Sometimes fitting a workout into our daily lives can be tough, so naturally, when we get to the gym, we just want to get in and get out. While I'm always an advocate of a short, efficient workout, it is important to make sure you're smart about your workouts as well. Unfortunately, many regular gym goers focus on only conditioning (read: "cardio") and strength training during their gym sessions, while putting their warm-up and cool down on the backburner. I get it--you're eager to see progress; that's ultimately what we all want. If you just dive right into your workouts and pay little attention to the accessory stuff (stretching, mobility work and correctional exercises) you're on a fast track to injury, which will ultimately mean time away from the gym. None of us want to injure ourselves, right? If you are careful and put time into warming up and cooling down properly, you will significantly decrease that risk. It may be tedious and time consuming, but it will certainly be worth it.
Before every workout, it is necessary to adequately prepare ourselves. Personally, I like to spend at least 5-10 minutes on the foam roller or lacrosse ball kneading out tight areas and focusing on mobility. Everyone has different "problem areas," so find those sweet spots and spend time on them. If you're seeing stars, you're probably doing it properly. Refer to my
previous post on foam rolling.
Once you're starting to feel loose, work on bringing that area(s) of your body that you plan on training through a full range of motion with dynamic stretches. For lower body workouts, I like to do leg swings,
squat-to-stands (holding onto both feet with your chest up, flex and extend at the knee). For upper body stretches,
PVC pass throughs, arm swings and
wall slides all work nicely. The idea here is to get your body ready to perform the task at hand and prepare those muscles for loaded exercise.
The last step is to turn on any muscles that may not be firing. For many people, stabilizer muscles like the glute medius and the lower trapezius are areas of weakness. Exercises that can help in strengthening these muscles and prevent injury include
side lying leg abduction,
banded walks, Y's and T's and
scapula push-ups. Think you're strong? These exercises will give you a nice, big piece of humble pie as well. Never would you imagine that your own body weight would feel so heavy. I'd recommend about 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise. Note that if you are focusing more on lower body exercises, you should focus more on lower body activation, and likewise for the upper body.
After you've finished your grueling workout, it's time to let your body cool down a bit before you leave the gym. Static stretches are appropriate for post-workout mobilization. Again, the stretches you choose should be reflective of the exercises you performed on that day. Hold each stretch for 30-45 seconds.
Exercise places a tremendous stress on the body, and if we don't pay attention to preparing our bodies for that stress, we will wreak havoc on our muscles, joints and connective tissues. Trust me, your body will thank you later.
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