Dynamic flexibility, what’s that? Damn do I love this question from newbies at the gym. My first response: “Do you have a good warm up routine before your workout?” “Yea you know, I stretch my legs and chest a bit before I get on the bench or elliptical for the next 45 minutes.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!?? If you have read my last blog and watched my video you understand how upset it makes me to hear that response from someone who claims to be physically active. You wonder why your body isn’t changing and you are still just as tight and flexible as you were before you began working out. To become more flexible, which is one of the most important things to do if you wish to keep some longevity in your training and life in general, you must quit being lazy. A proper warm up will prep you for your workout and make sure you are avoiding injury as much as possible. People treat stretching like its eating their veggies, they don’t do it!
To be given a little background about dynamic flexibility, one must know what it actually means to stretch dynamically. I like to focus on one main definition of the word dynamic that really fits with training. Dynamic- Of or relating to energy or to objects in motion. Wow, now that just fits so perfectly with training now doesn’t it? Your body is an object, which uses energy as it is in motion during exercise. So, to be more dynamic in your workouts, exercise, and everyday activities, it really does make sense to warm up dynamically. I know some of you “Macho Men” think stretching is girly and a waste of time. My advice, “Shut up, swallow your pride, and save years on your joints!”
Before starting a dynamic warm up you must first break a sweat. You can follow some of my examples from last week’s blog or anything you like to do to break a sweat. Once you have opened your lungs up a bit and broke a sweat you can get started with your Dynamic warmup. My rule of thumb is to start with the lower body first and work up. I will always focus on a compound movement such as a bodyweight squat to start and work up to a simple set of shoulder swings to get loosened up. In this short video you will see an example of a typical dynamic warm up I complete before I get started with my workout. You can use this as a guide to developing your own warm up whether it be longer or shorter. I tend to get the reaction “This has only been the warm up!?!?” Trust me, it feels like a work out in itself but it is worth the sweat when it is all said and done.
To be given a little background about dynamic flexibility, one must know what it actually means to stretch dynamically. I like to focus on one main definition of the word dynamic that really fits with training. Dynamic- Of or relating to energy or to objects in motion. Wow, now that just fits so perfectly with training now doesn’t it? Your body is an object, which uses energy as it is in motion during exercise. So, to be more dynamic in your workouts, exercise, and everyday activities, it really does make sense to warm up dynamically. I know some of you “Macho Men” think stretching is girly and a waste of time. My advice, “Shut up, swallow your pride, and save years on your joints!”
Before starting a dynamic warm up you must first break a sweat. You can follow some of my examples from last week’s blog or anything you like to do to break a sweat. Once you have opened your lungs up a bit and broke a sweat you can get started with your Dynamic warmup. My rule of thumb is to start with the lower body first and work up. I will always focus on a compound movement such as a bodyweight squat to start and work up to a simple set of shoulder swings to get loosened up. In this short video you will see an example of a typical dynamic warm up I complete before I get started with my workout. You can use this as a guide to developing your own warm up whether it be longer or shorter. I tend to get the reaction “This has only been the warm up!?!?” Trust me, it feels like a work out in itself but it is worth the sweat when it is all said and done.
Also check out coach Joe's article on Flexibility 101
No comments:
Post a Comment