[KevinGibbs]

Hi there!

I'm new to using small reps and heavy weights, so... how exactly can I warm up? And what kind of a cool down should I have?

I know I can't start lifting my actual weights straight away (I won't jump into 12 + 10 + 8 squats with 40 kg, or I'll be asking for injuries), so is this ok:

6 X 25-30% weight
6 X 45-50 % weight
6 X 70-75 % weight

For example, if I were to try to squat 12 + 10 + 8 times with 40kg squat (Yea, I know that's only 80 pound :/ ), then I would warm up with a 15 min jogg and

6 X 10 kg
6 X 20 kg
6 X 30 kg


Should I do the warm ups so that I do them in a circuit - one 6 X of every move in one go and rest, then the second 6 X of every move and rest, and then the third 6X of every move. OR should I do each warm up for each move separately and just before doing the actual exercise OR what?


How about cool-downs. Or as I like to call them "tire-outs". Should I do them the same way I do warm ups or should I do with no weights until no more reps can be done?


Thanks a bunch.

[misha01]

For my warm-up I jog for 5 minutes, stretch, do some hip mobility stretches, then do my main lift (usually my first lift in my routine) for:
40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x3
After that I'm ready to go.
My older warm-up was to do a single set of a barbell complex and then stretch.

For a cool-down after resistance training, I'll stretch and foam roll.

[KevinGibbs]

But surely if you do mixed lifts, that's not enough? I mean, if I do squats, weighted push ups / other upper body work and back lifts in the same routine, then I need to warm up all of the muscle groups needed, right?

[misha01]

It's worked fine for me to just use the single lift, although I only started doing full-body workouts this summer. With that, my warm-up lifts are with the squat. If you want to do more of a full body warm-up, then use a barbell complex. Or you could do something like a squat, pull, push superset for your warm-up.

Everyone warms up differently. There is no best way and everyone adjusts it to their own personal needs, abilities and to what's available. I suggest starting with one of the things I mentioned, or anything else that seems interesting to you, and then modifying it from workout to workout until it feels right to you.

[Magic Wonder425]

Kevin check out this thread and this PN article. It should clear up most questions. Keep in mind your warm-up should make you revved up and energized to start lifting but not tired. Focus on areas you want to get mobile for the specific exercise.

I keep cool downs simple with light exercises and stretching.

[KevinGibbs]

The article I had read before... the thread seems amazing. Thanks.

And even with this one that I just did, I managed to increase my squat reps by half, albeit my pull-ups went down a bit.

[Nadine S]

Magic Wonders hit the spot with the recommended readings.. Good stuff MW!

Remember the warm up is to warm you up.. soo not to exhaust you for your workout. Do 2-3 sets and keep the reps low. If needing more, then I highly suggest doing the same or similar routine during the evening. Another good modality prior to your dynamic warm up is to foam roll. You can do it prior to your workout, do you dynamic workout, follow with your training, then do you stretching/cool down. In the evening you can do foam rolling again or even stretches.. all good recovery modalities.

Check out Mike Robertson's free ebook on self-myofascial release:

http://davedraper.com/pdfs/mikerobertsonSMR-manual.pdf

Also here is a great warm up protocol with exercises you can use created by Carter

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wo...ic-Warm-Up.pdf

[KevinGibbs]

Checked out - and I am loving it.

NOW! Gotta get the time to find a vendor of foam thingies!

Then again, the thing tilts at 1,32 mb, so I can't see it till the end :/

[mc-]

Rant coming:

Why do you (or anyone) need "foam thingies"

(if i could do one of a few things, one would be to burn all foam rollers. they are so abused. )


likewise, there's nothing wrong with skin stim with a Stick but if this is chronic - why? is there some sort of amnesia going on that a constant barosensory prod is required? then it's not working, is it?

i challenge anyone who does this beat themselves with a pipe or hard foam that we can achieve more and better effects without laying a hand on you, and by being active rather than passive; engaging more motor learning benefit.

go ahead: bend over, reach gently towards your toes. see how far you get comfortably.

simply take off your shoes, walk a few steps and do some ankle circles SLOWLY and relaxed, both directions, 3-5 times (keeping a hand on a near wall when doing a movement to take away the initial balance challenge/threat). Check to make sure you're not using your quad/hip to turn your foot.
walk two or three steps.

Rebend.
Now, as you're bending over, look for your belt - see if you get further with the SAME amount of effort.

If you do, awesome. if you're the same, that's intresting info (and there are other checks we'd do like balance or shoulder range of motion) and if it's worse, wow does that tell us something about some work that needs to be done that has nothing to do with beating on the fascia passively.



As for warm ups, and why's/why nots, just a few more thoughts.

end of rant.
thank you for your patience.

m.c.