If I Had To Pick Just 3 Gym Warm-Ups…
A kinesiologist’s master guide to enhancing gym performance.
Have you ever questioned why you’re doing a gym warm-up? While it seems most people like to go through the motions of doing it, what’s the purpose? Well, there are multiple answers I can give you. It enhances your nervous system’s ability to coordinate movements for better performance. It’s also a sneaky way to get in the routine joint and muscle maintenance that’ll help eliminate daily stiffness. Furthermore, it’s one of the most efficient and accessible ways to prevent musculoskeletal injuries while mentally preparing you for the task at hand.
There’s no questioning that the warm-up is a vital part of a successful warm-up, but there’s one thing that most people get wrong. They make the warm-up too long and arduous. This is merely a means to activate your tissues in prep for the real work at hand. Outside of rare circumstances, it should take no longer than 5–10 minutes for able-bodied individuals.
To foster a more efficient approach, I want to break down my top 3 favorite upper body warm-ups for you to explore (I’ll do a lower body post later). These may not seem like much, but they’ll give you a huge boost once you get into the workout portion of your routine. Without further ado, let’s dive into it!