How TO: WARM UP

Like everyone I made a simple yet major mistake, I did not warm up properly. I have always been the type that had to learn things the hard way and this was no different. This mistake set my training back a great deal. Being at a commercial gym all day training clients after awhile the last thing you want to do is be at the facility. Ya its cool for a few months there's good-looking girls everywhere and your getting more and more clients but before you know it POW! Your fitness level is going down and you do not want to be at the gym when you're not working. I did not realize the importance of a proper warm up until I tore my meniscus, and the worst part is I was only performing about 60% of my 1RM. It was squat day and I wanted to get the hell out of the place. I thought doing a few body weight movements and warm up sets was sufficient but I was wrong. Here I am 9 months later, fat and out of shape and FINALLY able to squat again!If you are a serious athlete the warm up should be 15-30 minutes long period. I am also a firm believer that anyone serious about getting the most out of training should be training like an athlete. With that being said the warm up should not consist of 1 or 2 exercises but many different parts. Many people may make excuses like they don't have the time...make the time! Cutting the warm up down will not only increase risk of injury but will prevent you from achieving maximum. Some may think this is a bold statement but it is all explained below. The warm up I use with my athletes consist of multiple parts;
Part 1 is Prehab/Rehab work
This consists of soft tissue release, using a foam roller/PVC pipe, lacrosse ball, med ball or better yet all three! The generic answer to what does a foam roller do for you is: Myofascial release, well what exactly is that? Your muscles have a layer of fibrous tissue called fascia wrapped around them. This acts similar to something like a layer of saran wrap around your muscles. The more you work and break down your muscles the tighter this wrap will get, not allowing your muscles as much room to breath. I am assuming everyone on this website knows weight training tears muscle fibers apart and the science of it, if not do some reading! The less breathing room your muscles have the longer it will take the actin and myosin to slide back into place, thus allowing your muscles to heal 100%. The sooner the athlete returns to 100% the sooner they can train at the proper intensity level. The 10-15 minutes it takes to roll your major muscle groups will be well worth it. Make sure you hit Calfs, Quads, Hamstrings, IT Bands, Back, and chest. When you hit a sensitive spot allow for more attention to those certain spots. A great fitness mind Jim Smitty Smith said it best; Greater Tension= Greater Relaxation
Part 2 is CNS Activation
It is a proven fact that the CNS has an effect on increasing strength. Activation of the nervous system will allow your body to be more efficient at recruiting muscle fibers. It will also allow for a better job of collecting motor units within the muscles during the athletic event; this will assist in producing more forceful movements. This as well as the fact that the CNS will bring the risk of injury down greatly is all I needed to hear to realize the importance of CNS Activation. The CNS Activation is more or less my dynamic warm up for me. Around 10 min of skipping, jogging forward/backward, side shuffles, mountain climbers etc. will be done.
Part 3 Muscle Activation
The last stage of the warm up has 1 major goal; to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible for the upcoming war! To do this I will use many bodyweight movements as well as the occasional kettle bell movement. I will perform pull ups/recline rows, pushups, as well as many lunges and squat variations. 3-4 sets of 30-50% your max reps of the movement will be enough to get not only your body ready for the workout but your mind right. I have found the more mentally focused you are for your workout the better it generally goes. If I notice my athletes aren’t focused I may combined Part 2 and 3 for the day and have them doing bear crawls squat/lunge combo movements in between the dynamics.       Ask any power lifter and they will talk about the mental preparation for a big pull or big squat. Visualizing the big pull, or getting yourself in the zone. This mental readiness does not only go for power lifters or athletes but anyone trying to get the most out of the workout! You have one of two options. You can continue warming up on the elliptical or bike for five minutes thinking about the tough day at work or how you really don't want to be at the gym. Or you can follow the above steps while mentally focusing on kicking the workouts ass rather then getting your ass kicked by the workout, I hope you make the right decision and learn from my mistake.