Pre-workout warm-up for the gym and at home. Warm-up before training: an effective set of exercises

Everyone knows that warming up before strength training is a mandatory step, but few people fully perform it. You also need to warm up before training at home, which, especially, no one pays attention to. Now you will see for yourself how important it is to prepare the body for any training load and how to warm up correctly.

The importance of warming up before training

If you look at the warm-up process from different angles, you can identify several definitions of this concept:

1. This is mental preparation for training. After a warm-up, it really is easier to train.
2. This is warming up the muscles, optimizing the activity of the cardiovascular system and respiratory organs, improving blood circulation before exercise.
3. This is the training phase. Indeed, this is a preparatory stage in the training process.

Before training, warming up is a must.

From a calm state to an active state

At rest, the human body functions in energy saving mode: it consumes calories to a minimum, the heart beats at a frequency of 55–60 beats per minute, breathing is calm and even. This is especially true for sleep.

When we wake up, calorie expenditure increases. Try to wake up and suddenly jump up and run somewhere. It will be very difficult, because the body is still sleeping, and we forced it to work as usual during the day.

That's why we wake up slowly: some are lying in bed, some are drinking coffee, some are doing exercises (by the way, a very useful thing).

The fact is that blood pressure immediately after sleep is quite low - after all, the muscles did not tense all this time, the heart beat calmly and measuredly in the chest.

Please note that when we go out into the street, we do not immediately engage the last gear and speed at 10 km/h, and do not run to our destination. We start with a slow walk, gradually moving to a fast or even run. But all this is being done gradually. Even if you just walked for 10 seconds and then started to speed up, this is considered “not right away.”

At the level of innate reflexes, our body knows that it is impossible to start doing something right away. It is necessary to prepare the body for a new state. This is why warm-up exists, to prepare the body for hard physical work.

To do this you need:

1. Raise body temperature.
2. Speed ​​up the pulse, increase blood circulation.
3. Stretch the muscles, saturating them with nutrients and oxygen due to the blood flow, raising their temperature
4. Warm up the joints, stimulate their lubrication with synovial fluid.

This preparation of the body becomes especially important before hard work. Therefore, warming up before training is a mandatory step. Without it, it is difficult to force the muscles to work effectively, and it is very easy to get injured. Now you understand the importance of warming up before training.

What if you don't warm up?

“My friend never warms up and has never been injured.” This can be heard quite often. For example, a person starts training with a bench press. He takes an empty bar (weighing about 20 kg) and presses it for 20 repetitions, increasing the pace with each repetition. Then he weighs 90 kg, does 5-8 repetitions, then 100 and works with this weight.

This is a real example, the man never pulled anything, at the time of such training he was 34 years old. He trained in the same way at the age of 30.

It is impossible to say that he does not warm up at all. After all, there was an empty neck. For his body, apparently, such a warm-up is sufficient. But this is the wrong approach to training, because warming up is not only about working with empty weights.

There is a general cardio warm-up, for example, by running, then a warm-up of the whole body, and warming up each muscle and joint separately.

The body of the person indicated in the example has a good margin of safety. But, one day, such a scheme may fail, as a result of which he risks getting a cold tendon tear or other unpleasant injury.

What can happen if you start training without pre-warming up:

1. If you don't warm up before training, you can pull ligaments. This is the most common type of injury.
2. If you don't prepare your cardiovascular system, you may even faint. A sudden load on the body can cause your blood pressure to rise sharply.
3. A good warm-up prepares the joints for overload. If you work on a “cold” joint, there is a serious risk of damaging it. And the restoration of the joint is a very complex and lengthy process.

This is all very important for beginner athletes who have a long way to go to a perfect body.

So, how to warm up before fitness, how long does it last, what exercises should you do to warm up your muscles before training?

Proper three-step warm-up

How to do a warm-up, properly warm up your muscles and not get tired before the main workout begins? Let's take it in order.

Types of warm-ups

We can put it another way and replace “types” with stages. Because first, a general warm-up is done, and then, as the workout progresses, a warm-up is done for all muscle groups that will be loaded.

A general warm-up includes cardio and joint exercise. And warming up for specific muscle groups means working without weights or with light weights before specific exercises.

Let us now clarify how to warm up correctly and what set of exercises can be used for warming up.

Cardio - the first stage

A proper pre-workout warm-up begins with cardio.

You need to devote 5 to 20 minutes to running, an exercise bike, or an elliptical machine. You can combine exercise machines with other high-intensity cardio exercises.

• Fitness warm-up before weight training should be minimally energy-intensive. That is, the intense cardio part should be completed in 5–7 minutes.
• But if your goal is to lose weight, you need to run or jump longer - at least 20 minutes.

So, your pulse has risen, blood circulation has activated, the blood quickly carries oxygen and other necessary substances throughout the body.

Joints - second stage

Circular movements with different parts of the body help warm up your joints before training:

1. Gently rotate your head. First, make 10 circular movements clockwise, then the same number counterclockwise. With each movement, try to increase the diameter of the circle being described.
2. Pull your chin towards your chest, tilt your head as far as possible to the right and left. Repeat this movement several times.
3. Place your fingers on your shoulder joints and roll your shoulders. Do these rotational movements with your arms in both directions 10 times each. Circular movements are made simultaneously with both arms bent at the elbows.
4. Now you need to describe the circle several times with one and the other hand, turning your arm at the elbow.
5. Then we do the same, rotating the hands at the wrists. Clench and unclench your fingers several times.
6. Next, we make circular movements with the upper part of the body while standing on our feet.
7. We fix the body and make circular movements with our hips, placing our hands on the belt.
8. Now you can do it forward and backward 10 times or squat 10 times at a pace.
9. Raise your knee so that your thigh is parallel to the floor, and point your toes down. You need to draw a circle with your toe above the floor using movement in the knee joint.
10. Place your toe on the floor and make rotational movements with your ankle.

Thus, we worked through all the joints sequentially from top to bottom.

There are other exercises to warm up your joints before exercise. They are done in exactly the same way, but your task will be to draw the number 8 instead of a circle. This warm-up is used in various schools of hand-to-hand combat. The effectiveness of this warm-up scheme lies in the fact that such a trajectory of movement warms up the joint much better than just a circular one.

Indeed, if you analyze this diagram, then in one exercise you perform several simple movements at once. For example, when tracing the number 8 with your head, you move your head forward, backward, right, and left. There are also circular trajectories.

How to conduct such a warm-up is exactly the same as a regular circular one. This is a very interesting way to prepare the body for training.

Warm-up at home is carried out in the same two ways: in a circle and in the figure 8.

Warm-up before training can take place in the form of outdoor active games, if we are talking about a children's sports section.

In martial arts schools, they conduct a warm-up to strengthen the body's strength and coordination resources. Such preparation allows you to warm up your muscles before training and prepare your body for good coordination.

How to make training safe? Do a basic warm-up!

Targeted warm-up of specific muscle groups - third stage

Warming up before training in the gym involves a high-quality warm-up of exactly those muscle groups that you are going to work on.

At the beginning of each weight exercise, you need to do 1-3 warm-up approaches.

The first set is always done with light weights. For example, if you are going to do push-ups, you should first do 15-20 reps of a bench at a 45-60 degree angle, then work on the bars.

When bench pressing, first work with an empty bar, warming up the chest, shoulders and triceps. That is, an exercise to warm up muscles before training is, in fact, what you were going to do anyway, only with light weight.

If your working weights are large, you need to approach them in several stages. This requires the second and third warm-up approaches. For example, with a working weight in the bench press of 100 kg, after warming up with an empty bar, you need to do 55 kg for 8 reps, 80 for 5–6 reps, and only then hang 100 kg.

Remember that it is advisable to maintain increments of 20–30 kg for arms and 30–40 for legs and deadlifts.

The body needs to be gradually accustomed to working weight. Be sure to warm up your joints and muscles, otherwise there is a high risk of injury.

Warm-up exercises must be done before any physical training - with their help you warm up certain muscle groups and prepare the body for the upcoming load. There are special sets of preparatory exercises designed for different types of training. It is advisable to warm up in different ways in order to properly prepare the body for the activities that lie ahead.

What is a warm-up

Warm-up is a certain set of simple gymnastic exercises, during which you prepare your body, your entire body for the upcoming workout. We are talking not only about warming up the muscles, but also about a kind of adjustment of the physiological systems of the body - breathing, blood circulation, excretion. The nervous system also comes into the necessary excitement, attention is concentrated, and the musculoskeletal system is prepared - joints, ligaments, tendons.

The total time of preparatory warm-up exercises can be from 15 to 45 minutes, including preparatory and special parts. At the beginning, you speed up your metabolism, lightly tone your cardiovascular system, and improve your respiratory processes. In a special part, the muscles for which the main training is planned begin to be warmed up; the emphasis is on stretching and preparing the musculoskeletal systems. This should be done before all types of sports activities; it helps to carry them out with better results and reduces the risk of injury.

Warm-up for weight loss

Do you do special gymnastics, aerobics or fitness to lose weight? Be sure to set aside 10-15 minutes before class to warm up for weight loss. Its goal is to effectively warm up before training and increase the intensity of fat burning during the exercise itself. Perform rotations, flexion-extension of the main joints, starting from the top of the head, moving down the body, 10-15 repetitions in one direction (see photo below).

A warm-up routine for weight loss may look like this:

• Rotation of the neck, with increasing range of motion, tilting the neck left and right
• Rotate your shoulders, bend your elbows, place your hands on your shoulders, back and forth.
• Bend and rotate the arms at the elbows and hands, extending the arms parallel to the floor.
• Turns and bends the body at the waist, movements back and forth, left and right.
• Rotation of the pelvis in both directions.
• Swing your legs by pulling your knees towards your stomach.
• Squats.

Perform exercises to stretch your neck, back and spinal muscles, leg muscles, arms, abs, and gluteal muscles. Finish the session with cardio exercise - jumping or running in place, lasting five to seven minutes. This time is enough to accelerate your pulse to the fat burning zone – 110-130 beats/min. This will increase the effectiveness of the main training exercises.

A set of exercises for warming up

Whether you visit the gym or work out at home on sports equipment, the warm-up exercises in both cases will be approximately the same. Fitness warm-up must include the following elements:

• Rotation of all major groups of joints. Start rotating your neck, gradually move lower down your body - shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, ankle.
• Swing your arms and legs - from a half-squat position, to the sides and up and down.
• Squats.
• Tilts and rotation of the body.

Dynamic warm-up will be no less effective:

• Jump alternately on the right and left leg.
• Jumping in place with knees tucked to chest.
• With straight legs.
• Jumping rope.
• Jumping over a bench.
• Jumping from a half squat or full squat.

For the dynamic part, use fast running in place. Remember, warm-up exercises are a preparatory part of the workout. Avoid overexertion, monitor the frequency of inhalation and exhalation, warm up the muscles smoothly, gradually. If some movements are difficult for you to perform, replace them with easier ones that are suitable for your initial level of training.

Warm up before strength training

Strength training is a very serious load on the body, working to the maximum of its capabilities. Warming up before training with weights must necessarily contain exercises with weights weighing up to five kilograms for girls, up to eight for men. Particular attention is paid to how to warm up the muscles that will bear the main load, warming up the lumbar and deep spinal muscles, since when working with weights the main threat of injury is in the back.

Joint warm-up before training

Joint warm-up is important for gymnasts, athletes, and athletes involved in heavy loads. Correctly preparing joints for exercise means ensuring its safety from the point of view of possible injuries, and conducting basic training with effective results. It is perfect for anyone who goes to the gym or does aerobics or fitness. Be sure to include in her program:

• Lateral tilts of the body, exhale when bending, inhale when coming out of the bend.
• Rotations of the shoulder joints with extended and bent arms.
• Rotation of the elbow and wrist joints.
• Rotation of the ankle, knee, hip joints (in a lying position), joints of the toes and hands.
• Deflections and tilts of the spine from a standing position on all fours.
• Twisting the spine from a lying position, then standing.

Leg warm-up

Exercises to warm up the muscles before training with an emphasis on the leg muscles should be performed before running training and for those involved in active sports. Leg warm-up includes the following effective set of exercises:

• Warm up the muscles of the thighs.
• Exercises for the hip joints.
• Exercises to warm up the ankle joints.
• Warm up the calf muscles.

Leg exercises begin from a standing position, with half squats and squats, in several approaches, with increasing number of repetitions. Then the ankles are warmed up by rotating the feet and pumping - moving the body from toe to heel and back. Then proceed to walking in place, pulling your knees towards your body, then to raising your toes - the calf muscles will work.

Warm-up for arms

Warming up your arms is especially important for athletes involved in strength training. Include the following exercise elements in your sports complex of exercises:

• Rotations.
• Mahi.
• Jerks in front of the chest - sharp abductions of the shoulder joints with arms spread to the sides.
• Jerks up and down.
• Triceps stretch.
• Warm up the hands and fingers – bends, rotations.

Warm-up for the back

Women who lift heavy weights know that warming up their back before training will help the body cope with high loads without injury or overexertion. The following groups of exercises are included without fail:

• Bend forward, the depth of the bend increases as your physical fitness improves.
• Tilts left and right, with the opposite side of the tilt extended with the arm extended
• Twisting the body at the waist with the lower body motionless
• Circular movements of the shoulders and hips.

How to Warm Up Before Stretching

Warming up and stretching before exercise is important because it helps protect yourself from injury. How to warm up your muscles before stretching? Use two types of folds for this - with legs extended forward, with legs spread to the side; exercises such as butterfly, pistol (sitting on the floor). Do swings with straight legs and half-lunges forward, lowering your back leg to your knee. These exercises will prepare your muscles for further stretching.

How to warm up before working out at the gym

Warm-up in the gym should be aimed at those muscle groups that you plan to pump up during the main workout. Dynamic load, stretching exercises, joint exercises, exercises for the lower back and arms are desirable. Do not spare 15-20 minutes before exercising on exercise machines to significantly increase the intensity of the main load.

Warm up before running

Warm-up before running includes a sports set of stretching exercises, warming up the muscles of the back, arms, legs, and rotating the joints. Pay special attention to the ankle. If you run on a treadmill, don’t forget to do breathing exercises before starting the session. Proper breathing when running is the key to a workout that is safe for the cardiovascular system and beneficial for the whole body.

Video: Full body warm-up before any workout

A vigorous warm-up before training will fully prepare your body for the load. Warm-up exercises are designed to increase your heart rate, increase blood circulation in your muscles, and promote lubrication in your joints. This will allow you to protect yourself from injury and achieve maximum results.

Dynamics instead of statics

Starting position: Stand straight with your feet wider than shoulder width and extend your arms toward the ceiling. The neck should be relaxed, keep your head straight, look straight ahead.

Execution: lean down, lowering your arms and body in an arc. with your hands between your legs as far as you can. Do not lift your heels off the floor. Straighten up and return to standing position.

Tempo: low.

Back lunges and upward stretches

Warm up: shoulders, buttocks, quadriceps, back of the thighs.

Starting position: Stand straight, hands on hips, feet together.

Execution: Take a long step back with one leg and place your toes on the floor. Lower yourself down by bending both legs and extending your arms up toward the ceiling. The angle at the knee joints should be 90 degrees. The back knee of the leg does not touch the floor or, in extreme cases, falls on it very gently. The weight should be on the front leg. Return to i. n. in one movement.

Tempo: low.

Warm up: rectus and oblique abdominal muscles, back muscles.

Starting position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms out to the sides at shoulder level parallel to the floor, palms up. Look straight ahead. Tighten up.

Execution: Having fixed your head, hips and legs, turn your shoulders to the side so that one hand is in front and the other behind. Take a short break and return to IP. Repeat on the other side.

Tempo: low.

Warms up: abdominals.

Starting position: lie on your back, stretch your arms above your head, straight legs together. Raise your head a few centimeters from the floor.

Execution: Using the force of your abdominal muscles, lift yourself into a sitting position, simultaneously bending your legs, and place your feet on the floor. In the top position, your arms should be extended in front of you. Unbend and carefully return to the floor. Don't hit your head on the floor.

Bend while lying on stomach

Warm up: back muscles,...

Starting position: lie on the floor on your stomach, keep your arms and head a few centimeters from the floor. Keep your head straight, your gaze directed downwards, your abdominal muscles tense.

Execution: Lift your chest off the floor as high as you can and spread your arms out to the sides as if you were flying. Return to i.p.

Tempo: low to moderate.

Warm up: legs, buttocks, shoulders.

Starting position: place your feet slightly wider than your pelvis, lower your arms down to your sides.

Execution: squat until a right angle is formed in the knee joints (hips are parallel to the floor). At the lowest point, bend your elbows and bring them forward. Jump up from this position, stretch your arms towards the ceiling. Land softly with your legs not slightly bent and move into the next squat.

Pace: moderate.

Starting position: take a lying position, place your arms wide and turn your elbows to the sides, feet together. The head is in line with the spine, the gaze is directed downward.

Execution: bend your elbows to a right angle, making sure that there is no arch in your lower back. Return to i.p. straightening your arms.

Windmill

Warm up: abdominals, back.

Starting position: stand with your legs wide, spread your arms parallel to the floor, keep your head straight, tighten your abdominal muscles.

Execution: lean forward with a straight back and reach your left leg with your right hand. Return to the starting position, then repeat the movement in the other direction.

Pace: moderate to fast.

Warm up: muscles that adduct and abduct the hips, quadriceps, back of the thighs, buttocks, calves.

Starting position: place your feet narrower than your shoulders, slightly bend your knees and tilt your body forward, keep your head straight. Bend your arms at the elbows and fix them, tighten your abs.

Execution: With a springy movement, straighten your knees and move one leg to the side. It should be an easy jump. At the top point, bring your arms forward. Land with your legs slightly bent. Jump from side to side repeating the movement.

Pace: moderate.

Warms up: the whole body.

Starting position: stand straight, bend your elbows.

Execution: Run in place, raising your knees high for 10 steps. Help yourself with your hands by moving them back and forth.

Pace: moderate to fast.

Jumps

Warms up: the whole body.

Starting position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Tighten your abs.

Execution: Jump for each step, landing on the same foot you used to push off the floor. Next step and jump onto the other foot. Help yourself with your hands, moving your elbows in the opposite direction to your legs.

Pace: moderate to fast.

Number of repetitions

Of course, you will wonder how many repetitions to do for each exercise. For convenience, here is the following table:

So, you have a ready-made program for dynamic warm-up. Use it, put it into practice. We will be glad if you write to us about your impressions in the comments to this article. Good luck!

Never, under any circumstances, should you put sudden stress on your muscles. This is especially true for training. To prepare your body for physical activity, you need to warm it up with a warm-up. For such purposes, there is one that will force every muscle to “turn on.”

Why do you need a warm-up?

Warm-up – the beginning of the workout. But many, especially beginners, underestimate the importance of this stage. Some people think it's a waste of time because it doesn't help you lose weight or build muscle. And this is fundamentally wrong.

Warming up before training includes a number of exercises that are aimed at increasing the effectiveness of sports. How? And here's the thing:

• warm-up activities allow you to “accelerate” muscle tissue to working condition, due to which the whole body comes into tone;
• light exercises lead to blood supply to the muscles, which increases cardiovascular activity;
• in 10 minutes of warm-up, the heart speeds up its rhythm to 100-120 beats per minute.

And to prevent the muscles from being acidified by lactic acid during the warm-up process, it is necessary to perform sets before and after each exercise. Perform 7-10 repetitions. These are stretching exercises that “calm” the muscles.

If you plan to train in the gym with heavy equipment, then the warm-up complex will help in the following areas:

• relaxes muscle tissue, which significantly reduces the risk of fiber rupture;
• will provoke the production of adrenaline, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the training itself;
• tones the nervous system;
• accelerates metabolic processes in the body;
• increases the speed of nerve impulses, which leads to an increase in the neurosympathetic response in the brain.

Warming up before training helps not only to warm up the body, but also sets the right mood for exercise.

Types of warm-ups

The main thing you need to understand is that there is no exact warm-up complex. In each individual case, the program can be selected separately. For example, before running, an incline is done to warm up the legs, while when working with, the whole body should be prepared.

Warm-up can be of several types:

1. General. This category of exercises is designed for functional training of the whole body. Due to this complex, there is a gradual increase in temperature, metabolism is activated, due to which more oxygen enters the muscles. The general warm-up includes a complex for the upper and lower extremities, light running in place, jumping and rotational exercises to develop joints. Time: 10-15 minutes.
2. Special. Here, muscle warming is aimed at 10-20% load on the body specifically for a specific type of training. For example, if this is an exercise with dumbbells, then do 10-12 repetitions on your hands. Its main goal is to “remember” the body how to perform the exercises correctly.
3. Hitch. At this stage, the main task is to help the muscles relax so that they move away from the excited state. Typically, a cool-down includes slow running, with a gradual transition to walking, and smooth stretching of the body in different directions. Such exercises allow you to remove lactic acid, reduce your pulse and temperature, which normalizes blood flow in the body. Time: 5-10 minutes.
4. . There are 3 types of it:
   • statistical– exercises are designed to fix the limbs in a certain position;
   • dynamic– exercises allow you to control the course of muscle action;
   • ballistic– movements are fast, motor, chaotic.

Dynamic stretching gives the most maximum effect, as it gradually warms up the muscles, which means the risk of injury to the fibers is minimal.

All four stages of stretching should be performed sequentially, without skipping any. The fact is that at each stage the muscles are not just prepared - they are first warmed up (in the literal sense of the word), and then gradually stretched and brought into a “working” state. A “cold” body is easy to injure.

What kind of warm-up do you need?

A set of warm-up exercises is selected not only for the type of training. Here it is also worth taking into account the individual characteristics of a person - his body type, joint mobility, general well-being, the presence of certain diseases, etc. You also need to determine for yourself whether a warm-up is needed to warm up the muscles or to fill a specific muscle group with blood.

For beginners, the trainer can select a set of general exercises, which the person will then begin to sort on their own. But without fail, the warm-up should include:

• exercises from the general category to warm up and prepare the body for future stress;
• exercises from a special category, depending on the type of training that will follow;
• stretching complex to prepare not only the muscles, but also the joints.

For beginners, it is better to use a general warm-up, which has a general complex. In the future, as the sport develops, it will be possible to independently adjust such a program.

Warm-up exercises

There is a standard set of exercises that can be used not only by beginners, but also by “professionals”. This is a combination of aerobic and stretching exercises that will take 15-20 minutes.

To prepare the body before training, perform the following exercises:

These 8 exercises will help to maximally prepare muscle tissue for the upcoming load. This complex is considered universal, so it can be used before any type of training by both men and women.

Stretching warm-up

There is also a complex for stretching muscle tissue. But trainers recommend starting it not before training, but after it. This will allow you to consolidate the result. This is especially true for intense exercise, as it leads to tightening of muscle fibers.

Stretching allows you to normalize not only heart function and blood circulation, but also relieves muscle spasms. To achieve this effect, you must remember the following recommendations:

• before a stretching warm-up, it is useful to jog or ride an exercise bike (at an easy pace) to raise the temperature in the muscles;
• It is necessary to spend 2-3 seconds to take each position, and linger for 10 seconds in the final position;
• stretching exercises are performed slowly;
• the final position is taken until the person feels slight pain.

A stretching warm-up includes several basic exercises:

1. You need to stand in a doorway or between two supports on which you place your hands. Next, the body slowly lowers down without moving the arms. Fixation for 10 seconds, then return to the starting position. Perform 3 times at a slow pace.
2. Take a supine position on a hard surface. The legs are brought together and gradually rise up and behind the head, while the arms are pressed tightly against the horizontal surface. Socks should touch the floor. Fixation for 10 seconds and return to the starting position. Execution – 3 times.
3. A vertical position is assumed so that the heels are together and the toes are apart. With your back straight, lower your body until your fingers reach your toes. Perform 3 approaches with fixation for 10 seconds.
4. Feet are placed shoulder width apart. The body bends forward and grabs the opposite leg with your hand, slowly twisting. Fixation at the end point is 10 seconds, after which twisting is carried out on the other side. 3 approaches.
5. Feet are placed shoulder-width apart and slow bends to the sides, forward, and backward are performed. Fixation is carried out at each point, and it is worth using your hands.
6. Lunges are performed on one or the other leg. In this case, your hands should be fixed on your belt. 8-10 approaches for each leg.

Everyone is familiar with such exercises from school. It is worth “stretching” the body not only before training, but also after it.

Duration

It was already noted above that the duration of each warm-up and the set of exercises used directly depend on the nature of the training. In addition, the physiological characteristics of the human constitution are also taken into account. On average, warming up can take from 15 to 30 minutes. It's all about how a person performs the approaches - at what pace.

• jogging (outdoors or on a treadmill) – 5 minutes;
• squats – 15 times, 2 sets at 2-minute intervals;
• jumping with clapping – 15-20 times;
• bending the body with hands reaching the tips of the toes – 15-20 times;
• exercise “mill” – 15 times on each side;
• push-ups – 10-15 times;
• body bends – 20 times.

The warm-up complex can expand or contract, and accordingly, the duration of the warm-up can vary up or down.

As a result, it is worth saying that warming up is an extremely important stage of training. It is thanks to it that the muscle tissue is warmed up for the subsequent load, which means the risk of injury is reduced. Therefore, warm-up should be done not only by beginners, but also by experienced athletes.

One of the most important components of training is pre-warm-up. Often, warming up before training in the gym is not given due importance and they immediately begin the main exercises.

This is the wrong approach, because the effectiveness and positive results of training depend on the preparation of the body.

Why do you need to warm up? Positive effects of warming up

What is a warm-up? This is a system of exercises that help bring the body into a more active state, warm up the muscles, ligaments, and improve the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.

Warming up before training in the gym is mandatory to prepare the body for subsequent loads.

Benefits of warming up:

• stretching;
• warming up all muscles;
• improving the functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
• improved blood flow (primarily in muscles);
• the effect of “aerobic” load on the body;
• increased heart rate;
• more active saturation of blood vessels with oxygen;
• improving the functioning of the nervous system;
• protection against possible injuries (during active physical activity).

Usually in the gym, warm-up is carried out before training, although in some programs it is possible after - as a final stage.

In addition, pre-workout exercises are a way to create a kind of readiness, setting the mood for the main workout.

Where to start when coming to the gym

There is no ideal, universal warm-up before a workout in the gym.

You need to select a set of exercises individually: taking into account physiology (physique features, musculoskeletal system), age characteristics.

Varieties of pre-warm-up

Important to remember! Before an active training process, it is better to perform a dynamic type of stretching - you do not need to stay in one position for a long time.

Warm-up and stretching are often perceived as synonymous concepts. This is mistake.

Warming up before training in the gym is a system of exercises that improve body tone., and stretching is directly related to muscle work. Therefore, when warming up, be sure to adhere to a clear sequence of exercises: first, general ones, and then start stretching.

Exercises to warm up all parts of the body. Stretching procedure

Stretching the neck muscles

The whole complex of classes begins with the work of the muscles in the cervical spine.

The following exercises are used:

1. Basic position– stand with your back straight, head down and chin pressed to your chest. Hold this position for a few seconds, then relax your muscles. You will feel your neck tense.
2. Starting position- as in the previous exercise, the back is straight, the face is straight. Slowly you need to turn your neck alternately left and right (as long as possible). For one approach, it is enough to make 10 turns in each direction.

Shoulders, elbows and wrists

To stretch the shoulder muscles, use the following exercise: position – stand straight. Hands raised at shoulder level.

Slowly make rotational movements with your torso (arms, shoulders, torso) until it stops. 10 times in turn - first on one side, then on the other.

The following activities are useful for your elbows:

1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Hands raised at shoulder level. Keeping your shoulders motionless, rotate your elbows.
2. Elbows spread to the sides. Hands - at chest level. You need to make sudden movements with your hands back. In this case, the elbows do not extend, and the shoulder blades are brought together. After making two jerks, fully extend your arms.

Hand exercises include:

1. Rotation - hands are clenched into a fist, rotational movements are made in different directions.
2. Unclench your fists, straighten and tense your fingers as much as possible (so that you feel the tension).
3. Place your palms at chest level and squeeze them with tension. Elbows are at shoulder level.

General warm-up for the core

For the core, you can use a set of simple exercises. Its average duration is 15 minutes.

It may consist of:

Note! For untrained people or over 50 years of age in the gym, it is better to limit yourself to just a warm-up, without including it as a “warm-up” before the main workout.

Pectoral muscles

To “develop” and “warm up” the muscles of the thoracic spine, the following exercises will be effective:

1. Place your hand on any vertical support (stable) so that you get a right angle. Then lean forward and slightly to the side - you should feel the muscles and ligaments tense. Repeat the same, changing hands.
2. Hands “locked” (behind). Next, raise your arms up (as long as possible). When you feel muscle tension, hold for a few seconds and relax.

Back, lower back

The following exercise is used: you need to grab a pole or pipe with your hand and lean back. The legs are straight. Hold this for 5 seconds. Repeat the same, only using the other hand.

Warm-up for the lower back before the main workout in the gym includes the following exercises:

Obliques

A simple but effective exercise will help you “warm up” your oblique abdominal muscles. Place your left hand on your belt and slowly bend a few times in that same direction. Then change hands.

Back of the legs

The back of the legs includes exercises for the buttocks and thighs (biceps):

To stretch the hamstrings:

1. To do this exercise, you should stand near a raised platform, throw your straight leg on it and stretch your whole body towards it. Stay in this position for 10 seconds. Lower your leg. Do the same approach with the other leg.
2. Stand in front of a chair. Place your foot on it, clasp your hands behind your back, and stretch your upper body towards the chair, while your shoulder blades should be squeezed together.
3. Lunge to the side - with a straight back, legs apart, hands on hips. One leg bends at the knee and the weight is transferred to the same side.

Knees

Before training in the gym, a mandatory part of the warm-up are exercises for stretching the knee muscles:

1. You need to stand up and grab your knees with your hands. Then make several circular movements with your knees outward and inward.
2. Stand straight, legs (straight) in this case you need to cross it so that the right one is in front of the left one. The right side of the body slowly leans to the left. At the same time, your hands are up. Hold the position for a few seconds. Swap your legs.
3. The exercise will be effective in which you need to stand at a distance of 20 cm from the wall, place your feet shoulder-width apart, and point your toes slightly outward. Then slowly do squats until your knees are level with your toes. Hold for 10 seconds and rise. Number of approaches – 2-3 of 10 squats.
4. Squats will also be effective with emphasis on one leg. To do this, first place your feet shoulder-width apart. Then one leg rises and bends at the knee. Do squats - when the knee of the supporting leg is level with the toes, begin to carefully stand up. 2-3 approaches will be enough - 5 squats per leg.

Quadriceps femoris (quadriceps)

The following exercise will be effective for stretching the thigh muscle (quadriceps): you need to stand on one leg and grab your other leg by the ankle with your hand. Fix in this position for 15 seconds. Switching legs, repeat the stretch.

5-7 approaches will be enough.

Shin

To stretch the muscles and ligaments of the lower leg, the following task options are used:

Stretching the legs and perineum

For the muscles in the pelvis and perineum, it is useful to do the following exercises:

1. The main position is a straight stance, feet shoulder width apart. Arms extended forward and straight. Do not bend your knees. To stretch, bend to the right, left and in the middle, trying to touch the floor with your hands (15 - 20 times in total).
2. The position is the same, toes turned outward. Squat (5 times). The deeper the squats, the greater the load on the pelvic floor muscles. The back is straight.

Interesting fact! Stretching should be done equally on both sides of the body.

How long should you warm up?

The duration of the warm-up before training in the gym depends on physical endurance, indoor and outdoor temperature, and clothing.

A general warm-up (to tone up muscles and ligaments) lasts on average 10 minutes.

Special (resembles the main exercises of the training complex and is carried out before the exercise) - the same as the general one. Stretching as the final stage – up to 10 minutes.

Warm-up is an important element of a quality training process.

Those who skip it and begin the main training cycle are at much greater risk of serious injury. Warm-up consists of exercises for muscle groups throughout the body and is divided into three types: general, special, stretching.

The type of warm-up is selected based on the nature of the workout and physical fitness. Warm-up and stretching are different elements, so you must adhere to the correct sequence of exercises and their duration.

Useful videos on how to warm up correctly

Useful video about warming up before training in the gym:

How to properly warm up in the gym: