Muscular Warm-ups
1. Iron Cross Squats
Warm up set 1: 50% 10RM = 43kg x 6 reps
Warm up set 2: 80% 10RM = 68kg x 4 reps
(It's pretty simple despite the complicated terms used!)
**10RM refers to the weight that you can do for a maximum of 10 times. (different among everyone)
- Grab a pair of dumbbells, stand, and hold them to your sides at arm length.
- Squat as far as much as you can and as you descend, bring your arms to the front of your body, still outstretched.
- At your bottom position hopefully your butt is almost on the ground, and the dumbbells are extended directly in front of you at you eye level.
- Now reverse the motion as you stand.
- If your goal is muscle size, you still want to avoid excessive lactic acid release so again keep warm up reps at six or below.
- Example Warm Up Routine:
Warm up set 1: 50% 10RM = 43kg x 6 reps
Warm up set 2: 80% 10RM = 68kg x 4 reps
- This is called a neural pre-load and can be applied to your weight training routine for immediate gains in strength in tern leading to new muscle growth.
(It's pretty simple despite the complicated terms used!)
**10RM refers to the weight that you can do for a maximum of 10 times. (different among everyone)
Mistakes regarding muscular warm-ups
Before going into the actual warm-ups, there are a few often made mistakes regarding this section.
- Many overexert yourself with high rep warm-ups before your actual workout
This will cause your body to release lactic acid into the blood stream which significantly impairs the nervous system's ability to activate high threshold motor units. - Many work close to their one rep max during your real sets with few sets
The closer to your maximum weight for warm up, the more warm up sets you need. You should do about 3-5 warm up sets, each with progressively heavier weight, but never excessively fatiguing yourself for your real sets. - Many tend to stretch their muscles before weight training
Healthy muscles remain at optimum contraction length in a resting position. When you stretch them, you cause them to go into a suboptimal contraction length, hence weakening the fibers temporarily.
If you are going to perform at peak output levels during workout, save your stretching for after your workout
If the muscle you are about to train is chronically tight, by all means stretch it first, because it is probably at a suboptimal contraction length at the other end of the spectrum.
- Many run at moderate to high intensity on the treadmill as a warm up
The nervous system picks up patterns, and running on the treadmill to “get the blood flowing" or whatever rationale you use does nothing to prepare your muscles for any exercise.
Therefore, don't waste your glycogen (stored energy) on something that isn't going to help your body complete the task at hand. If you’re gonna do squats, stay away from the treadmill. - Individual response will determine the best warm up for endurance weight training
If you are performing an exercise unfamiliar to you, more warm up sets can be beneficial, and the less comfortable you are at performing the movement, the more reps you should use in the warm up set(s). - Many stretch for the sake of it as if they were forced to.
General warm ups are optional, if 5 minutes on a treadmill helps you to have a better work out, then do it. Just don't make it necessary if you see no benefit.
Stretching is optional as well; your muscles are contracting with a relatively low force output, so no harm will be done.
Again, only stretch first if you feel it contributes to enhanced performance - try one workout stretching first, and the next stretching after and see for performance differences.