Learn the Why's and How's to the importance of warming up pre-lifting and the importance of stretching post-lifting sessions...
"Considering a well-planned warm-up has the potential to not only prepare athletes physically and mentally but also possess the ability to reduce the likelihood of injury and improve performance, highlights its significant importance in athletic development." well designed warm-up should help an athlete with the following:
Most people view a warm-up as a way to bring their core temperature up and 'feel' loosen up to start an activity. Most of the time, this looks like a quick jog on the treadmill or some simple stretching (which is not best to do BEFORE a lifting session, more on that later). Although, it is a good start and is better than no warm-up at all.
But, a well designed warm-up should help an athlete with the following:
Mental readiness
Physical readiness
Injury prevention
Performance enhancement
Does your warm-up help you in these areas?
How can it be better?
If you A few aspects of a good warm-up include a variation of the RAMP protocol:
Raise,
Activate and
Mobilize,
Potentiate or Performance
Phase 1 – Raise The aim of the ‘raise’ section is too:
↑ Body temperature
↑ Heart rate
↑ Respiration rate
↑ Blood flow
↑ Joint viscosity
Phase 2 – Activate and Mobilize
The aim of this phase of the warm-up is two-fold:Activate key muscle groups Mobilize key joints and ranges of motion used in the sport or activity
Phase 3 – Potentiate or Performance (modified version)The aim of this phase is to ‘prime’ the athletes for their session or competition.
↑ Intensity to a comparable level the athletes’ are about to compete in.
↑ Improve subsequent performance utilizing the effects of post-activation potentiate.
At the end of the warm-up the athlete should feel prepared physically to take on the tasks at hand, whether it be a training program or competition.Each warm-up should be designed based on the individual needs and based on the movements required to preform in the sport or training session. The duration of the warm-up should be 10-30 minutes, but based on the time available to the athlete.
In recent years there has been a decline in preforming static stretching PRIOR to training or sport performance. Studies are showing that there is a decline in force production, power, speed, and endurance in strength during training or sport performance when static stretching is performed during or as a warm-up. This is why its important to do your stretching AFTER your training sessions. By doing it after, you will be able to perform better when you need to (during training, game day, etc.) which will allow for optimal increase in skill, power, and strength. You do want to stretch to maintain muscle flexibility and mobility, and decrease injury risks.
Dynamic stretching, which is outlined above in the RAMP protocol, has positive effects in training and sport performances. By performing a warm-up that allows similar movements that will be required to perform in training or sport performance the muscles are then activated in the full Range of Movement (ROM) with a stronger neuromuscular connection. Thus, making the dynamic stretching a superior warm-up protocol for most dynamic sports and training session.
We take designing your warm-up as seriously as we do your training program. We want you to get the most out of your training sessions, and that begins with your warm-up.
Reference: Science for Sport, Warm-ups by Owen Walker https://www.scienceforsport.com/warm-ups/#top #warmup #research #scienceforsport #sportstraining #fitness