Active Multi Stage Warm-up

Warm-up is an aspect of training that is very easy to take for granted because it must be a component of each training session that allows it to become quite mundane. Remember warm-up sets the tempo for the training session. It is not separate from the workout, but an integral part of the workout. Because it is so crucial to the workout it should be thoroughly planned to dovetail into the actual workout.

A complete and effective warm-up should be in concert with the goal of the workout. Warm-up is the transition from the normal daily activity to the actual workout. It should be progressive, in that it builds in intensity in a crescendo like manner. It must be active and dynamic, not passive and static. It is a given that warm-up should elevate the heart rate and raise core temperature of the muscles, but the most overlooked and perhaps the most valuable aspect of warm-up is nervous system stimulation. The nervous system is the command and control system of the body; it must be activated. This dictates the order, selection, and tempo of the tasks that comprise the warm-up.

Warm-up consists of multiple stages that fall into two broad categories: general warm-up and specific warm-up. The stages are not equally divided; the proportion is usually 75-80% general to 20-25% specific. The stages are sequenced to work from the ground up and the core out. There is an emphasis on hip position, awareness and mobility. If there are multiple training sessions planned for a day then each warm-up after the first warm-up should be abbreviated. The only exception to this is if there are more than six hours between workouts. Six hours seems to be the threshold when the residual effect of previous warm-up and workout begin to diminish.

It is also important to point out that warm-up is very individual. If the individual has a hyper and excitable makeup then often warm-up does not have to be as long. The opposite is true for the mellow, more passive athlete. In team situations these individual considerations need to be taken into account. As the athlete progresses through their career and gains more experience warm-up assumes ritual-like routine. I remember watching Edwin Moses, two time, Olympic champion in the 400 meter hurdles warm-up. His routine never varied, he did the same exercises in the same order no matter what the conditions. The whole routine took 45 minutes, but when he was finished he was ready to train or compete! Competition warm-up should be different in some regards than practice warm-up. It can serve as a tool for psychological arousal or calming as needed. Competition warm-up must be flexible to adapt to different conditions and space requirements.

The workout begins with the warm-up! It sets the tempo for the workout to follow. It is the bridge from normal daily activities to actual training. Too much emphasis in warm-up is placed on raising core temperature and heart rate. For me the main physiological objective is neural activation, getting everything firing to prepare for the more intense to follow in the actual workout. From a psychological perspective the warm-up should almost be a ritual. This serves as a security point or anchor for the athlete. The warm-up can vary in length from as short as ten minutes for the warm-up before a second session to as long as thirty minutes. The length ultimately will be determined by the objective of the workout. The warm-up is “active” not continuous. It should build progressively in intensity into the workout. There is an emphasis on mobility not on static flexibility. Flexibility is trained as a separate training unit, preferably after the workout. This is a typical warm-up scenario. For more explanation of the exercises and additional sequences see my video Warm-up and Preparation available at www.gambetta.com

Active Multi-Stage Warm-up

Relaxed Strides 6 – 8 x 50 meters at 60 -70%

Mini Band Routine (12” band above ankles)

1) Sidestep 2) Walk - Forward/Back 3) Carioca 4) Monster Walk

Balance & Stability

Single Leg Squat (Hold each position ten counts)

a) Straight 2 x ea leg b) Side 2 x ea leg c) Rotation 2 x ea leg

Balance Shift

Shift & Step Right - Shift & Step Left

Forward Step Right - Forward Step Left

Back Step Right - Back Step Left

Basic Core (3 Kg Med Ball)

Wide Rotation x 20 – Walking Forward & Backward

Tight Rotation x 20 - Walking Forward & Backward

Side to Side x 20 - Walking Forward & Backward

Chop to Knee x 20 - Walking Forward & Backward

Figure 8 x 20 - Walking Forward & Backward

Multi Dimensional Stretch

Step & Reach Series (2 reps in each plane Forward/Side/Rotational)

Reach Up Reach Out & Down Reach Across

Active Stretch

Psoas, Hamstring, Adductors, Calves, Lats & Pecs as needed

Crawls

Jack Knife Crawl x 5

Creepy Crawl x 5

Hip Mobility (Five Hurdles) – Not done in every warm-up

Hurdle Walks – Over

Coordination (Two reps of each exercise)

Skip

Crossover Skip

Side Step

Carioca (low & long)

Carioca (short & quick)

Backward run

High Knee Skip

High Knee Skip w/Rotation