The 4 Stages of an Effective Warm-Up
January 2025
Dear BHC Community,
Happy New Year, BHC Fam! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. The new year brings new opportunities, and whether you’re a regular fitness-fanatic getting back to your program, or you're part of the “Resolution Revolution” all good workouts should start with a good warm-up. The warm-up’s purpose is to prepare the body for physical activity, and the older we get the more important the warm-up is to avoid injury and perform at your best.
Over many years of athletics and fitness, and dealing with the occasional injury, my warm-ups have evolved into a ceremony of preparation that I do before every workout and they involve 4 stages, each one as important as the other. They are Warm-Up, Mobility, Activation and (specific) Movement Preparation. Let’s break them down…
Stage 1. “Warm Up”: Probably the most well known stage and in the literal sense of the name, this is where we actually warm-up the body. The goal in this stage is to increase your body temperature, and elevate your heart rate. This can be done in many different ways but normally would be achieved by walking, jogging, running, biking or rowing on a piece of cardio equipment. The duration can be anywhere from 2 minutes to 10 minutes and should be done at a moderate intensity. Once you feel nice and warm and are slightly out of breath, you’re ready to move on.
Stage 2. Mobility: Now that our muscles are warm, it’s time to stretch and achieve mobility (the ability to move freely and easily), and we do this with quick, “dynamic” stretches of the major muscle groups. Back in the day we were taught that “static” stretching (holding a stretch for 20-45 seconds at a time) was a way to prepare the muscles for exercise and avoid injury. An example of this would be to touch your toes, stretching your hamstring muscles, for 20 seconds. New research shows that this constant tension on the muscle before exercise or athletics did not increase performance or minimize risk of injury. However, static stretching does have its place as part of your cool down with the goal to increase the length of the muscle fibers.
Instead, it is now recommended we do dynamic (continuous movement) stretching. An example of dynamic stretching for the hamstring muscles would be to swing each leg forward and backward for 10-20 repetitions per leg while keeping your leg straight, getting a quick stretch at the top of every repetition. During this type of stretching we’re also preparing our joints for full Range Of Motion (R.O.M.). An upper body example of dynamic stretching would be large arm-circles taking our shoulders through full R.O.M.
Lets not forget that mobility can also be achieved through Self-Myofacial Release which is most commonly achieved by Foam Rolling. During this process we’re actually able to prepare the muscle for exercise by relaxing the fascia around the muscles and increasing blood flow.
Stage 3. Activation: This is a stage that I think gets missed a lot. To “activate” a muscle means to contract the muscle which we’ll be doing many, many times over during our workout. However, to prepare your body for resistance or strength training, activating the small stabilizing muscles of the trunk will help prepare you for external loads and minimize risk of injury, especially back injuries.
A great example of a pre-workout, activation exercise is the Bird-Dog. When executing the Bird-Dog we are activating some of the posterior-chain muscles including the low-back and glutes, and a whole array of core-stabilizing muscles preparing our core for proper bracing during strength training. Other examples of activation exercises include glute-bridges and planks.
Stage 4. Movement Preparation: Now that the body is warm, mobile and activated it’s time to practice the movement patterns we’re about to perform in our workout before getting under heavy loads. If you’re about to do a Back Squat session, this would simply mean preparing with some body weight or very light barbell squats. I also recommend spending a few seconds in the bottom of the squat and letting your body get used to the position. If you’re about to do some barbell deadlifts or even Kettlebell swings, practice your hip-hinging pattern with your hand on your hips first. 5-10 reps should do the trick. Again, practice all the movement patterns you’ll be doing during the workout so your body is ready for what's to come.
There it is, the 4 stages of an effective warm-up. Always choose exercises and stretches that are good for you and use pain-free ranges of motion.
In closing, on the days you might not be excited to workout, or maybe you’re feeling a little sore, remember to “trust the warm-up.” A good warm-up will prepare your body and your mindset to crush the workout in front of you!
If you have any questions about how to create an effective warm-up please email me at kyle@ballardhealthclub.com.
I’ll see you in the gym!
Kyle Hyde
Fitness Director