I know, I know…
…most of you reading don’t have enough eye-rolls to give.
I mean, I get it: a blog post on warming-up is about as exciting as me writing about breathing drills, how to make kale chips, or, I don’t know, NASCAR.
But two things:
1. This post will be short and sweet.
2. The video shown below will help you not only feel better, but also help you crush your next (and subsequent) lower body lifts.
I figured that would grab your attention…;o)
Juicy
There’s no need for me to belabor the point: a proper warm-up prior to lifting heavy things is imperative. It helps increase core temperature, potentiate the central nervous system, “lubricate” the joints, and as a whole is just a smart habit to follow to better prepare the body for the workout to follow.
Thing is…
…the warm-up is also the one thing most trainees skip, treat as the evil step-child, or otherwise ignore altogether.
I can’t fault some people for doing so.
Some warm-ups are just absurd. I’ve had some people show me warm-ups that take 20-30 minutes to complete. Now, this isn’t to say that, sometimes, this isn’t warranted. Depending on one’s injury history (or even other factors, such as age) we can sometimes justify a warm-up of that length.
But too – and more to the point – if I were given a warm-up that takes that long to complete I’d be tossing it some shade too.
That’s a whole lotta nope!
On the flip side, I also think one reason many people skip their warm-up is because there’s no rhyme or reason to what they’re doing:
“I’ll do some arm circles here, some hip thingamajiggies there, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.”
An ideal warm-up will not only prepare you for the stuff you’ll be doing on the weight-room floor, but also address any mobility/range of motion/activation deficits that may exist.
And, lately, my train of thought is that an ideal warm-up is short and to the point and kinda-sorta makes you hate life.
A perfect example is this hip series[footnote]Giving credit where it’s due this drill is inspired in equal parts from the likes of coaches Vernon Griffith, Frank Duffy, Julia Eyre, and Optimus Prime.[/footnote]. I’ve been using myself of late and is something covered in the (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – a brand new product with entirely new content Dean Somerset and I just released this week.
This series hits all the heavy hitters to keep your hips nice-n-juicy for some squats or deadlifts:
✅Hip IR
✅Hip ER
✅Hip Flexion
✅Dissociating hip movement from Lower Back movement.
Start with your hands on the floor for support and try to stay as upright as possible (contingent on your ability to do so).
It’s not a deal breaker if you have to lean to the side a bit.
You also have the option to “ramp” up the intensity while performing this series too. You can go through the motions and make it relatively easy or you can come close to shitting a kettlebell by increasing the amount of tension you put into it.
I encourage clients to dabble in both (because both scenarios have their advantages and disadvantages).
Have fun (<– said with a hint of sarcasm).
(Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint is currently on sale this week till this Sunday for $70 off the regular price, and digs into preparation concepts like this, plus so much more to help you get the best possible plan of action for your clients in order to get them results in the fastest, easiest and safest manner possible.
