Trainer Tuesdays: How do you like to warm up before a tough workout?

Trainer Tuesdays

Welcome back to the weekly edition on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check in at our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

How Do You Like to Warm Up Before a Tough Workout?

Bronson Rotaru: For my warm up I always walk 10-15 mins on a treadmill usually at a slight incline. Then I start gradually with weights, I do not jump right into heavy weight while strength training. There are many different options for warming up. It’s best to make sure you do incorporate some type of warm up. It is not a good idea to go right into a workout without a proper warm up

Adam Teplitz: When it comes to a tough workout, a proper warm up should not be overlooked. A proper warm up increases the blood flow to the working muscles. This leads to less risk of injury and improved performance. Additional benefits of a warm up include mental preparation, improved range of motion, and increased body temperature.

A typical warm up for me includes 5 to 10 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, elliptical or bike. Afterward, I'll compete a few warmup sets for the first exercise in my routine. If I'm squatting, I'll start with 50 % of my working set weight for the warm up sets. It's important not to go over 5 or 6 repetitions with your warm up sets. You want to conserve your energy for the working sets.
Never underestimate the benefits a proper warm up can bring to your workout!

KellyBailey: Have you ever noticed that the first 15 minutes of your run or weight lifting session is the hardest? If so, you may not have spent enough time warming up. Having to perform a warm up often seems like a waste of time because it uses up an extra 15 minutes of time we often don't have. However, a warm up is critical to help ease your body into the exercise session ahead. It allows your heart to slowly shunt blood away from some of your organs and into your muscles. A warm up also gets the synovial fluid moving around inside your joints. 

A proper warm up for cardiovascular exercise starts with a slow pace that gradually increases until you are exercising at your targeted pace. For example, I always start my runs with five minutes of walking, followed by 10 minutes of very easy jogging. I have found this 15 minute warm up to be critical for feeling good during my run.

It's just as important to warm up before lifting weights. You should start with a minimum of 10 minutes of cardiovascular exercise like brisk walking, cycling, or elliptical. By the end of the 10 minutes, you should break a light sweat. Then, to get your joints warmed up, performing a few exercises that are similar to the weight training exercises you'll be performing that day is crucial. For example, if you plan to squat with weight, you should do a few body weight squats first. If you'll be working your upper body, slow arm circles will help get your shoulder joints ready.

Monika Cotter: Before a tough workout at first I like to warm up my body by walking or doing the elliptical for at least five minutes. Depending on the workout I am doing I try to tailor my warmup to it. If I am doing lower body that day then I warm up my lower body really well using functional, dynamic movements. For example if I am going to do weighted squats and lunges I make sure to add body weight lunges and squats to my warmup along with leg swings and hip opening stretches. The same goes for an upper body workout….lots of dynamic movements such as arm circles and swings. In any case, make sure that you always do some kind of warmup before exercise to avoid injury. Happy Holidays! 

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