Warm-Up Effectively

For many of us, warming up can feel like a burden or a chore. Many of us come to the gym for either the strength, the MetCon, or just the friends! But, how much attention and effort you put into your warm-up could make a huge difference in your performance. A properly executed warm-up should increase your core temperature, improve circulation to the limbs, increase central nervous system activation, and improve your range of motion. Lets take a look at some important things we might overlook that your warm-up can also achieve:

  1. Brings focus to training. This is your chance to develop strategies for the day, to identify and address tight spots and weaknesses, and to visualize yourself being successful. Being able to bring all of your attention and effort to one specific area when needed is a skill which must be consistently practiced.
  2. Grease neurological patterns for the day. Complex skills and movements require not only physical strength and coordination, but also the cooperation of your neurological system. By warming up specific movement patterns (think: the transition of a ring muscle up), you will be better suited when you go to do that full movement because your neurological patterns are already firing the messages to your muscles!
  3. Build relationships with peers. While the warm-up is certainly your opportunity to get yourself physically and mentally ready to train, it is also a chance to build relationships with those around you. Take this time to speak to someone you might not have met yet, or build those friendships that already exist in the box!
  4. Improve movement patterns. Skill work is typically a part of the group’s warm-up for the day's workout. It might look like heavy sets of back squats or working on kipping pull-ups. This can help you connect the dots of your movement patterns and get an idea of where you need to focus on correcting or improving that movement. Taking the time to focus on these things before you jump into an AMRAP where you are moving at the speed of light can make all the difference for not only your performance but also your health!

Your warm-up is an opportunity to set yourself up for a great day of training. Making the most of your warm-up is about connecting the preparation and the training together so you can make the best use of your time and feel ready to crush the day’s challenge. Take advantage of it!


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