The Integrated Warm-Up

 

ALunge very common way to warm-up prior to resistance training workouts is to first do a general warm-up consisting cardio or callisthenic type exercises to increase heart rate and heat in the muscles (among other physiological changes). From there specific warm-up sets are usually performed for each body part being worked.

While this is certainly a useful strategy, I have also found it extremely beneficial to transition from the more general warm-up to the main resistance workout by also utilizing one or two movements that enhance full-body structural integration. These incorporate the fundamental movement patterns of Push, Pull, Bilateral Lower Body (i.e. Squat pattern), Unilateral Lower Body (i.e. Lunge pattern), and Rotation in various ways.  

Ground Based Training uses exercises that are performed from a standing position as the base. This base position can be static or dynamic and involves the whole ‘kinetic chain’. 

The performance patterns used with the pushing or pulling movements can also have a very different effect on the body as a whole when working from a ground based position.  

For example: 

If one wants to work on generating and transferring force rotationally from the feet, through the core, and out the arms, some great exercises are wood-chops as well as alternating presses with hip rotation. It is important that this rotation occurs primarily at the hips and not the lumbar spine which should be stabilized by the core muscles that surround it! According to renowned physical therapist, Shirley Sahrmann, the lumbar spine only has 13 total rotational degrees from top to bottom (roughly 2 degrees each vertebrae).  

While you can perform these movements with cables, elastic tubing is also particularly effective if you want to do this pattern in a more explosive manner because of the ‘reactive’ nature of elastics.  Elastics allow you to work the upper body in a plyometric-like fashion since they have a strong ‘deceleration’ component at the end range due to their variable resistance. These types of exercises are also very useful for athletes that need to be able to transfer rotational force explosively, from martial artists to golfers, etc. 

Body weight exercises can also be used as part of an integrated warm-up. A favorite transitional exercise which I find extremely useful for chest workouts are burpees with pushups. 

Combination exercises using moderately light resistance are also excellent such as squat- push-press with dumbbells or barbells and squat with curl to overhead press using dumbbells.  

Medicine balls medicine ballsare another excellent tool that can be used in a variety of multiplanar patterns to integrate the body. One favorite exercise is a ‘side knee crunch’ which looks like a ‘knee smash’ movement.  

To perform this exercise, start in a split stance position with the rear leg extended far enough back so that you’re on the ball of the foot. The arms are extended on a 45 degree angle. You then bring the ball down towards your thigh as the knee is thrust towards the ball (as if smashing someone’s head with your knee… for lack of a better description). You can also bring the ball to the outside of the hip as well to add a bit more of an anti-rotational component to the core musculature. 

Medicine balls are also excellent for doing squats w/push- press, jump-squats w/ vertical toss-catch, and medicine ball jumping jacks (pressing the ball up and down as your legs open and close).  

You can also do a variety of medicine ball tosses either against a wall or with a partner such as squat jump with chest toss, squat with underhand toss, split squat with chest toss, or split squat w/ overhead toss (like a soccer throw-in).

All of these exercises require full body integration and are excellent for warming up the body, optimally preparing it for the resistance training session to come. Partner medicine ball exercises are excellent for reactive training, enhance athleticism, and they happen to be a blast! 

 

When using these as warm-up exercises, you should use moderate loading that is just enough to stimulate the muscles. However you could also base an entire workout on these types of integrated exercises by using heavier loading. Additionally, these exercises can be used during a de-loading phase or as a fun way to mix things up from time to time!