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Bodyweight What do you think about warm up?

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Minimalist

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Most of the coaches are saying about importance of warm up before training. From Pavel's old books I remember that he was not a big fan of doing warm up.
I'm training everyday (GTG) so I do not do warm up and i feel good. In exercesises like weighted chin-ups risk of injury is much smaller than doing deadlifts (in my opinion)

Does a professional powerlifters/strongmen/weightlifters do a warm up? What do you think about doing warm-up before training ?
 
Hello,

In S&S, Pavel talks about a short / light warm-up (but maybe I remember wrong).

I agree with @offwidth . There are a lot of variables.

From a 'real world' standpoint, one may be forced to do a sprint or "violent" effort, without previous warm-up. Catching the bus, or being forced to fight may be examples.

So folks are able to do high kicks without warm-ups, some are not able. Why: technique ? natural flexibility ? previous injury ? etc... plenty of possible answers. Some runners can immediately start a training with their cruising speed, some have to ramp up a little. This may be true for all sports.

I am not a pro, but I think that in general, a warm-up is a good thing for longevity and may be injury prevention.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
My warmups are simply mobility and stability training. Lumber big 3, thoracic big 3, shoulder big 3, hips and knees, some swings, etc... I train hard, and I'm starting to get to a training age where I get minor "issues" here and there. So my warm up changes to reflect my needs. We are but machines made up of wearable parts, you do realize?

For a younger and more active person, it may not be necessary. The sad truth is that I have a desk job so I am literally sitting down 8 hr per day. On top of that add 8 hr of sleep (laying down). So at best, I am only moving around and active 8 hr, at most, per day (and God forbid if I sit in my car to drive somewhere or sit and meet someone at a restaurant or sit on the couch and watch tv). Some parts of my body exist to be mobile, some parts stable, some parts both. My warm-up are used to reinforce these mobility/stability needs plus deal with any rehabilitation if necessary. Everything should have a purpose. Don't just do it to do it.

Regards,

Eric
 
I like them but you definitely don't need an elaborate one for a lot of Pavel's minimalist and high frequency programs. Just from reading I would say a lot of Pavel's advice and programs are made with certain constraints in mind and so that they can be applied in a wide range of different situations.
 
My two cents:

Warmup should be brief enough that it doesn't pre-fatigue the muscles you are training that session, and it should be focused on the motor patterns you will be training as well. It should also be used if you have joint issues, are rehabbing a problem or fixing an imbalance or motor pattern. You want to make sure you're moving correctly before you strength train, so as not to strengthen faulty patterns.
 
It should also be used if you have joint issues, are rehabbing a problem or fixing an imbalance or motor pattern.
Since I'm always working on rehabbing something or fixing a muscle activation issue, I almost always warm-up.

First thing in the morning after coffee I do a Flexible Steel joint mobility routine (similar to Super Joints) and some OS resets. Usually before my sessions (if not GTG) I'll add Stuart McGill's Big3 for core activation and as a corrective/rehab strategy and some drills related to what I'm about to do. Could be some planks or hollow, some hanging or scapular activation, KB DLs etc. When doing GTG I might do drills before my first set or before each set I could do a quick one.

I also do wrist stretches every morning and sometimes do a warm-up for elbows with a Flexbar or Indian clubs for the shoulders.

EDIT: my warm-up also serves to identify any limiting issues I might have on any given day. I'll know if I have a tight low back or if my knee, shoulder or elbow is painful. Usually the issue doesn't go away but I know what to expect or what to avoid that day.
 
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To me, very intense efforts require preparation. Moderately intense efforts dont, for instance, up to 70% or 80%. That's why GTG doesn't require warm up.

Something to consider is that its uncommon to jump to a 90% effort. Usually sets at lower intensity are done, that serve as warm up for the higher effort. Additionally, these sets at lower intensity add some volume to the training.

There are some other exercises that are great in it's own right and can be used as warm up, like cossacks or goblets.

Lately I'm doing GTG, but in the morning I do a set of normal squats and push ups as warm up for the day, some endurance, volume and a morning routine.
 
I keep reading that I should warm up but time is limited so I don't usually bother except for maybe 1 or 2 easier sets or a short, easy circuit.


Now I'm curious, I'm not familiar with these.

Check these out. I don't do all of this every time. But I cycle this stuff in for my warmups. I might do a warmup 3 times per week. Maybe lasts 10 min. These are ideas I got from Brian Carroll. Also, some of these excersises are not warmups, sometimes I sprinkle these in in between my main lifts I'm training. I hope this gives you some ideas...

Over the Holidays (couple weeks), I did no "training" and only warmups. Who was it that said "the warmup is the workout"?






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNUnSrkI0KQ&t=3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbAg9ps8sG4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAf-2FfuP80
 
I dont 'warm up'

But i do like to do 2 low rep sets before getting serious, for example for my Last HSPU session i did 2 x 2 bw with 1 and 2 minute rest (wakey my cns) then with weighted vest 2 reps and 4 reps. Followed by 2 x 10 bw with 3min rest per set.

In my experience actual warming up costs me a rep or 2 on my working sets. But going into hard work right away also makes the first set or 2 feel like a waste.

I really like how old time strongmen approached their strength training. I might be mistaken but i believe i got this from s Saxon book:

He would start a lift with 50% of his max for a rep. So lets say an overhead press with 100lbs. Then the 2nd set he would add 20lbs. And so on then when he reached the 100% set and final set he would either just do that or add 5lbs and get a new max. So thats 6 sets.

The way i see it if you do it like that you get both a warm up, yet do some serious skill work that is relatively easy on you. As in not beat you up.

Warming up, getting warm makes your tendons supple and more stretchy. Less likely to tear. That basically is the most important benefit of warming up. But imho not required if you work a range of motion that you fully control. Since then your tendons dont move (stretch) beyond of what they are accustomed too.

I've done 14 years without warming up. But im sticking with the 2 easy sets before serious work. Works well for me :)
 
The term “warm-up” is often a misnomer. I sometimes think “pre-flight checklist” might be better, but it is still a misnomer. Still, a pre-flight checklist is a useful metaphor. Let me use this metaphor with a heavy get up. Before I begin a 62 pound get up, it’s important that I make sure that all systems are go. My knees are in good shape and not skinned up. My hands are in good condition, with no torn skin, sprained fingers, etc. that would compromise my grip. I am rested and do not have fatigue that would compromise my ability to pay attention to what I am doing. Etc. If I do not pass the pre-flight checklist, I do not do heavy get ups, period.
 
I'm with @Timmer C.

'Pre-exercise mobilisation' might be a more useful term than 'warm-up', especially when looking at body weight exercises. When it comes to barbell work, warm-up/ramp-up sets are virtually essential if you're planning on tackling anything heavy (although there are numerous exceptions to this; I feel everyone's seen someone who can just start a session at 90% 1RM cold, but just because you can doesn't mean you should).

Additionally, I find going through a warm-up protocol can be useful to get myself in the right space mentally for focus and hard work; highly beneficial when going into a 60-90 minute structured training session with numerous exercises and drills, less so for 'greasing the groove'.
 
I've watched several training vids from strongmen/powerlifters,weightlifters. All start their sessions with the bar, or its equivalent.
Whenever I lift something heavy I always take a few sets to warm up first. I've never felt comfortable doing an 80%+ deadlift or squat cold. I have seen lifters that don't bother with any warmup less than two plates because they can't squat right without a load (I was one of these for a while).

But lighter weights like kettlebell swings (and I guess presses too, usually my warmup for C&P is a couple reps with the next bell down from my working weight), I can do a workout or two fine with near zero warmup. But it does tend to catch up with me later.
 
What do you think about doing warm-up before training ?
I always used to be a warm-up minimalist (and warm-down nihilist) - more out of impatience and laziness than anything else, it must be said.

Since reading Pavel's Super Joints early last year, however, and learning about the work of Nikolay Amosov, I've become rather obsessive-compulsive about posture, joint health, strength resets etc.

Not doing any joint mobility exercises before and after training sessions seems unthinkable to me now.
 
From Pavel's old books I remember that he was not a big fan of doing warm up.

Pavel's Warm Up Approach

No Pavel isn't a "Big fan of warm up"; nor I am.

Pavel's example in " Power To The People" was when a rabbit sees a wolf, the rabbit does not ask the wolf it he can Warm Up first before the chase begins.

Ae pet stated...

From a 'real world' standpoint, ... Catching the bus, or being forced to fight may be examples.
Before moving on, let's address...
Does a professional powerlifters/strongmen/weightlifters do a warm up?

There are no professional Powerlifters or Weightlifters.

There at time a top Powerlift at a meet may win some price money. However, it not enough money to make a living on.

The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, houses and feed some of the top American Weightlifters. So, they might be considered professionals.

What do you think about doing warm-up before training ?

Not Much

One of the main issues with many lifters is they turn their Warm Up into a workout. In other word, by doing so many individual top set are less they should be or could.

The Warm Up Objective

The purpose of a Warm Up is to prepare you for your top set; which elicits the greatest training effect. In other word, you want save everything for your tops set.

One of the keys to ensuring that you optimize your top set, your Warm Up need to be kept to a minimum.

"Greasing The Groove"

The primary purpose of a Warm Up is to essentially "Grease The Grove" for your heaviest exercise set.

As per bluejeff...

Warmup should be brief enough that it doesn't pre-fatigue the muscles you are training that session, and it should be focused on the motor patterns you will be training...

This is accomplished with Lower Repetition Warm Up Sets, 1-5 Repetition Per Set

A Reverse Pyramid Squat Set Example

Let's say you are going to work up to a top Squat Set of 315 X 5 Repetitions.

Your Warms Up might look like this.

Set 1: 135 X 5

Set 2: 185 X 3

Set 3: 225 X 2

Set 4: 285 X 1

Set 5 : 315 X 5 Plus...

Body Temperature

As previously posted on this site, research shows that when you Body Temperature is elevated, you preform you best; physically, mentally and emotionally.

A couple of ways of passively increasing your Body Temperature is...

First thing in the morning after coffee

As per Benjamin, this is effective. It increases you Body Temperature and get you ready to go.

Another Passive Warm Up is taking a warm shower. The are some other method that work, as well.

The Mental Aspect of Warm Up

For some lifter, there's more a mental component. They have more of a mental need than physical need for gradually increasing the Warm Up Load with more sets prior to their top set.

“Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”/Yogi Berra

There is definitely a mental side to the game that come into play.

For individual like this, multiple sets with lower increases in loading is effective. However, their Warm Ups Repetition need to be 1 -2 per Warm Up Set.

This allows the lifter to gradually increase weight (get a feel for the heavier loads to come) and "Grease The Grove" for the top set. It ensure the muscle in the movement is fresh rather than fatigued; as bluejeff stated.

Summary

1) Minimal Warm Ups: Performing the minimal amount of Warm Ups Sets and Repetitions ensure you optimize you top training set.

2) "Grease The Grove": Warm Up are more about ensuring good technique for your top set.

When a heavy movement is performed with good technique, the movement feel like you are pushing it along on rails; it feels like it gliding up.
 
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Whenever I lift something heavy I always take a few sets to warm up first. I've never felt comfortable doing an 80%+ deadlift or squat cold. I have seen lifters that don't bother with any warmup less than two plates because they can't squat right without a load (I was one of these for a while).

But lighter weights like kettlebell swings (and I guess presses too, usually my warmup for C&P is a couple reps with the next bell down from my working weight), I can do a workout or two fine with near zero warmup. But it does tend to catch up with me later.
Athletes the size of Lasha,Hafthor,Eddie Hall,Brian Shaw, the Westside Barbell guys/gals, etc. start with the bar. Makes sense to me.
 
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