3 different stages of a warm-up

3 different stages of a warm-up

The first stage

The first stage of warm-up should be aerobic exercise (cardio) or really any activity that elevates your heart rate and increases your body temperature without causing significant fatigue. This stage literally warms up your body and makes your muscles more elastic, increases blood flow, lubricates your joints, and generally reduces the risk of being injured during your workout.

The second stage

The second stage of warm-up is stretching and this is the stage that people often have disagreements about. Much of the disagreement centers around static stretching, which it the most basic type of stretching that involves stretching a muscle and holding the stretched position for a specific amount of time (typically 15-30 seconds each). Most of the debate is about whether or not static stretching decreases performance or should even be included in warm-ups.

Many studies have found that static stretching causes decreases in performance, especially when the stretches are held a long time or they are performed right before the exercise or competition. However, studies have also shown that when more exercises are done after static stretching, the performance decrements disappear. This is why stretching should always be the second stage. The first stage loosens your muscles so they stretch better and the exercises in the third stage will get rid of any performance problems that could have resulted from the stretching.

Another thing about the stretching stage is that static stretching is not the only type of stretching that can be used. Most knowledgeable fitness professionals now believe that dynamic stretching is a better form of stretching to use during warm-ups. Dynamic stretching basically involves performing easy exercises designed to move your muscles through their entire range of motion. This stretching is considered active as opposed to static stretching, which is considered passive.

As far as the research is goes, studies have found that active stretching before exercise either has no effect on performance or it can actually improve performance. On the other hand, research on static stretching has found that it either has no effect on performance or as stated previously, can cause a decrease in performance under some circumstances. This information has led many fitness professionals to replace the traditional static stretches with dynamic stretching during warm-up. Static stretches are still a preferred method of stretching after your workout is over.

The final stage

The final stage of warm-up is often referred to as specific or sport-specific exercises. Basically this is the stage where you perform movements or exercises that are technically similar to those used during your upcoming activity. Some examples include baseball players who perform throwing or bat swinging motions or powerlifters who perform light to moderate weight bench presses, squats, and deadlifts. The closer these movements are to those of the actual activity, the better effect they should have on performance.