It’s so important to warm-up your body prior to working out. It gets your muscles ready to perform the tasks ahead, which can decrease risk of injury. If you find yourself walking into the gym, then right onto a machine…stop yourself! Take 5 minutes to warm-up…your body will thank you in the long run. Don’t know how to warm-up? Here is a great go-to warm-up routine! It consists of 6 exercises.
To properly warm-up we need to pump blood through your large muscle groups and raise your core temperature. Nothing does that like a good ol’ fashioned squat. My goal is to help you do them with exceptional form so that your knees get stronger and your legs get leaner! Remember, focus on form, and slow is the way to go! Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Warm-Up Routine Set Up
* Begin with feet shoulder-width apart
* Transfer weight from the balls of your feet to your heels
* Begin as if you are about to sit, pushing your hips back, bending your knees
* Work to keep your shoulders back, and chest up, but don’t expect to be able to keep your back at a 90 degree angle
* It’s okay if your knees slide forward slightly, but work to keep them over your ankles
* Slide both arms out in front of you, arms straight, at chest height to counter-balance your hips
* If you feel you are about to tip over backwards, you’re probably doing this right
Go-To Warm-Up Routine:
(1) Squats: 8 reps
* Begin with several shallow squats, as described above
* With each rep, increase range of motion and squat deeper
(2) Body Weight Squat Knee Lift, Alternating: 8 reps
* Squat to lowest range—arms in front at chest height
* As you begin to stand, draw your knee up toward your belly button as you pull your arm back
* Repeat, alternating knees
(3) Body Weight Sumo Squat: 8 reps
* Position feet wider than your shoulders
* Turn toes out
* Lower hips, bending your knees, maintaining an upright posture
* Imagine you are sliding your back down a wall
* As you raise up, perform a bicep curl (no weight of course)
* Tighten and engage the biceps as you flex upward
* Press your thighs forward engaging the inner thighs and glutes as you lift
* Keep the knees soft
(4) Left Leg Lunge/Right Arm Triceps Extensions: 4 reps
* Transfer your weight to the heel of your forward leg
* Bend the left elbow, drawing it back past your ribs, and flexing to 90 degrees
* Lower your body as you flex your knee, maintaining weight on the forward leg, elbow above your back, fist at your rib cage
* As you begin to rise up, fully extend the elbow, flexing the back of your arm (triceps)
* In order to keep weight over the forward heel, your chest may lower slightly toward the thigh (no problem!)
(5) Right Leg Lunge/Left Arm Triceps Extension/Shoulder Circumduction: 4 reps
* Transfer your weight to the heel of your forward leg
* Bend the left elbow, drawing it back past your ribs, and flexing to 90 degrees
* Lower your body as you flex you knee, maintaining weight on the forward leg, elbow above your back, fist at your rib cage
* As you begin to rise up, fully extend the elbow, flexing the back of your arm/triceps (repeat 4x)
* Continue lunging, slowly circling the shoulder with arm fully extended (repeat 4x)
* In order to keep weight over the forward heel, your ribs may lower slightly toward the thigh, keep shoulders back
(6) Alternating Side Lunge/Shoulder Drops: 4 reps per side
* Face center with feet slightly wider than shoulder stance
* Bend the knees, placing your hands on your thighs
* Alternate lunging side to side
* As you lunge to the right, press the left shoulder toward the midline of your body
Now that you’ve tried this warm-up routine, you’re ready to start your workout! If it takes you a little longer to warm up or you have soreness in one particular area, go ahead and spend a few more minutes warming up and doing gentle rhythmic stretching. The warmer your muscles, the better they’ll perform.
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