Part 2: Cheetahs don't warm up in the wild, so why should I?
This is part 2 of this 3-part series on warm ups and cool downs. If you missed Part 1, where we discussed the performance enhancing benefits of warming up, catch it here.
In Part 2 we will delve more into what you should actually be doing to warm up effectively.
So, what does the research say?
Research by Stewart and Sleivert (1998) found that an active warm-up of 15 minutes at an intensity of approximately 65 percent of one’s VO2 max was most beneficial in regard to anaerobic activities. Another study by Tomares et al (2019), found that in regard to sprint track cycling, shorter and higher-intensity warm-ups elicited better performance than longer warm-ups.
That was pretty vague, so what should I be doing exactly?
Well, keep in mind, a warm up for an Olympic lifter compared to that of a marathon runner will look completely different. This is because what is required of your body in these contexts is widely different in regards to variables like joint range of motion (ROM), intensity, volume and movement patterns. The more specific a warm up is to a sport, the better the performance is likely to be. Only you will know what you're about to do, so if you need help there, then reach out to us!
What we recommend:
By no means is this the only way you can warm up, but if you follow this structure you can't go wrong when preparing your body to train:
Soft tissue work - create instant improvements in ROM and muscle tonicity to help prepare for movement. For example, get a trigger ball into the glutes or foam roll the quads prior to some squats.
Dynamic mobility - stick to places that need it, like areas of weakness, or creating more range in the muscles/joints we are about to target. Don't just put mobility in for the sake of it or you risk wasting time. For example, before back squats you might do some hip openers (world's greatest stretch), adductor rocks and sumo squats to help improve your range.
Stimulate - think exercises with more joints or more speed, maybe a chance to put some low intensity plyo's in, this can help prime the central nervous system. Again, if you were about to back squat you could put some squat jumps in here.
Emulate - one of the best things you can do to prepare is do the thing you're about to do, but lighter! If back squats are the main exercise of the program today, then back squat with the empty barbell and progressively build up to your working sets (eg 10xbar, 8x40kg, 6x60kg, start working set at 80kg)
Some people like a bit of light aerobic work - eg 5 mins on bike/treadmill - and there is nothing wrong with that provided they have the time, as it will only help with increased temperature, blood flow and getting joints moving. But be sure to add in at least something a little more specific to the session you're about to commence just prior.
How long should the warm up take?
Our advice is not to make the mistake of dragging it out for too long. For example, you don't need to spend 30 minutes on mobility, as this will take away time for your big rocks in your training program. If you constantly need that much time before you feel ready to train, then there may be other variables you should be looking at, like your load management, sleep, stress and recovery.
The danger of warming up too long is also that a warm up still uses energy reserves and builds up metabolic fatigue, so you run the risk of turning what should be a performance enhancing tool into a performance decreasing tool. Furthermore, keep in mind that if it's already hot, you don't want to get too hot.
If you follow the aforementioned structure, it should take you no more than 15 minutes, if you have it all planned out you can get a fair bit done in that time without overcooking yourself!
Okay great, is there anything I shouldn't I do?
In the research, long static stretching may actually reduce power input if you're looking to perform (Park et al, 2018). While stretching can feel great, and a little bit prior to exercise isn't the end of the world, it's probably something best done separately, or even post-exercise to help downregulate, if you're wanting to improve performance.
Stay tuned for part 3 where we separate the fact from the fiction regarding cool-downs!
