A warm up is usually the most overlooked aspect of a training program. Once the average joe hits the gym, they’re focus is on one thing: the workout.
Honestly, this isn’t surprising. The workout is where the majority of people place importance. But a solid warm up can improve performance and reduce injury risk.
If someone does warm up, it’s usually nothing more than a 5 minute run. As I mentioned in a previous article though, two of the main objectives of the warm up are to prime the glutes and abdominals and mobilize or lengthen stiff muscles and joints.
Back in the 70s and 80s, a neurologist by the name of Dr. Vladamir Janda was pioneering the idea that movement quality was more important than quality. During his lifetime, he found that muscles belong in two categories: tonic or phasic.
Tonic muscles refer to those that get tight overtime, whereas, phasic muscles tend to get weaker. These two aren’t mutually exclusive as one muscle can exhibit both traits.
However, with all the people he worked with, he noticed a pattern. Specific muscles demonstrated more tonic properties while others displayed more phasic properties. Some of the tonic muscles included the pectorals, hip flexors, and hip adductors. While some of the phasic muscles included the gluteals and abdominals.
And this is right in line with what we see today, especially as we sit a lot more. Chronic sitting places us in more of a hunched over position. This tightens the pectorals, hip flexors, and adductors while leaving our abs and glutes weakened and under used.
Tight: Pectorals, hip flexors, hip adductors Weak: Glutes and abs
That’s why it’s important to combat this issue in our workout AND our warm up. With that in mind, I want to provide you with 4 exercises you need to do in your warm up.
1. Adductor Rock Back
This is an exercise I picked up from Eric Cressey. The adductors of the hip attach to the pelvis and femur.
When tight, they pull the pelvis downward and create an anterior tilt. To offset this we need to lengthen the adductors. The adductor rock back is the perfect exercise to help do that.
Anterior pelvic tilt
To perform it, set up in a quadruped position and extend one leg out to the side. From here, all you have to do is rock back. Be sure to keep the back flat here. You should get a nice stretch on the inside of your thigh and groin.
Here is a video demonstration.
2. Rocking Hip Flexor Stretch
I have written about this exercise on the site before. Like the adductors, the hips flexors can also tilt the pelvis anteriorly when tight. This can create a host of problems at the hips and low back. So again, we need to lengthen them.
Most people have been taught to stretch their hip flexors as depicted in the picture below.
The problem with that stretch is the pelvis is still in an anterior tilt. Because of this, you actually aren’t stretching the hip flexors, you’re tightening them. To stretch them we need to roll the pelvis back or create a posterior pelvic tilt. The rocking hip flexor stretch does just that.
Set up in a half kneeling position against a wall. From here, squeeze the glute on your down leg as hard as you can. This will roll the pelvis back, and you will feel a stretch on the front side of that hip. Hold the contraction and rock forward.
Here is a video demonstration.
3. Hip Flexor Rainbow Stretch
This is an exercise I recently picked up from Dan John. It combines the hips flexor stretch from above with one new element.
When we sit for long periods of time and as we age, our shoulders tend to roll forward and place us in that hunched over position I mentioned previously. One of the main culprits that contributes to us staying in this position is tight pectorals and a weak upper back.
The hip flexor rainbow stretch stretches the hip flexors while simultaneously opening up the chest and activating the muscles on the upper back.
To perform it, set up in a half kneeling position again. From here, place the opposite hand on the knee that is up. Then, take your other arm and make a big circle while following your hand with your eyes. This will create a good stretch at the hip flexor and pectorals, while activating a lot of the postural muscles of the upper back.
Here is a video demonstration.
4. Thoracic Bridge
The final exercise is one I picked up from Max Shank. This is one of the biggest bang for your buck warm up exercises. It can improve the mobility of the shoulders and hips while also activating the phasic muscles I mentioned above (glutes and abs).
Weak glutes and abs can be problematic in daily life and function. So, we want to ensure they are warmed up properly before we begin to lift weights. The thoracic bridge works well for this.
Set up in a quadruped position with your knees off the ground. Begin by removing one hand and swinging the opposite leg under the body. Then plant your swinging foot on the ground. From here, push your hips to the ceiling and reach across your body with your arm.
You should feel the glutes and abdominals working hard here along with a nice stretch in the upper back. Here is a video demonstration.
*****
A good warm is vital to success in the gym and injury free training. The effects of chronic sitting has made stretching and mobilizing the pectorals, hip flexors, and adductors a must. While the gluteals and abdominals need to be activated and primed.
These four exercises will provide you with a good foundation to work from. Be sure to add them into your warm up and you will notice a difference with the way your body moves and feels.
References:
- The assessment and treatment of muscular imbalance – The Janda approach, Frank C, Lardner R, Page P. Human Kinetics, Champlain, IL USA.
Photo Credit:
- http://goldtouch.com/split-keyboard-key-avoiding-computer-hunch/
- http://blog.voltathletics.com/home/2015/3/4/all-in-the-hips
- http://www.swolept.com/posts/fixing-anterior-pelvic-tilt-posture-tricks-to-make-your-butt-and-gut-smaller#sthash.ocRLZCYm.dpuf
- http://centerforspinaldisorders.com/spine-surgery/news/hip-flexor-stretch-to-prevent-lower-back-pain/#sthash.ocRLZCYm.dpuf
