How To Create A Perfect Warm-up For CrossFit Workouts – Glen Burnie Fitness and Nutrition

This is something you can apply at your next workout during your warm-ups … and it’s a game-changer.

You will be moving better and FEELING better almost like magic (but it’s science!) and it will keep you safe and ready session after session.

Let’s start with his top 5 rules to a solid warm-up (this is a non-exhaustive list and there could be a top 10 but that’s for another day)!

Many people believe that a proper “warm-up” is intended to increase the body’s core temperature, blood flow, and help muscles become more pliable.

All of those are very important elements of a solid warm-up routine … but they forget about muscle activation!

Here are the 5 rules for a creating a proper warm-up

Rule Number One – Make sure you activate the appropriate muscles for yourself.

Do not static stretch. There’s ample research showing that static stretching prior to exercise diminishes performance, and there are much better ways to warm up.

Rule Number Two – Use dynamic mobility in your warm-ups as it is much more powerful and effective.

Rather than trying to get overly specific, focus on a full-body warm-up to work the body as a whole.

If you are training upper-body that day, it’s vitally important that the LOWER body is still properly engaged and ready to supply sufficient stability for better performance and output (think intrinsic stabilizers).

Rule Number Three – Get the entire body warmed up and respect the kinetic chain as a whole. This also helps with lowering injury rates but is often overlooked.

Use movement-specific prep at the end of the warm-up or even during your lifting.

Performing bodyweight push-ups prior to bench press can be a very beneficial way to activate the appropriate muscles specific to that lift … but only after you’ve completed a full-body warm-up.

Rule Number Four – Implement movement-specific warm-ups closer to, or right before lifting.

You cannot deny that you drive a car, brush your teeth, hold your phone in front of your face, have both hands on the computer, sit too much, and consistently “drain” the anterior kinetic chain.

It is your responsibility as a fitness enthusiast to address this in warm-ups.

Rule Number Five – Always warm up and activate your posterior chain muscles regardless of the workout or training session. This is vital to injury prevention and increasing the lifespan of a your fitness journey.

Here is a great formula to use when you are creating warm-ups for yourself.

Follow the order of this formula as it is designed to optimize and prepare the body for an awesome training session and allow your to utilize prime movers, avoid synergistic dominance and get stronger each and every session you have!

The Winning Warm-up Formula:

1. Utilize self-myofascial release to optimize tissue function and tap into the central nervous system. (example: foam rolling)
2. Increase joint range of motion (dynamic mobility training sequences).
3. Activate key muscles needed for functional movement (use muscle activation sequences).
4. Perform blood flow exercises and movements to optimize the body for strenuous exercise.
5. Load the body with specific movements for that day’s training session.
6. You are warmed up! Now go have a million-dollar training experience!

Adding mobility into your warm-ups (not outdated stretching techniques) can be effective … but adding mobility training into other areas of your fitness business can dramatically change your experience! There is a lot that goes into crafting the perfect warm-up and mobility.

So if you’re ready to upgrade your warm-ups and workouts and help you move and feel your absolute best … give these steps a try.