Is Your Workout Warm-up a Waste of Time?

Workout Warm-up

Most people's workout warm-ups are a waste of time and effort. I'm talking about people that go into the gym and spend 5 minutes (or more) on the elliptical machine before their workout, doing a movement that prepares their body for nothing more than, well, than more elliptical exercise.

But this type of warm-up doesn't prepare you for your Turbulence Training (TT) workouts. So you just end up having to do more warm-up exercises for your workout. So why not skip the time-wasting "cardio" warm-up and get on to something that is more efficient.

Because with TT, as you know, time is not to be wasted.

So what's the better approach?

First, analyze your workout and your body. What muscle groups need to be warmed up? What movements need to be warmed up?

If you are doing a total body workout that consists of lunges, presses, pulls, and squats, what good is it to spend 5 minutes swinging your legs through a limited range of motion on an elliptical machine? Not much, of course.

Rather than waste that time, you should be warming up your body with a series of bodyweight exercises. A bodyweight exercise warm-up is far more productive and relevant than hopping on any piece of cardio equipment.

(Note: Medical and rehabilitation advice notwithstanding. If you have been instructed by your doc or physio to do a cardio warm-up, then do so...).

Getting back to better warmups...Today, I tried out a few bodyweight-only warm-up circuits, and here's the one that I liked the best.

Y-Squat x 15 reps
Stick-up x 10 reps
Reverse Lunge x 10 reps (per leg)
Spiderman Pushup (8 reps per side)

Click here to see the Y-Squat and the Spiderman Push-up.

Click HERE to see the Stick-up.

Go through that circuit with no rest between exercises, and then rest 1 minute. It's best to go through that 3 times.

Another great thing about the bodyweight circuit is that it makes for a fantastic stretch-break/activity-break at work. If you've got a cushy, spacious office, or if you work from home, you should do this circuit once every couple of hours. It strengthens the weak areas and stretches the tight areas, areas that get abused everyday if you are a desk worker.

(And if you are still tight after this mobility warm-up and your workout, then go through the stretching series found at the end of the 6-Month bodyweight manual).

After you complete the general total-body bodyweight circuit warm-up, you need to move into specific warm-up sets for your main exercises - if you are using weights (if you are doing bodyweight only exercises, you'll be ready to get right into the full workout).

For more details on the specific weight-training warm-up, refer to the TT Workout Guidelines in your TT manual. You'll see the exact number of reps and sets and intensity percentages that you should work at for each specific warm-up set.

All of this warm-up should take you less than 8 minutes, and then you'll be ready for your best workouts ever.

Always search for the better way,

CB

P.S. About emails...
I appreciate everyone that takes the time to email me...and I am doing my best to get back to you as quickly as I can. I apologize if I miss your email.

So in order to make sure that I see your email in the future, make sure to include "TT" or "CRAIG" in your subject line. That way I'll be sure not to delete it with the junk mail that I receive. Thanks so much.

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Now back to some more bodyweight manual feedback..."I just started to skim through the info and I have to say, 'This is so fricking awesome!.' I will have you know I recently purchased about 150 bucks worth of books at the bookstore that don't have half this info put together(one stretching book, a cardio book, a weight book, a bodyweight book, a cook book.) I am kicking myself now. Thanks for all the info."
Jason Saner

Click HERE to get started with bodyweight training



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