Warm-Up Routines: The Basics

Last week we discussed how cold Canberra was and delved into the ins and outs of the warm-up. We looked at when more mobility work and static stretching is needed, and when it's probably not. 

The article provided some essential points to help people navigate the world of warming-up. We learned that we should focus more on warming up the muscles we are about to train, as opposed to just ''warming-up'' in general and elevating our core temperature. 

So with all that said, what does a good warm-up look like? As mentioned, unless you have specific mobility problems that prevent you getting you into certain positions during your training, there is no need to spend ages on mobilising and static stretching in your warm-up.

A basic ~5-minute warm-up with a combination of foam rolling and some dynamic movements are all that is required to relieve stiffness in the muscles and generate heat, prerparing you for the lifting ahead. Here are what they might look like, as recommended by some of the best coaches and athletes in the business. 

Quick Upper Body Warm-Ups 

So below is a super quick 3-minute upper body warm-up you can do before a shoulder, bench press or chest workout. All you need is a band. This video is from Diesel Strength & Conditioning. 

Below we have another really quick and effective upper-body warm-up routine, demonstrated by Joe DeFranco, who is well respected in the strength and conditioning world and has had a lot of success coaching American football athletes. This one uses a medicine ball as a foam roller in order to penetrate those chest fibres. It's quick and gets everything warm and firing as it should. As mentioned, ideal before any training involving pressing. 




And last but certainly not least, we have lifting internet/youtube celebrity Omar Isuf with this brilliant range of should warm-up exercises. Again, perfect before a workout where you will be doing any pressing movements. 

So there we have it, there are some basic ideas of what a good upper-body warm-up might look like and what movements might be incorporated in it. There is no exact science to this kind of thing, so you can chop and change these warm-up routines. Taking the bits you like and the bits you don't and form your own routine.  

Quick Lower Body Warm-Ups 

With upper-body basics out of the way, it's now time to take a look at the lower extremities. 

Again Omar Isuf makes it into the line-up with a great warm-up video including all the fundamentals when it comes to preparing the lower half. 



Covering more of the powerlifting side of the equation, in the below video, record holding powerlifter Brett Gibbs and Josh Hancott cover warming-up and mobilising the lower body before a squat session. 



Then we have the famous Agile 8 by the aforementioned Joe DeFranco. DeFranco came up with this many years ago and since it has been utilised by many coaches and athletes over the years. This is because: a) it is simple and b) it covers all the fundamentals well, preparing you for the lifting ahead. Again, these are all fantastic and staple mobility and activation movements and you can pinch bits and pieces to create your own routine. 



It may also be worth mentioning that the Agile 8 was created some time ago and since then, Joe has created an updated version known as the Limber 11 which is below.

 

Wrapping Up

So there we have it, above are some ideas of the type of movements some of the best coaches or athletes incorporate into their warm-ups. As you can see this isn't an exact science per se. These routines are based on personal experience and in these instances, coaches like Joe DeFranco have years and years of experience dealing with many athletes. 

A warm-up is a highly varied and individualised thing. These are just great bases, but as I said everyone will have their own versions and have movements and things they feel work for them. But the key point here is, everyone has one. So don't skip it! 

-Gym Meals