Written by When it comes to preparing yourself for a weights routine, we need to leave the mindset of running, swimming and cycling behind. In those disciplines there is an arguable need to prepare the muscles by stretching them gently with the intention of avoiding any unnecessary injuries. If your training in a cold climate it can also help to warm the muscles up in preparation for the temperature drop.
When preparing for weight training, most authorities will advocate a warm-up rather than stretching. To get the most benefit from your weights routine, it helps to get your heart rate increased slightly and to generally loosen your body up for what’s ahead.
The best way to this is to perform 10-20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise of a low impact
The Crosstrainer - the best warm-up option
variety. Prime examples are the upright or recumbent stationary bicycle or perhaps the best option is the cross trainer – it’s a good warm-up for the arms as well as the legs.
Once you’ve completed your cardiovascular warm-up, it’s time to move on to more specific exercise preparation. So let’s say your completing a chest and arms routine today. So specifically it’s those two areas which need preparing. The best way to do this is simply to perform one set of exercises but at a considerably lighter weight. If you’re going to bench press with 60 pounds, do a set just with the 20 pound bar. If you’re going to do a set of curls with 25 pounds, warm up with a set of 10 pounds.
These simple exercises, following the cardio workout, will set your muscles up nicely for the strain about to be placed in them. All too often, particularly when we’re in a rush and trying to squeeze in a quick workout, it’s tempting to bypass the warm-ups and leap straight into hefting large lumps of iron. Eventually this is a sure fire way to cause muscle problem, strains and pulls.