Warm up before training

Warm-up, or in other words, is a preparatory procedure before physical activity that puts our body in a state of combat readiness. Increase operating temperature from 36.6 degrees to 38, significantly speeds up the flow metabolic reactions, gives our fabrics more plasticity, and, therefore, more protection from tears and stretching. Increased heart rate delivers nutrients throughout the body almost twenty times faster than at rest. Blood consumption by muscles increases fivefold. All of the above metamorphoses and such a powerful physiological leap are more than necessary for us if, for example, we are preparing to bench press a barbell that is 1.5 - 2 times our own weight.

Warm-up before training can be roughly divided into two parts:

1. Basic warm-up – precedes any training and is, in fact, a general warm-up of the body. The result we need is achieved after a few minutes of jogging and performing short joint exercises.
2. Special warm-up – serves to prepare for the active use of target muscle groups, the development of which is planned for the current workout.

Let's look at them in order:

Basic pre-workout warm-up:

So, we set ourselves in a positive mood, came to the gym and immediately went on the treadmill. Pay attention exclusively to the treadmill, since only running, as a natural movement in which all muscle groups are involved, can load all the muscles of our body in the highest quality way. As a last resort, it is also possible to use steppers, but never an exercise bike. Since the latter affects exclusively the legs, and nothing else except the legs. In the first half a minute, use a speed slightly higher than the usual “pedestrian” speed, then move smoothly for an easy run, and subsequently accelerate, reaching real operating speeds that are comfortable for your body. After a few minutes of maximum load, your cardiovascular system will be “in full combat readiness.” Now our task is to deliver the maximum amount of blood to the muscular system, therefore, the stage begins "joint gymnastics". This terminology implies a comprehensive sequential study of all joints of our body. Perform one after another 10 rotational movements in each direction, targeting each joint of our body, starting from the top, moving down:

1

Neck

5

Waist

2

Shoulders

6

Knees

3

Elbows

7

Ankle

4

Wrists

Having completed this entire complex, you are fully warmed up, and therefore you can begin to the main stage of training. But, since in bodybuilding training has a very narrowly focused impact, it would not be superfluous to accumulate the main force of the blood flow in the one target muscle group we now need. For example, before performing a seated bench press, thoroughly warm up our deltoids - this is a special warm-up.

Special warm-up before training:

Scientific research confirms that the most saturated blood flow to the target muscle occurs at an accelerated pace of execution exercises. And if pace is our assistant, it would be a sin not to take advantage of it during the warm-up. First, let's perform straight arm swings clockwise and back, then a few high-intensity bench presses with a bare bar. Then we’ll take a weight at which we can realistically do 30 repetitions per set and do 10-15 presses with it, also at an accelerated pace. You can use up to three of these "opening approaches" gradually increasing the load and reducing the number of repetitions until you reach working weights and repetitions per set. At the same time, you should feel a surge of heat into your target muscle, in our example – into deltoids. When you feel the muscle filling with warmth, you know that the muscle is prepared for the main load.

What happens if you don’t use a warm-up, or approach it carelessly?

Let's remember the principles of muscle tissue growth. As a result of training with significant weight, most muscle fibers are injured. Our body feels that cells are dying as a result of excessive stress, and, therefore, regenerate they need to be taken into account that the likelihood of this happening again. Instead of old obsolete fibers, fresh, larger and more durable fibers appear...

Based on all of the above, warm-up can now be considered one of the key, integral elements of the chain of a full-fledged training process.