Wilderman 2024 Race Report
August 1, 2024
I love a good warm-up. My training clients will tell you – we NEVER gloss over the warm-up. It’s the time to loosen joints, get the blood flowing, release the tight muscles and activate the sleepy ones – so you feel like a million bucks before you even grab a weight. Slacking on your warm-up, could mean your strength session does more harm than good. Skipping it opens the door for injury. Athletes are a heightened risk thanks to the impact on our joints, the positions we carry and the hours of repetitive motion from endurance sports.
Strength training counteracts many of those not-so-pleasant effects by correcting imbalances and strengthening under-used muscles. However, if we don’t warm up before we lift, the same tight muscles continue to run the show and at some point, something has got to give. Case in point:
My husband Ben is a successful athlete who is generally injury-resilient. He does lift weights, but has admittedly slacked on the soft tissue care and movement prep. Ben has notoriously tight hip flexors and overly shortened hamstrings. He will record over 7,500 pedal strokes in a 90-minute ride – talk about repetitive motion! Imagine what could happen if Ben jumped into a gym session without warming up? No need to imagine, I can tell you because we’ve been there before. We end up at the emergency room with debilitating back spasms. A hard lesson to learn about taking care of the body.
When done right, a proper warm-up sets the stage to build a balanced body during your strength session. Everyone’s warm-up looks different depending on your body, the workout you’re about to do, and the time you have available. It should take 10-20 minutes and could include a few or all of the following:
1. Soft Tissue Work
Soft tissue work, often using a foam roller or massage ball, helps release tight muscles by targeting knots and trigger points. This process, called myofascial release, increases blood flow to the muscles, reducing stiffness. By loosening tight muscles before strength training, you improve range of motion and reduce the risk of injury during the workout.
Example: Focus on areas that are typically tight, like your quads, hamstrings, calves, or shoulders, especially if your workout target those muscle groups.
2. Dynamic Mobility
Dynamic mobility involves controlled, active movements that take your joints safely through a range of motion. Unlike static stretching, dynamic mobility is fluid and prepares your muscles and joints to work. It improves flexibility, coordination, and joint stability, which is key for avoiding injuries during strength exercises.
Example: Leg swings, arm circles, or hip openers help warm up your joints and engage the muscles you’ll use in exercises like squats, presses, or deadlifts.
3. Muscle Activation
Activation engages muscles that might be underactive or “inhibited” due to tightness in other areas. By activating these muscles, you help restore balance and ensure the correct muscles are firing during your strength training session. Resistance bands or bodyweight is typically all you will need for activation work. Don’t plan to work up a sweat or feel a pump with these exercises. They can be done before the entire set, or just before a specific more challenging exercise.
Example: Before deadlifts, glute bridges or lateral band walks can activate the glutes, which are often underactive due to prolonged sitting.
4. Central Nervous System (CNS) Activation
CNS activation primes your nervous system for explosive, high-intensity movements during your strength training. This is particularly important if you are lifting heavy weights or doing compound movements that require coordination, balance, and speed. Short, explosive movements or light plyometrics can help ramp up your nervous system’s responsiveness, ensuring that you’re fully prepared for the workout.
Example: Jumping jacks, high knees, or medicine ball slams can stimulate the CNS and get you ready for heavy lifts like deadlifts or squats.
Bonus Moves to Enhance Your Warm-Up
Here are a few bonus moves you might want to toss into your warm-up to take it to the next level.
- Corrective Exercise: used to address injuries or limiters, often prescribed by a Physical Therapist or done as prehab.
- Low intensity cardio: if you have an easy run or ride on your schedule, include it within your warm up. It will boost circulation, bringing oxygen to your muscles. Cardio also boosts core temp, so 5-10 minutes is perfect to throw in on a cold day.
- Breathwork: Controlled breathing increases oxygen intake, and engages the diaphragm and core muscles, which are crucial for stability and organizing the spine during strength training. Box breathing or a contract/relax breath during stretch or foam rolling.
- Unloaded Movement Prep: grease the movement pattern and range of motion. The practice swing. A few reps with just bodyweight to mimic the same or similar movement to your big lifts that day. For example, if you’ve got deadlifts coming up, perform a few smooth hip hinges first
Putting it Together: Ben's Warm-up
Earlier I used Ben’s tight hamstrings and hip flexors as an example. I hate to pick on him because he’s a fantastic athlete who moves very efficiently, but his body is tightly wound and he needs to be very careful to avoid injury. If Ben were my training client, and I had a set that included deadlifts planned for him, this is how we would warm up.
He would start with the classic t-spine mob on the foam roller. Then we’d work his hips by rolling the front side of the body with a 3-inch ball against the wall (a bit more tolerable). He would move in different motions along the upper leg and into the hip using a deep breath to help release tight areas. Because Ben has sensitivity in his back, we may also look at the tissues of the iliopsoas, to ensure good hip extension. Next is the hamstrings with the same ball, (two lacrosse balls in a bag, a peanut or mini foam roller work too), seated on a box or bench. Using gentle side-to-side scrubbing motion, he’d start rolling from the sits bone down to the knee. A contract/relax and deep breath along with some slow extension and flexion for the super tight spots.
Mobility movements start in the middle (spine) with cat-cow and a dynamic thread the needle movement. Then a half-kneeling hip flexor mobilization, incorporating some gentle rotational elements. From the half kneel, he’d shift the hips back and ease into some dynamic hamstring movements. Considering the upcoming deadlifts, I’d have him do unweighted good mornings. It’s important he stays in a healthy range of motion and doesn’t attempt to push past his limits.
We’d then activate his glutes with glute bridge or clamshell variations. Core stabilization is aided by isometric bird dogs and plank/side plank variations. Depending on where he was in his season, I may have him do a few explosive broad jumps to get his CNS fired up. Early in the set, I’d incorporate either a light weight single leg romanian deadlift, or a single arm dumbbell snatch to further activate the CNS and prep for a hinge exercise.
Next Steps
Do you want to learn more about strength training can help you as an athlete? I am now taking new personal training clients at PTSportsPRO! If you are interested in a full training program, or just want to schedule a few sessions to get you in a groove for a good warm up – hit me up!
Also, I need to let you know that I included a few links to Amazon for the rolling equipment, and I am an affiliate so I could earn commission off of your purchase. Thanks in advance. :)
