minute or two and get straight to lifting. I feel like I am doing what is better for me and not getting bored. For my “cardio”, I swim four days a week so I feel like I am fine. I don’t have shoulder problems, but I am old and everything else hurts, so I just expect it to hurt.
Warm up for me is doing AB work before hitting the weights. I do 3 different exercises with 3 sets of 25 reps each. I only take a 30-45 second break in between sets. After that I’m ready to go. I really don’t have time for much else. I hit the gym for my lunch hour and have to complete my workouts in about 45 minutes. The gym is usually almost empty so I can move pretty quickly. In between sets I only rest about a minute. This also keeps my heart rate up during the whole work out so I’m basically taking care of cardio at the same time.
I tend to do 10 - 15 minutes of foam rolling work, light mobility work, a few sets of very light weight in the movement patterns I expect to work (like squatting with the bar for a few sets of planning to squat. etc) and ready.
Stretching followed by a few sets of kettle bell swings with the 35lb bell.
That gets me “lightly sweaty” and warmed up enough! LOL
IIRC, there have been several studies showing the efficacy of stretching and several that show no diff. b/w injury rates if one doesn’t stretch. Will, I cannot remember these studies so I will have to temper myself since I can only use a sample size of one: me.
I run and my wife runs. She stretches before/after and wouldn’t have it any other way. I have never stretched before or after. I usually wake up at six and am running by 6:05. Never had a running injury or any effects I am aware of. And I try to be aware. I do not need to stretch before jiu-jitsu. We do stretch during class but on open mat times I just walk into the gym, onto the mat, and start rolling. I also am conspicuously late for stretching. I have never stretched before or after lifting.
All that said, there does seem to be a real benefit for some people. I do realize I should thank my parents for my genetics but it would be interesting to know how many people do not need to stretch. I look at stretching as simply a waste of time for me and I could be using that time to be productive in other areas. Maybe some others could to.
Wanted to leave at least some clinical research on “myth” of stretching.
British Journal of Sports Medicine- legitimate, academic source. “Stretching Before Exercise: an evidence based approach.” Volume 34, Issue 5. bjsm.bmj.com
Here’s my approach, which I have followed since the 80s, and has been generally well supported: You warm up a “cold” muscle and stretch a warm muscle. I tend to do any actual stretching after I’m done with exercise, and you’ll note the warm up listed above involves essentially no stretching. It’s never made any sense to me to stretch a cold muscle. I believe my instinct there has been supported in the lit as time has gone on. In terms of actual injury rates, that’s a slightly different topic and I’m have not read latest studies on that specific end point.
At most I’ll do a few mins of foam rolling just to get any kinks out of my back and maybe a 5 min walk on the treadmill. Some band pull aparts if its a max effort bench day. I focus more on the post work cool down, stretching, prehab stuff.
This would seem to be the real world “compromise.” Academic research has given some good data that shows stretching before a work out may not be needed for everyone. However, stretching after which I have witnessed many times in BJJ, may be the key for some.
I am not trying to convince anyone one way or the other. I simply think it is interesting that stretching may not be as necessary as previous thought or, when performed has been incorrect for many for many yrs.
I don’t need to stretch much so I’ll try post workout stretching for 4wks. and see if I notice any pos. changes.
Walking on the elliptical and doing shoulder stretches will do fine on leg and shoulder days, but what about your back? Yes, shoulders are the most common injury I see in the gym, but a close second is back. I believe in doing push ups, pull ups and an array of leg stretches before performing any exercise. Believe it or not a few years ago I strained my hamstring doing dumbbell press. Carrying 240lbs from the rack to seat. I now lightly stretch my entire body.