Surely you are sick of seeing gym people who do not warm up before training. Most likely, you are also one of those people who does not warm up. And is that the sports warm-up It is one of the most important phases of exercising. Thanks to its execution, our muscles and the respiratory and circulatory system are prepared to be able to assume this energy expenditure and the recruitment of muscle fibers efficiently.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you all the characteristics, importance and execution of the sports warm-up.
What is sports warm-up
When we do sports warm-up, the endocrine system and all the hormonal regulation in our body are activated. Depending on the physical activity that we are going to perform, we must bear in mind that there are several types of sports warm-up. Each of them is focused on activating various areas of our body. It must also be adapted depending on the exercise to be performed.. It is not the same to warm up to prepare a marathon than to warm up to do weights in the gym.
Likewise, if we are training the gym, it depends a lot on the muscle group that we are going to work on in that session. If we are going to analyze a leg workout it is not the same sports warm-up that we are going to do a shoulder and triceps workout.
The general concept of sports warm-up refers to a series of exercises that aims to start working various muscle groups of the body so that the body is prepared for the demands of training. It is about making sure that the body can give the best of itself in the subsequent training and that the investment of the effort can lead us to an optimal performance. What's more, helps minimize the risk of injury and helps achieve the best goals.
During the sports warm-up, the body temperature rises thanks to an increase in the temperature of the muscles due to an acceleration of the heart rate. During these processes adaptations are produced that allow us to perform a faster and more efficient release of force.
Main types of sports warm-up
As we have mentioned before, depending on the physical exercise that we are going to analyze, there are different types of sports warm-up. We are going to list each one of them and briefly describe what it is about.
General warming
It is one that is carried out when it is intended to work almost the entire body in a series of resistance exercises. Do not focus on a specific muscle group when warming up. It is used so that the whole body enters a global phase of activation and optimization in the burning of calories and use of glycogen stores.
To do this kind of warm-up all you need to do is perform movements that do not involve exerting too much effort. ANDThese exercises are activated by muscles and spread throughout the body. The intensity should be medium to moderate, for example, we can walk on an elliptical or run without sprinting.
Specific heating
It is one that is segmented into several parts to be able to work a specific muscle group. In this type of warm-up, the joints are directly involved with the type of exercise that we are going to perform. This warm-up consists of performing the wolf exercise we will do but practicing it with low or very low intensity.
For example, if we are in the gym and we are going to do a bench press, we are going to prepare the same exercise but with just the bar or adding some very light discs. In this way, we can perform many repetitions with little weight to stimulate the pectoralis, the anterior deltoid and the triceps. In addition, it helps us to strengthen the exercise technique to be able to perform a good leg drive, a good gluteal and core activation and that longed-for scapular retraction.
While a general warm-up is done once and is valid for the entire session, this specific warm-up is necessary for each exercise to be executed. In this way, we achieve an optimization in the recruitment of muscle fibers and, therefore, in the stimulus that the muscle is going to carry during the training session.
Dynamic sports warm-up
It is about what type of warm-up that differs especially from the rest since it puts emphasis on the parts of the body that they involve. In this case, exercises are carried out that have the same nature as the activity to be carried out. This warm-up is divided into: strength, proprioception, flexibility, balance, breathing control, sharpening of reflexes, etc.
This means that both the physical and psychological properties can make us enter a physical and mental state that prepared us to be able to act better when we execute the exercise. For example, we can quickly do a series of exercises without pausing through a circuit with a medium or low intensity.
Preventive sports warm-up
It is one that is put into practice to establish specific instructions that are indicated by a professional. Such protection has previously established guidelines to be able to follow a class to avoid specific injuries or worsen an injury that already exists. For the very reason of being this warming must be aulow or very low intensity. Its nature may vary depending on the case. There are some exercises that are more harmful than others.
For example, we can do some approximation series in exercises such as deadlifts to perform the technique and density well in the lumbar or trapezius muscles.
Let's not forget that stretching should be included during the sports warm-up phases. Not only do you have to stimulate the muscles to be worked and strengthen the posterior exercise technique but also stretching. The muscle must have enough flexibility to be able to work correctly. This is how we achieve optimization in exercise performance and we can get the best marks and the best stimulation to the muscle.
Another aspect that helps us to treat sports warm-up is the mind-muscle connection. By feeling the muscle that is we are going to work it is easier to connect with the mind to be able to improve in the recruitment of fibers.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about sports warm-up.