Basic warm-up exercises. Warm up muscles before training at home

Good warm up is an integral part of the training program. It is necessary for any sports activities, and performing strength exercises in the hall or at home is no exception. Beginners often avoid it, but those who practice seriously never skip the warm-up.

What is a warm-up

Warm-up is a set of light exercises that is performed before the main workout. This may include:

a few minutes on the cardio machine;
joint gymnastics;
dynamic muscle stretching.

Ideally, a warm-up before a serious strength workout should last between 5 and 15 minutes and include all three of these components. You can also do it before light workout stretching muscles while performing joint gymnastics. In this case, a separate set of static and dynamic stretching exercises is done only after training.

In addition, before performing each exercise, it is necessary to do warm-up approaches with light weights.

Why do you need a warm-up?

Warm-up has a complex effect on the body:

increases joint mobility, elasticity of ligaments and muscles;
improves blood supply to muscles by accelerating the pulse and dilating capillaries;
activates the nervous system, increases the speed of impulse transmission along nerve fibers;
causes the release of adrenaline;
accelerates metabolism.

Warm-up warms up the body, its muscles, joints and ligaments. It increases the effectiveness of training and reduces the likelihood of injury. A good warm-up prepares the body for work, but does not take much energy - after all, the energy will be needed to perform the main exercises.

Warm-up exercises

For cardio warm-up, you can choose any exercise machine - treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical, stepper, rowing machine and so on. You need to spend a few minutes on it until sweat comes out.

Then you can move on to a complex of joint gymnastics combined with light muscle stretching. All exercises are performed in a standing position.

Neck

To warm up your neck, you should tilt your head. You shouldn't turn your head. The point of warming up the neck is to stretch and warm up the muscles, so you need to bend to the sides and back and forth. However, you should not lower it too low. On the contrary, you need to stretch your neck upward, stretching the muscles. neck workout - .

Hands

Arm rotations

In the wrists.

Stretch your arms forward, rotate your hands towards yourself, then away from you. In this case, it is necessary to stretch the biceps, triceps and forearm.

In the elbow joints.

Extend your arms forward, bending your elbows. Rotate your arms at the elbows towards you, then away from you.

In the shoulders.

Extend your arms along your body. Rotate your shoulders first forward, then back, while stretching your shoulders, chest and shoulder blades. With your elbows bent, you are less likely to knock something over when warming up before training at home.

Frame

Rotation of the body at the waist

Place your hands on your sides. Rotate your body at the waist in one direction, then in the other. In this case, it is necessary to lift the chest and back up, feeling the stretch in the stomach, sides and back. To stretch and warm up the lower back muscles as much as possible, you should bend over with your legs spread wider than your shoulders.

Legs

Warm up your hips.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Then raise right leg so that the thigh is parallel to the floor, and rotate it in hip joint one way, then the other. At the same time, you should feel a stretch in the thigh. During the exercise, you can hold onto any stable object with your hand so as not to lose your balance. Then the same should be repeated for the left leg.

Knee joints.

Sit down slightly, keep your knees together, put your hands on your knee joints. Rotate your knees in one direction, then in the opposite direction.

Ankles and calves.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your right leg and rotate your ankle to one side, then to the other. Repeat the same with your left foot. During the exercise, you should feel a stretch in the hips and legs.

The specific number of spins is selected individually. Each joint, neck and lower back must be kneaded until a feeling of warmth appears in them.

Warm-up approaches

When working out in the gym, before performing each exercise, you need to do so-called warm-up approaches. They are performed with a weight of 50% of the working weight or less. You need to spend 30–40 seconds on a warm-up set, and you can do from 7 to 15 repetitions.

An athlete with a maximum bench press weight of 110 kg will always start the exercise with an empty 20 kg bar.

Warm-up at home

Warm-up is also necessary when practicing at home. The joint gymnastics complex described above is suitable for this. If you don’t have a cardio machine, you can warm up with special aerobic exercises.

Jumping up from a full squat position: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on the back of your head. On the count of one, sit down smoothly. On the count of two, jump up, returning to initial position.
Lying jumping ups: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. On the count of one, sit down with your palms on the floor in front of you. On the count of two, jump to a lying position; on the count of three, return your legs to your hands. Return to the starting position and begin the next cycle. This is a burpee exercise used in CrossFit.
Explosive push-ups: Take a prone position. On the count of one, bend your elbows, as with regular push-ups. On the count of two, throw your body up, sharply straightening your arms and lifting them off the floor. On the count of three, take your starting position.

Running in place or jumping rope are also good options for cardio warm-up.

A healthy lifestyle is very useful for absolutely all people, as it allows you not only to look good, but also to feel great. Therefore, everyone should think about spending some part of their time on workouts that will strengthen your muscles, get rid of excess fat, and improve the functioning of your heart and other organs. However, most people make excuses for themselves. They are not for the reason that going to the gym is expensive, inconvenient, long, and so on. Everyone returns late from work and wants nothing more than to relax. But this is the wrong way, and find time for a little workout It's always possible. And it’s not at all necessary to sign up for a gym, because you can train at home. Only here you need to be extremely careful, since you will not have a trainer who will show and explain everything to you, and many people can get injured after the first lesson. The main reason is the lack of warm-up. But warming up is the most important part of the workout; it tones your muscles, warms up and stretches them, and allows the heart to adapt to increased loads. Overall, this is an incredibly useful thing. And in this article you will learn what a standard warm-up should look like before training at home.

Forward bends

The house should consist of a set various exercises, each of which needs to be completed for a short period of time. For example, it is recommended to start by stabbing forward from a standing position. You need to bend down at regular intervals and touch the floor between your feet, shoulder-width apart. It is recommended to do this exercise for about thirty seconds, after which you can immediately move on to the next one. As you understand, warming up before training at home does not imply long intervals between exercises, since each of them is done very quickly.

Knee Raise

The next thirty seconds of your warm-up before working out at home should include raising your knees from the same standing position. Only this time your feet should not be shoulder-width apart, but together - this way you can achieve good and calm balance while standing on one leg. So, start by raising one leg up, bending it at the knee, while clasping the knee with both hands and pressing it towards you. Initially, you may feel discomfort, which will pass almost immediately. This means that your muscles were not ready for serious exercise, but warming them up will prepare them for it. Switch legs and repeat this procedure several times. Warming up before training at home for girls may end with this. Guys can try to complicate the task for themselves by using weights.

Side bends

Warming up before a workout at home for men may differ from that suggested for women, because often people of different genders work on different muscle groups and also need different loads on these same muscles in order to warm them up. But the exercises in general will be the same for them, it’s just that men, where possible, can complicate the process for themselves, and where this cannot be done, use additional accessories, such as weights or dumbbells.

But it’s time to return directly to the content of the warm-up itself. Next exercise It will take you the same thirty seconds, and here you need to bend to the side without lifting your feet from the floor. This will allow you to warm up your oblique muscles. You can complicate the exercise as follows: when bending to the side, raise the opposite arm above your head, while doing not one, but two springy bends before returning to the starting position. This is how you should warm up before training at home. Photos of various sports professionals can help you understand what you should strive for and exactly how to perform the exercises.

Circular movements with hands

What else does a warm-up before training at home consist of? The beginning of the warm-up has already been completed, but there are still plenty of exercises ahead that will help you warm up your muscles before training. Now it’s the turn of the shoulders, which can also be affected huge pressure. To stretch them, you need to do circular rotations hands both forward and backward. You can do this one at a time, or make it more difficult by rotating with both hands at the same time. This exercise should not cause you any particular difficulties, but then you will be grateful to him when, after heavy loads on your shoulders, they will hurt much less. Warming up before training at home for girls can also include this exercise, since even first-graders are offered to do it in physical education lessons.

Body lifts

Warming up before training at home for beginners should definitely include an exercise that will warm up the abdominal muscles, since this is a very important muscle group. They are involved in almost all the exercises of the workout itself, so the abs need to be strengthened first. This exercise should be performed for a longer period of time - about two minutes. You need to lie on the floor, stretch your legs, then lift your body and look at the toes of your feet. This will have a slight impact on the abdominal muscles. If you do not feel any effect on your abdominal muscles, you can gradually increase the angle of the body. It all depends on your individual characteristics. You can even raise your body to a ninety-degree angle, and then reach your toes with your fingers if you feel that you are capable of this.

Raising the body and head

The exercise will be similar to the previous one, only this time you need to lie on your stomach and simultaneously lift your head and shoulders and one of your legs. It is recommended to perform this exercise less than the previous one. Perfect timing will be about sixty seconds. If you think that one leg will not be enough, you can lift both at the same time and hold them in the air for as long as possible. Then you can start to spread your arms out to the sides or even put them behind your head, but just don't overdo it. Remember that it is not the training itself, and your task is not to develop muscles, but only to warm them up.

Leg lift

The next exercise also needs to be performed for a minute and also from a lying position. Only this time you will need to lie on your side, placing one hand under your head to keep it suspended. The essence of the exercise is that you lift one leg up, hold it in the air and lower it back. Do this for thirty seconds, then roll over to the other side, take a similar position and lift the other leg.

Push ups

Another exercise that will help you properly warm up and warm up the muscles of your body is push-ups. But you should again remind yourself that for now you are not doing full-fledged exercises, but only warming up. So limit yourself to one minute, take your time and don't overdo it. Take a position that is most comfortable for you and do push-ups at a free pace. This exercise works several muscle groups at once, some of which you have already warmed up before, so there is no danger that you will put too much stress on them.

Completing the workout - cardio load

The last and final stage of the workout will be slightly different from the previous ones. All of the previous exercises were designed to warm up your muscles, stretch them properly, and then you can strain them without the threat of damage, stretching, or tearing. But that's not all the warm-up is for. As mentioned earlier, during heavy exercise, not only your muscles are subjected to serious stress, but also your heart (which is also a muscle). But you won’t be able to stretch it using standard methods, so you will have to resort to a special workout, preceded by a cardio prefix. The idea is to increase the workload on your heart a little so that it is ready for the strenuous exercise you are about to do. Cardio warm-up is quite simple: you need to alternate between jumping and jumping for about three minutes. This combination will give you the desired result, and during training you will no longer experience heart problems, shortness of breath, pain in the chest, side, and so on.

Correct warm-up before training prepares the body, making exercises more effective. Many beginners neglect developing muscles and joints because they consider it a waste of time. As a result, they get injured and stop playing sports. But if you warm up the body well, blood circulation will increase and heartbeat, and the tendons and ligaments will be prepared for strength and cardio.

The benefits of warming up before training are enormous. You not only reduce the risk of sprains and injuries, but also increase your strength capabilities, reduce the load on cardiovascular system, increase endurance, improve coordination and attention. Even light warm-up exercises provoke the release of adrenaline into the blood, which makes it easier to cope with a workout of any complexity. In addition, you will speed up metabolic processes. Let's find out why many people skip their warm-up and what the consequences may be. How to warm up correctly to increase the effectiveness of your workout? And why does warm-up benefit the body and the body as a whole? Following the recommendations experienced trainers, You'll get maximum result from physical activity in a short period of time. Take care of your health!

As practice shows, 95% of people who go to the gym forget to warm up before training or simply don’t want to. What for? After all, it doesn’t help you lose weight or gain weight. muscle mass, which means there is no need to waste time on it.

In fact, warming up has many benefits:

increases strength capabilities;
optimizes the activity of the cardiovascular system;
saturates muscles with nutrients and oxygen;
promotes the production of hormones that are responsible for energy production;
improves attention and coordination;
accelerates metabolic processes.

As we see, warming up brings to the human body a lot of benefits. So be sure to include it in your workout. What are the dangers of not warming up? Most often, a sprain occurs, due to which you have to interrupt the complex of activities. But besides this, it is possible to get a joint injury, after which it is necessary long recovery and even treatment. Strong effects on the heart can cause dizziness, pressure surges and even fainting.

Interesting! Before training, you need to warm up for 7 to 10 minutes. During this short period you will warm up your body and prepare for an intense workout.

Don't confuse warm-up and post-workout stretching. Gymnastics are no less important, but are performed much more slowly in order to lower the heart rate and restore breathing. In turn, the warm-up should be fast and dynamic to warm up the body efficiently.

Types of warm-ups

To choose the best exercises for warming up for beginner women, consider all the possible types and determine which ones are right for you.

A general warm-up includes several types of manipulations that promote consistent warming up of the neck muscles, shoulder girdle, chest, lower back and hips. Its duration is no more than 15 minutes. The complex includes exercises for the hands, knees and ankle joints, aerobics (jumping, running in place).
A special warm-up is used when engaging in strength sports, for example, bodybuilding. With the help of a set of exercises, you will force the muscles being loaded to work harder. Approaches should be no more than 10 times, and the weight should not be more than 20% of the usual.
Stretching smoothly warms up the muscles through static, ballistic and dynamic loads.
A cool down completes the complex. training exercises. Muscle relaxation occurs gradually, promoting the removal of lactic acid. Respiratory and heart rate are restored.

Warm-up at home and in the gym are no different exercises. In any case, you need to thoroughly work out your muscles and joints so that they are ready for heavy physical impact. Therefore, even in the fitness center, do not rush to use the exercise machine right away, but prepare properly for the workout.

Important! The atmosphere in the room is of no small importance during training. Be sure to ventilate the room so that there is fresh air in it, then every cell of your body will be saturated with oxygen and you will avoid dizziness.

Please note that low-intensity stretching only relaxes the body. To shake it before training, you need to make sudden movements. Set clear goals for yourself. If you want to lose weight, do exercises to gluteal muscles, abs, legs, arms, neck, back and spine. This will increase your heart rate to the required level: 110 – 130 beats per minute.

Muscle stretching

Warming up your muscles before exercise by stretching is quite simple. It perfectly prepares the body for stress. Statistical exercises involve fixing the limbs in a certain position for some time. Dynamic exercises consist of slow execution, and ballistic exercises involve chaotic motor movements. Thanks to your own weight, you not only warm up your muscles, but also increase your own strength at the same time.

Let's consider the most effective exercises for the neck.

Press your chin to your chest as much as possible and hold in this position for 2 - 3 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat the stretch 7 to 10 times.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and gently turn your neck to the side so that your chin always remains at the same level. Perform stretching 8 – 10 times.

Develop trapezius muscle can be done with a simple exercise. Grasp your head with one hand and slowly lower it to your shoulder. When you reach the peak point, freeze for 4 - 6 seconds. and repeat the exercise 5 – 6 times.

To stretch pectoral muscles and prepare them for the loads of the complex, perform simple exercises.

Place your hand in front of you on any vertical support so that it is bent at a right angle. Hold the incline for 3 to 4 seconds until you feel the tension in your pectoral muscles. Repeat the stretch with the opposite arm.
Clasp your hands and pull them back as far as possible so that your shoulder blades touch each other. Try to raise your arms up, while keeping them straight and closed.

To stretch your back, you will need a vertical support in front of you in the form of a pole or pylon. Grasp it with your hand, straighten your legs and lean back. Hold for 3 – 5 seconds, change hands and repeat the exercise.

Don't forget about the triceps. Bring one hand back over your neck, and with the other press on the elbow of the first so that your palm drops below your shoulder blades. Stay in this position until you feel a stretch in the muscles. Stay in the position for 3 – 5 seconds.

Stretching the oblique abdominal muscles occurs by bending over. Place one hand on your waist and begin to slowly lean in that direction. Extend your other arm above your head and reach it as far as possible.

You can work out your deltoids with a simple stretch: stand straight and pull your elbow on the opposite side. Stop for 10 – 15 seconds and repeat the stretch on the other side. Leave your forearm perpendicular to the floor.

For the shoulders, do the following stretch: raise your arms up to shoulder height and turn your torso to the sides until it stops. 8–10 approaches are enough.

Note! Start your warm-up at home with cardio exercises, for example, running in place. They should be done before stretching. After this, you are ready for a full workout.

Now we get to stretching the lower body. Let's start with the knee joints. Place your feet together, grab your knees with your hands and perform 10 rotations outward and inward. Then stand in front of the steps, step platform, or any other raised area. Throw your straight leg up and stretch your whole body towards it so that you feel the stretch in your femoral biceps. To work your glutes, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and do alternating lunges on each leg, bending your knees at a right angle. The back should be straight. Do the exercise 6–8 times on each leg.

Warming up the quadriceps involves performing the following exercise: stand on one leg while the other clasps the ankle. Hold the position for a few seconds to feel the tension in the desired muscle.

Warm-up exercises before training

Does not exist universal program, which suits every person. Depending on the purpose of the training complex, physical training and health conditions, individual manipulations are selected that do not harm health and provide maximum benefit.

If you have no contraindications to exercise, include a set of aerobic and stretching exercises. Walk in place with your knees raised high for 3 to 4 minutes. At the same time, bend your arms at the elbows and alternate with each step. Do not raise them too high, otherwise you will cause serious strain on the heart.

Alternately raise your knees at right angles 30 times in 30 seconds.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart, hands on your waist, straighten your back. Squat down, bringing your arms out in front of you so that your palm faces the floor. Each time, try to squat deeper so that a right angle is formed between your thighs and calves. Don't arch or slouch. Repeat 15 times.

Raise your arms above your head so that your shoulder blades touch each other. Then, alternately, pull each arm toward your spine, lowering it as low as possible. The manipulation has a beneficial effect on the collar and neck muscles. Stretch each triceps 4 to 5 times.

Lower your arms along your body and roll your shoulders. Do 2 sets of 12 reps.

To stretch your pectoral muscles, place your palms on your lower back and roll your shoulders back as far as possible 8 to 10 times.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart, extend your arms forward and clasp them. Round your back and reach forward. Then straighten up 6 – 8 times.

Stand straight on one leg. Bend the other at the knee and reach your heel towards your buttock. Grab your foot with your hand behind your back and hold in the position for 5 seconds. Do the procedure 5 approaches on each side.

The proposed complex is exercises for warming up before training for girls and men. It is simple to perform, but quite effective in warming up the muscles and joints of the entire body.

Note! To receive every time new result and the body is not accustomed to monotonous workouts, gradually add new actions to work out different zones.

Remember that warming up should bring moral and physical pleasure. Therefore, if you experience discomfort when performing some action, first do a simplified version, gradually complicating it, or even replace it with another. In conclusion, it should be noted that the warm-up should begin with the upper part of the body, gradually moving to the lower part. If you're working out at the gym and for some reason don't want to exercise in front of everyone, use an elliptical or treadmill for a cardio warm-up, gradually increasing the pace. But, under no circumstances skip the warm-up, otherwise you will not achieve the desired training results.

Proper warm-up– what is it and why is it needed? The effectiveness of your workout depends on how you warm up. And not only that: poorly warmed muscles and ligaments can be stretched or even torn. And this puts, if not an end, then a big question mark on your sports career. Let's consider about The basic rules for warming up before strength and speed-strength training: what exercises to do, how long, and is it necessary to run?

Pre-workout warm-up

Oddly enough, not only beginners in the gym, boxing or fitness room, but also quite experienced athletes make one of two mistakes: either they completely refuse the pre-workout warm-up before strength or speed-strength training, or they devote so much time to it and strength that after such a warm-up they are simply no longer capable of a full workout.

The result is either sprains and other unpleasant injuries that knock you out of the training rut for weeks, or the absence of any minor achievements from such training and a lot of wasted time.

And even those athletes who approach warm-up without extremes often perceive it as a set of incoherent and often meaningless movements, making chaotic swings, lunges and bends, but leaving out those joints and muscles that, in fact, should be prepared for the load warm-up.

With the right approach, warming up is an excellent reason to work out without stress. correct technique performing exercises.

You can read about what other means exist to protect your joints and ligaments from injury in the article about.

Why do you need to warm up?

The main purpose of the warm-up is to warm up the body, stretch the joints, muscles and ligaments that can be involved in the main training movements. When heated, tissues become more elastic, and this reduces the risk of injury under load or sudden movement. The mobility of the joints also improves, which means movements can be done with maximum amplitude, which is extremely important both in strength training(powerlifting, bodybuilding), and in sports such as boxing, martial arts and almost all types of fitness. Of course, with better mobility and flexibility, the technique of performing exercises also improves.

In strength and speed-strength training, not only the muscles and ligaments themselves are important, but no less important is the state of the central and peripheral nervous system: Remember how clumsy your movements are right after waking up in the morning? But you have to perform basic movements. During training, when we're talking about about complex movements with a load along not always familiar trajectories, how clearly nerve impulses will reach from your brain to the farthest muscle fiber, – determines both the safety and effectiveness of the entire workout.

Immediately grabbing heavy weight or performing complex movements without gradually informing the body about what kind of load it will face, you will not achieve a clear result, and you don’t need unnecessary stress.

Warm-up: exercises

Warm-up is a purely individual concept and it is difficult to recommend a specific set of exercises that will universally suit everyone. First of all before different types During training, you need to pay attention to warming up different parts of the body. In addition, you may have some special features, such as old injuries, and then injured muscles or the ligaments need more time for a quality warm-up.

In a word, the purpose of this article is to give you an idea of the basic principles on which a warm-up should be based, and knowing them, you can independently select for yourself what you need at each specific moment.

First of all, you need to understand what problems you want to solve by warming up before a specific workout, take into account the existing problems, and not at all look for universal or “advanced” exercises and warm-up methods (for example, expanders, TRX belts). Unfortunately, many trainers forget about this and force everyone to do the same exercises, which reduces the effectiveness of the warm-up part of the workout.

Is running necessary to warm up?

The fact that warm-up must include a treadmill, stepper or orbitrack is another misconception. In reality, again, it all depends on the needs of the athlete. The purpose of including cardio in warm-up complex- warm up the body, raise the pulse and increase the temperature.

In fact, your goal is to sweat easily. At average temperatures in training room for this, 5-7 minutes of slow running or any other dynamic activity will be enough for you. If you train in a warm southern climate and your training program is based on gradual increase loads, then you don’t need cardio at all.

You need to remember that running can even be harmful if you have problems with your hip joints.

Warm-up: what is it like?

There are three types of warm-up:

static- muscle tension without movement;
dynamic- slow repetition of movements;
ballistic- chaotic movements.

The most effective is the dynamic one (conscious, calm repetition of movements), but oddly enough, those who practice it are least likely to do it. Most people do static or ballistic warm-ups, thinking that this better prepares the ligaments for the load. As studies by sports doctors and the training experience of professional athletes show, this idea is not true.

Is stretching during warm-up dangerous?

Stretching is a useful part of the warm-up, but it should also be its final part. That is, stretching movements should be performed on preheated muscles and ligaments. Obviously, if you try to do a static warm-up with cold muscles and suddenly try to stretch any part of the body, then you have every chance of even tearing the muscle.

The best thing to do after several sets of slow movements without weight on those parts of the body that will be worked in training is to perform those exercises that are your main ones. training program, but with minimal projectile weight. So if your first movement is the bench press, then even if your working weight is 100 or 150 kg, before starting the exercise you need to do 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions with an empty bar at a slow, controlled pace. Then perform an approach with a weight of 50-60 kg, and only then begin to approach your working weights.

It’s a good idea to use auxiliary exercises on the same part of the body to warm up. For example before French press- warm up your elbows, hands and triceps by straightening your arms down on a block with very little weight.

Warm-up: approximate complex

In most cases, the warm-up begins with 5-10 minutes of slow cardio exercise (but there may be exceptions), and it is better to replace the treadmill, unless you have been running since childhood, of course, with an orbitrack or an exercise bike. This is followed by 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching for the muscle groups and joints you are going to train. It is better to do this by slowly and technically repeating training exercises with minimal weights.

Use a warm-up to improve your exercise technique. With light weights, perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 slow repetitions necessary exercises, fully controlling the movement and trying to “listen” to your muscles.

There are no universal warm-up complexes. If you are planning a training session top part body, then there is no point in warming up the leg muscles and vice versa. It is important that the total duration of warm-up before training should not exceed 20 minutes.

If your workout consists of several muscle groups that are not related to each other basic movements(such as legs and shoulders), or if you are doing a heavy strength training program that is usually characterized by long duration and the intervals of the sets, you may need an intermediate warm-up before the second part of the workout. It does not include cardio, since the body is already warmed up, but only a dynamic warm-up of the muscle group that you are going to train.

Another factor that should not be overlooked is your age. The older you get, the more time and care you should take to warm up. What a schoolchild can do without warming up can result in serious injury for a person over 40.

If you have injuries or you train in a cold gym or even outdoors, during the warm-up you can and should use warming creams and ointments, which can be easily purchased at any pharmacy.

The article was prepared based on materials from the site: fitseven.ru
Editing, addition and processing of material: Pavel Avdokushin for the A-GYM website

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Depositphotos/andresr

The key to a successful and safe workout is a warm-up done before it. A high-quality and proper warm-up will allow you to achieve good result, will ensure safety during exercise, allow you to correctly distribute the load and help you quickly restore strength after exercise. It is just as necessary as the training itself, so it would be unwise to neglect it.

Why do you need to warm up before training?

Warm-up is a set of light exercises, and they are needed in order to warm up the muscles, joints, ligaments and the entire body for more difficult tasks. It is dangerous to neglect it, because it serves as preparation, especially since it takes up very little time. What does warm-up do:

the muscles are actively supplied and filled with blood;
oxygen transport to muscles improves;
the joints warm up and receive the joint lubrication necessary for work;
stretching and toning all muscle groups;
the body psychologically prepares for strength work;
the training will bring much more benefits;
Helps prevent injuries.

Warming up puts the body in a state of full readiness, so those who ignore it are making a big mistake. The effectiveness of the training directly depends on it. A proper warm-up helps bodybuilders build muscle. more weight and strength, as well as shed pounds for those who come to do fitness.

During a set of light exercises, the muscular and skeletal systems are stretched, the muscles are saturated with blood, and the capillaries and blood vessels dilate. A warm body is less susceptible to injury on exercise machines and when working with heavy weights. Cellular metabolism improves and joints become more mobile. Warming up before training prepares the body for work.

Types of warm-up

Warm-up can be divided into two types:

General warm-up of the body is performed for 10-15 minutes, do it immediately before training. It is aerobic in nature, that is, it supplies the muscles with oxygen. Its task is to warm up the whole body, stretching muscles, tendons and ligaments. It is especially relevant in cold rooms and outside in cool weather. Cold muscles are weaker than hot ones. It is recommended to warm up in outerwear - this way the body will accumulate more heat and warm up faster. You can start by running, then move on to jumping rope, and then you can begin a general warm-up, stretching your joints and muscles. But we must not get tired, but prepare for further work;
a special or warm-up warm-up is aimed at target muscles and ligaments. It has an anaerobic (power) character. Do it immediately before heavy exercise. It is based on using less weight than in working approaches, which allows you to practice movements and correctly distribute the load. The muscles work in the required amplitude and trajectory, due to which they warm up and warm up. The first exercise should consist of at least 2-3 warm-up sets. Before exercises with a barbell, do a warm-up with an empty bar.

General warm-up

It is recommended to start warming up with light exercises. These should be smooth and unhurried movements, turning the head to the sides, circular movements. Having stretched the neck muscles, you can move on to swinging movements with your arms, moving them up and down, to the sides. After this, rotate your body to the sides. There are 10-20 squats left to do. The principle of warming up is this: you need to move from top to bottom. Next will be a general stretch:

Bend forward. Perform the exercise like this: stand straight, legs should be together, bend forward, trying to touch the floor with your hands. The head is as close to the feet as possible. Stay in this position for 10-30 seconds, then slowly straighten up;
Side bends. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your arms. Raise your right arm above your head and begin to bend to the left, lowering left hand along the thigh. Bend over strongly and stay in this position for 15-30 seconds. At this time, the oblique abdominal muscles are stretched. Returning to the starting position, repeat the same on the right side;
Vis. Perform this exercise near the horizontal bar. Using a comfortable grip, grab the bar, bend your knees and lift them off the floor. Hanging like this for 30-40 seconds will help stretch the spine and the whole body;
"Butterfly". Sit on the floor, fold your legs in front of you so that your feet are together. Hold your socks with your hands and try to move your feet closer to your groin. Relax your muscles and try to press your knees to the floor. Spend 30-40 seconds in this position. This exercise helps stretch muscles inner surface hips;
Stretch of the 4th femoris muscle. Kneel, sit on your feet. Place your hands behind your back and rest on them, trying to lean back as much as possible. Spend 30-60 seconds in this position. Slowly get up.

Great ending general warm-up There will be cardio, for example, jumping rope, an exercise bike, and you can go for a run. The duration of this stage is 3-5 minutes. These simple exercises will help you warm up before training outside or in the gym. They can be replaced and supplemented with others. It is not the set of exercises that is important, but a well-executed warm-up.

Warm-up before training for girls

Warm-up is of great importance for girls. Female body It is fragile, so it must be protected. How should the fair sex properly warm up so that the workout brings results and does not cause harm? Fitness trainers are divided regarding the duration of the warm-up: some argue that you need to work until the “first sweat”, while others advise saving your strength.

Which one is right? Both points of view have the right to life. For example, in winter, you need to warm up more thoroughly, but in summer, even the heat puts a decent strain on the body. It is worth paying attention to the menstrual cycle - at the beginning you need to pay more attention to warming up. In any case, this stage should be at least 7-10 m.

There was once a debate about when is it better to do cardio for weight loss - before or after a workout? It has been proven that it is better after strength training, but despite this, some girls continue to exhaust themselves with cardio sessions. Cardio warm-up should last no more than 15 minutes, and for some athletes 5-7 minutes is enough. Tempo is average, heart rate is 65% of maximum. Choose the loads that you like, fortunately, in gyms there is a sufficient selection of cardio equipment ( treadmill, stepper, exercise bike, etc.).

You need to start with joint exercises which will help prepare the main joints and spine for stress. Most of these exercises are familiar with school lessons physical education:

rotational movements hands;
raising arms from the sides;
rotation of the arms at the elbows;
body tilts;
rotational movements of the head;
leg lift;
performing rotational movements in knee joint;
turn the body;
rotational movements of the pelvis;
squats;
moving the leg to the side;
raising your arms to the sides.

Mash shoulder girdle possible using gymnastic stick, small dumbbells. It is recommended to perform all exercises 20-30 times. Stretching is not the most useful exercise that girls do quite often. The fact is that after it, the muscles and joints become more vulnerable and cannot maintain sufficient rigidity.

It is better to stretch after training, which will further strengthen the muscles and relieve painful sensations.

What injuries can you get while training without warming up?

Most often the joints and muscles are affected. And the cause of injuries is most often heavy load, sudden movements. In the cold season and on the street, the risk of injury increases several times, so during such training you should always wear outerwear.

Joggers in the cold season expose themselves to great danger. When doing a warm-up outside in frosty weather, it is quite difficult to warm up the leg muscles well. Therefore, experts advise dressing warmly or wearing special thermal clothing. We need special knee pads that will retain heat and protect the joint, reducing the load on it. You need to take extra care of your joints, because damage to them is much more dangerous than muscle damage.

Muscle injuries are most often sprains, and they go away on their own after a couple of days. Joint injuries can be very dangerous and sometimes require surgery to correct them.

Warm-up rules

Just like the main workout, the warm-up needs to be properly structured. And then it will really bring benefits, improve training results and allow you to approach the loads as warmed up as possible. The main rules of warming up will help beginners to properly organize exercises in the gym and on the street.

Warm-up should cover the whole body, and not just those muscle groups that are planned to be loaded.
Start slowly, slowly, gradually increasing the tempo and range of movements. But at the same time you cannot reach even half the maximum.
It's better to start with simple exercises like swinging your legs and arms. Make sure your movements are smooth.
Duration averages 10 minutes, with short breaks.
After finishing the warm-up, pause for 3-4 minutes.