The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Muscle Strength This is something we all know we should do, but we don't always know why- so why warm up? Warming up before (rigorous physical activity and) going to the gym is something I would encourage everyone to do,for that it is necessary that should take pre workout protein. Some of the key reasons can be found below:
Increases blood flow (especially important for obese people and others with poor circulation). Warms up muscles, joints and connective tissues. Allows you to check for any injury before exposing the body to heavy weight. Allows for practice of the lift(s) you will be performing. Gets the body used to the patterns of movement it will be working in (similar to the above) and uncommon positions.
Increases confidence and allows one to lift heavier with better form for the working sets.
Ways to improve Dynamic warm ups,which are great to wake up sleepy muscle groups (glutes, hamstrings and upper back/scapula) and release tight areas such as the hips and shoulders to allow for more optimal technique and range of motion to be achieved.
Why do the big guys and or the guys with terrible form in my gym never seem to get injured even though they don't warm up? This is because there is something of a tolerance people can build up against injury via certain movements, as they're used to the tempo, relatively violent directional changes and or not warming up entirely.
To put it simply, lifting is a skill and strength is a combination of technique, patterning of movements and muscle size.
If you don't get stronger over time, your results in regards to body composition will likely stagnatethis is the case with many female beginners who tend to use too light a weight without progressing. Also should be taken care for what to eat before workout. What would a good warm up consist of (that doesn't take an age)? A good warm up would entail a machine such as a rower or crosstrainer, and even a treadmill, in order to warm up the heart, core and somewhat the target muscle groups. Then non-weighted movements aimed at increasing mobility and warming up the joints; lunges, squats, shoulder rotations, chest swings, press ups and dynamic stretches targeting the hips and shoulders.
Then the use of a kettle bell is great pre-session in order to activate the glutes and engage the back, and also goblet squats with a pause at the base- ensuring the weight is taken through the muscles, rather than hinging on the knees. Then we would move into 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps, increasing the weight each time from a light load to around 80-90% of your working set load which helps to increase the strength of body muscles. This allows practice of the movement, further passive stretching and warming up of the joints/muscles and a focus on improving technique.