I'll be honest with you: I'm getting a little tired of all these articles going on and on about the need for warming up. No, I'm not saying we shouldn't, I just resent the way netpsurts and their ilk explain it to us like we're geriatrics who need hours, days, months even just to warm-up lest we pull something. We 50+ lifters may be older but that doesn't necessarily mean we're inflexible, incapable of touching our toes and likely to tear something if we go at it. If anything, older lifters should be more careful than their younger counter-parts rushing the weight room, because we're cautious and aware of self-injury already.
We're certainly not stupid, mate.
The thing is -- warming up or just "warm-ups" -- has taken on a life of their own. They've attained an international status of importance in the fitness community they simply don't deserve. From stretching (and even that's gone through a revolution) to light, body-weight exercises prior to exercising proper, warm-ups have now expanded into a minimum 20min training session all on their fruity own-some. I actually wonder how people manage to make so much time just for warming up and also if, by the time they start their actual routine, they're not just a little worn out.
First it started with foam rollers. I don't who the fuck invented foam rollers but that person is a very, very wealthy individual today judging by the enormous amounts of coaches, netspurts and fitness gurus espousing the importance of foam rolling. Not feeling up to it? Foam roll. Indigestion kicking in? Foam roll. Mother-in-law being a nuisance? Foam roll. Foam roll in the kitchen. Foam roll in your local orphanage. Foam roll in the supermarket aisle whilst clenching a carrot with your butt cheeks (which you may wish to also foam roll and present to the orphanage on behalf of foam rollers later on).
Then there's the goddamn bands. The only thing bands are good for is A) stretching tendons, ligaments or muscles as part of a rehabilitory process or B) rocking to at a seedy bar or packed stadium. I have never stretched or warmed-up with a band and I pray I never do. Bands and foam rollers should be banned from all work out spaces nationwide as far as I'm concerned. You see, I personally suspect it's all part of the you-have-to-have-the-latest-of-everything mantra espoused by charming, beautiful fitness people when the truth is you don't. You just don't need this shit.
...but they'd love your money.
Look, does it make sense warming up before you start weight-training? Yeah. But. No-one mentions not all individuals warm-up the same way let alone for the same amount of time. Personally I don't need many warm-ups because I don't need to do many warm-ups. Read that again if you missed it the first time -- it's called knowing yourself. Before lower body work-outs I rotate my hips ten turns each way like I'm using an invisible hula hoop to unkink my pelvis. Then standing on one leg, I swing the other upwards and backwards doing ten either side, to loosen up. Next it's ten body weight squats, followed by some arm rotations and that's it, I'm good to go.
No foam rolling.
No bloody bands.
No loud, heavy music or grunting sounds.
Do I then jump into my heaviest working sets? No, no I do not jump into my heaviest working sets. I've learnt what works best for me is to pyramid up to a heavy set.
Let's say I'm about to squat 130kg: starting on 50kg for 3-5 reps I then do 70kg for 3-5 reps before moving up to 90kg for 3-4 reps, 110kg for 2-3 reps and finally I'm on my working sets (for the record and as of the date of this 2019 article, I like to do heavy doubles and sometimes singles on heavy squat days. Why? Because I hate long, grinding squat sets. That's why).
See what happened here? By starting off with lighter weights and reducing reps as said weight increases, I'm actually incorporating warm-ups into my routine and no, you don't have to do it this way. You can do it anyway you like, this is just what I do. Can you over warm-up? Sure. So don't. It's the big weights that tax you most; they're the ones you want to arrive at ready to go, not knackered from too many warm-up sets. This is critical: don't over-do your warm-ups. If I'm doing upper/lower body in the same work out, I'll usually only do 1-2 warm up sets max for either. More than 10min isn't necessary in my opinion.
However, let me delineate between warming up and stretching: "warming up" means getting blood into the muscles and warming up joints, ligaments and tendons through physical movements NOT stretching. Think jumping jacks, body-weight squats, swinging your arms, rotating your head, that sort of stuff. Even a short skip or five minutes on the exercise bike constitutes a warm-up as again, you're NOT stretching. I can't remember where I heard this all those years ago but I'm grateful I did and have since nicknamed it the taffy proverb: cold taffy snaps, warm taffy stretches.
Same with our bodies.
Stretching on the other hand is something you do after your work out. It can help reduce those aches and pains you get through lactic build-up and the like later on. Now there's two types of stretching: static stretching where you hold the stretch, and dynamic stretching where you're moving muscles to stretch. If I put my heel on a bench and lean forward to stretch my hamstring, I'm static stretching i.e. "holding" the stretch. If I stand on one leg though and swing the opposite, I'm dynamic stretching i.e. "moving" the target muscles to be stretched.
Is warming up and dynamic stretching the same thing? Pretty much.
At the end of the day don't bog yourself down with terminology as ultimately, no-one important will give a shit.
I've read more and more research over the last 4-5yrs indicating a shift in thinking by today's sports coaches and their ilk solely towards dynamic stretching prior to all physical activity. I've also read how static stretching may even reduce the ability of muscle to recruit its maximum potential. That relates directly to strength-training where, if anything, being able to recruit your entire muscle-potential is vitally important. To be honest though, I'm not surprised: you ever see a cheetah "warm-up" before sprinting after its prey?
Hm?
No. No, you have not.
Static stretching is done after all physical activity has been completed these days and whilst I'm not an athlete, I think the best bet is to warm-up sensibly prior to working out and stretch afterwards. But. Not everyone will respond the same way. Some people know full well they need to (statically) stretch the shit out of themselves before engaging in any demanding exercise. Why do they need to do this? I've no fucking idea. Ask them. They're obviously not doing it to hurt themselves and the point I'm trying to make is we're individuals. We don't and won't all respond the same way to the same stimuli.
Or need the same stimuli.
MY WARM-UP RECAPPED
For upper body I rotate my arms in wide-to-small circles and give myself bear hugs where I cross my arms over my chest several times, making sure to stretch them backwards as well so my elbows are behind me. From a standing position I then bend over with my arms bent at the elbow and "windmill them". This really warms-up my shoulders. If I'm shoulder-pressing or benching, I'll start light and pyramid up to a heavy set, never doing more than 2-5 reps as I get to my working set.
I always do rows after benchpress and usually go straight into my working sets as heavy benching will incorporate back to some degree. This is something I started in 2018 and have had no problems by doing so. Prior to that I'd always do a lighter set of rows before starting in on my working sets until I realised it wasn't doing a damn thing. I was just doing it because I figured you needed to do a light set first, minimum, of every exercise you performed but I was wrong. You don't need to at all.
For lower body as mentioned above, I rotate my hips 10-turns each way like I'm using an invisible hula hoop. I don't know how I got into this but I find it does help "unkink" my pelvis. Standing on one leg, I swing the other upwards and backwards doing ten either side, loosening up dynamic stretching styles. Next it's ten body weight squats and as I do for upper body I do for lower: pyramiding up in weight to my working sets. I never do more than 15reps prior to my working sets as I don't need to.
About the only time this changes is for deadlifts. Some days I'll start on a 100kg and go up in 10s to 150kg. Some days I won't go past 130kg and will focus more on volume. Some days I'll up in allotments of 20kg to 160kg, it all depends upon how I'm feeling on the day and what my focus is. Don't let this confuse you: as you grow more confident in your own programming and abilities, as you understand how your own body responds, you'll tailor work-outs towards your own preference and purpose which is fine.
:: CONCLUSION
When you do your work-out you want to get in there, keep focused, get it done and piss off. Time is important so don't faff around. The good thing about working out alone at home by the way, is no-one ever bothers me. I recommend the same to you. Even my kids learnt not to come in and watch or talk or anything. I'm so totally focused I'd snap at them if they asked a question. Anyway, you want a short but efficient warm-up and pyramiding upward in weight is an effective means of
achieving this. Keep the sets real short -- don't go over five -- and get to your working sets ASAP.
To be honest, I never stretch out after work-outs nowadays as I don't want to. You may not want to either. However, after I go for a run I have to stretch out as my legs -- especially my calves -- can really feel it some days. I'm an older lifter working out early in the morning when my body is stiff and I'm still half asleep, yet hardly ever warm-up more than ten minutes max. Why? Because I don't need to. I know what works for me. That's the key: knowing what works for you. By all means take care but you don't need to be overly cautious. You don't even need to foam roll. You don't need to stretch with a band. Keep good form, start light, whittle away at it. Work on your own pre training rituals. Kia ora whanau.