Warming Up?

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

David

David Cohen said:

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

David

I think one light set is pretty much a minimum. My preferences is to use
a minimum of two progressively heavier sets as a warm up. This has the
added benefit of giving me a little nervous system primer so I can get
the form just right when I hit my workout weight for that day. This is
better with heavy or compound movements, though. If I'm doing laterals I
generally have already done my compound movements so the area is warmed
and the weight is light enough (comparatived to the heavy compound
movements) that a warmup really isn't necessary.

Ten to fifteen minutes of biking beforehand may be useful, too. I find
that getting my temperature up makes it a lot easier on my joints during
and after the workout, even if I'm working upper body the effect of that
biking is pretty systemic. It also makes it the rest of the workout
easier on my heart and with breathing.

Ari

--
spammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

spodosaurus said:

David Cohen said:

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

David

I think one light set is pretty much a minimum. My preferences is to use
a minimum of two progressively heavier sets as a warm up. This has the
added benefit of giving me a little nervous system primer so I can get
the form just right when I hit my workout weight for that day. This is
better with heavy or compound movements, though. If I'm doing laterals I
generally have already done my compound movements so the area is warmed
and the weight is light enough (comparatived to the heavy compound
movements) that a warmup really isn't necessary.

Ten to fifteen minutes of biking beforehand may be useful, too. I find
that getting my temperature up makes it a lot easier on my joints during
and after the workout, even if I'm working upper body the effect of that
biking is pretty systemic. It also makes it the rest of the workout
easier on my heart and with breathing.

Ari

This is exactly what I do which works very well for me, naturally. Good
answer imo

--
Bob Volkmer
rev@IRC

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
| Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?
|
| Bill

http://www.bodyconcept.com/Body_Building_Articles/Max-OT%20Warm-ups%20-%20A%20Closer%20Look/a-457.html

spodosaurus said:

David Cohen said:

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

I think one light set is pretty much a minimum. My preferences is to use
a minimum of two progressively heavier sets as a warm up. This has the
added benefit of giving me a little nervous system primer so I can get
the form just right when I hit my workout weight for that day. This is
better with heavy or compound movements, though. If I'm doing laterals I
generally have already done my compound movements so the area is warmed
and the weight is light enough (comparatived to the heavy compound
movements) that a warmup really isn't necessary.

Ten to fifteen minutes of biking beforehand may be useful, too. I find
that getting my temperature up makes it a lot easier on my joints during
and after the workout, even if I'm working upper body the effect of that
biking is pretty systemic. It also makes it the rest of the workout
easier on my heart and with breathing.

I think "warming up" is highly overrated. But, to each his own.

Although I think strength athletes may actually hinder performance with
more than a very minimal warm up.

David

David Cohen said:

spodosaurus said:

David Cohen said:

Bill wrote:

>Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

I think one light set is pretty much a minimum. My preferences is to use
a minimum of two progressively heavier sets as a warm up. This has the
added benefit of giving me a little nervous system primer so I can get
the form just right when I hit my workout weight for that day. This is
better with heavy or compound movements, though. If I'm doing laterals I
generally have already done my compound movements so the area is warmed
and the weight is light enough (comparatived to the heavy compound
movements) that a warmup really isn't necessary.

Ten to fifteen minutes of biking beforehand may be useful, too. I find
that getting my temperature up makes it a lot easier on my joints during
and after the workout, even if I'm working upper body the effect of that
biking is pretty systemic. It also makes it the rest of the workout
easier on my heart and with breathing.

I think "warming up" is highly overrated. But, to each his own.

Although I think strength athletes may actually hinder performance with
more than a very minimal warm up.

David

I limit my reps to 5 on my specific warmup sets for just this reason. I
start at 50% of my workout weight, then if I'm only doing two warmup
sets I'll go to 75% of the weight for that day. I take reduced rest
between these sets to get a little of the warming effect, but give
myself a full rest period before the first work set. My joints never
really got along with the no-warmup idea. I also found my strength to be
higher, but that's probably more of a neural effect of getting the
groove right and being prepared for the feeling of the heavy weight by
doing the progressively heavier warmup sets.

Ari

--
spammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

spodosaurus said:

David Cohen said:

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

Quoted message said:

I think one light set is pretty much a minimum. My preferences is to use
a minimum of two progressively heavier sets as a warm up. This has the
added benefit of giving me a little nervous system primer so I can get
the form just right when I hit my workout weight for that day. This is
better with heavy or compound movements, though. If I'm doing laterals I
generally have already done my compound movements so the area is warmed
and the weight is light enough (comparatived to the heavy compound
movements) that a warmup really isn't necessary.

Agreed. Warm-up sets become more important as a lifter's strength
increases.

Dnia 2005-10-08 Bill napisa³(a):

Quoted message said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

I, for example, rarely ever worm up, so it is not absolutely necessary.
But it is safer to do at least one light set before going to your target
weight. Make it two if you plan near failure at your first work set and
want to be safe. I train 5x5 most of a time, so I can get away without
warmups better than somebody who goes heavy in the first work set.

--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R

Andrzej Rosa said:

Dnia 2005-10-08 Bill napisa³(a):

Quoted message said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

I, for example, rarely ever worm up, so it is not absolutely necessary.
But it is safer to do at least one light set before going to your target
weight. Make it two if you plan near failure at your first work set and
want to be safe. I train 5x5 most of a time, so I can get away without
warmups better than somebody who goes heavy in the first work set.

there're different implementations of 5x5: which one are you using?

--
spammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

On 8 Oct 2005 00:56:57 -0700, "David Cohen" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

David

I wonder if cavepeople did one light set before sprinting away from a
hungry lion.

"Excuse me Sir Lion, I really need to do some warm up sprints and a
few squat THRUSTS before I run from you or I might tear a muscle.
There's a good chap, thank you ever so much"

--
Is this thing on?

Joe Humble said:

On 8 Oct 2005 00:56:57 -0700, "David Cohen" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

David

I wonder if cavepeople did one light set before sprinting away from a
hungry lion.

"Excuse me Sir Lion, I really need to do some warm up sprints and a
few squat THRUSTS before I run from you or I might tear a muscle.
There's a good chap, thank you ever so much"

Probably didn't worry about pulling a hamstring, either...

But workouts are both less important and far less urgent than sprinting away
from being lion lunch. In a fight, no warmup. In practice, warm up, stretch,
drill a little....

"Joe Humble" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

David Cohen said:

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

I wonder if cavepeople did one light set before sprinting away from a
hungry lion.

Which is, partially, why I posted that warmups are overrated.

Ohmigod, I'm partially agreeing with you again, Mike.

I gotta' go have a drink.

David

"Joe Humble" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 8 Oct 2005 00:56:57 -0700, "David Cohen" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Bill said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

David

I wonder if cavepeople did one light set before sprinting away from a
hungry lion.

"Excuse me Sir Lion, I really need to do some warm up sprints and a
few squat THRUSTS before I run from you or I might tear a muscle.
There's a good chap, thank you ever so much"

Ha ha - just proves that cave people knew squat about these things - they
should have focused more on yoga and pilates.

Dnia 2005-10-08 spodosaurus napisa³(a):

Quoted message said:

Andrzej Rosa said:

Dnia 2005-10-08 Bill napisa³(a):

Quoted message said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

I, for example, rarely ever worm up, so it is not absolutely necessary.
But it is safer to do at least one light set before going to your target
weight. Make it two if you plan near failure at your first work set and
want to be safe. I train 5x5 most of a time, so I can get away without
warmups better than somebody who goes heavy in the first work set.

there're different implementations of 5x5: which one are you using?

I do 5 sets of 5 reps with the same weight but it does not feel very
heavy at the beginning.

Maybe stupid, but works for me until now. If I strain myself it rather
happens during last two sets than first three.

I did warm up almost always when I felt some discomfort with my
connective tissue, but nowadays I just do light workout, which all is
some kind of warm up.

--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R

Joe Humble said:

David Cohen said:

Bill wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Is it really necessary to warm up before working out? If so, how?

One light set per muscle group to be worked.

Quoted message said:

I wonder if cavepeople did one light set before sprinting away from a
hungry lion.

No. How would you propose people get an similar adrenaline rush before
each workout?

David Cohen said:

I think "warming up" is highly overrated. But, to each his own.

Definitely not true for endurance athletes - if you just go out and hammer
it cold, you won't hurt yourself, but you will produce a [censored] performance.
You need to get your heart rate up, blood flow through muscles up, et
cetera, before you start or you build up a load of lactic acid in the first
minute that you wouldn't otherwise.

Quoted message said:

Although I think strength athletes may actually hinder performance
with more than a very minimal warm up.

Again, I don't find this - I tend to find my second set of squats or deads
(with a heavier weight) is just about always easier than the first. Of
course, you could argue I don't count as I'm not a strength athlete.

Peter

Peter Allen said:

Definitely not true for endurance athletes

Or anyone else. Only an ignorant fart-sniffer would think warmup was
optional.

"Peter Allen" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

David Cohen said:

I think "warming up" is highly overrated. But, to each his own.

Definitely not true for endurance athletes - if you just go out and hammer
it cold, you won't hurt yourself, but you will produce a [censored] performance.
You need to get your heart rate up, blood flow through muscles up, et
cetera, before you start or you build up a load of lactic acid in the
first
minute that you wouldn't otherwise.

This is what I believe to be mostly urban myth. If I sneek up behind you and
fire my little 12 ounce .357 magnun (ow ow ow ow), your heart rate will be
WAY up, but it doesn't do much for your athletic performance. Blood flow
through the muscles? Where was the blood going before the "warm up"? Get
your body temperature up? Take a hot bath. Feel like you're better able to
perform physically? Don't think so.

I know everyone believes their little rituals for "warming up" are
essential, and I certainly enjoy watching the scantily clad young ladies do
their stretching and bendings and gyrations, but, I believe it to be mostly
of psychological benefit.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Although I think strength athletes may actually hinder performance
with more than a very minimal warm up.

Again, I don't find this - I tend to find my second set of squats or deads
(with a heavier weight) is just about always easier than the first. Of
course, you could argue I don't count as I'm not a strength athlete.

I was very specific, in my follow up, that I was talking about serious,
competitive, athletes...people for whom fractions of percents of improvement
are significant.

David

David Cohen said:

Peter Allen said:

David Cohen said:

Although I think strength athletes may actually hinder performance
with more than a very minimal warm up.

Again, I don't find this - I tend to find my second set of squats or deads
(with a heavier weight) is just about always easier than the first. Of
course, you could argue I don't count as I'm not a strength athlete.

I was very specific, in my follow up, that I was talking about
serious, competitive, athletes...people for whom fractions of
percents of improvement are significant.

Aren't practically all of them start with low intensity sets? Many of
the starting sets here for example can be classified as warm-up -

http://www.zyworld.com/powerlifting/benchsheiko.htm

There is probably no solid science about this except the experience of
those who survived to "serious, competitive" levels without crippling
themselves.

Personally, I don't love that kind of science enough to try going
straight to 80% for 6 weeks in a similar benching plan.

In the lion example, what was the life expectancy of the cavemen? Joe
Humble is well past that age anyway.