6 best warm-up exercises before you do weight training

Warming up before weight training is crucial for muscles (Image via pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)
Warming up before weight training is crucial for muscles (Image via pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)

It's a big no-no to exercise without first warming up. You're setting your body up to be less efficient—and possibly injured—if you forgo a warm-up and just go from 0 to 60.

Warm-ups are vital not just for loosening up your muscles, but they also help to raise your heart rate and increase joint mobility. Our bodies require time to prepare for longer periods of work.

Warming up is commonly thought of as a means to make blood flow, and make muscles and tendons more malleable. While this is somewhat true, a warm-up should also engage your central nervous system (CNS), which will prepare it for the task ahead.

Here are the six best warm-up routines to engage in before weight training.

1. Bodyweight Squats

Warm up the glutes and hip flexor muscles, as well as the quadriceps, abs, calves, and hamstrings, with bodyweight squats. If you plan to do any loaded squats throughout your workout, bodyweight squats are a great warm-up.

Squats help warm-up several muscles at once and prepare your central nervous system for work because they are a complex full-body action.

Here's how to do it:

  • With your toes pointed straight forward or slightly outward, stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Place your hands in front of your body or on your hips.
  • Bend your knees and keep your weight on your heels as you hinge your hips rearward. Bring your hips down to the ground. Keep your back straight.
  • Continue lowering until your quadriceps are stretched. Push through your heels and stretch your hips to return to the beginning posture after a one-count pause and hold.
  • Rep 10 times more.

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2. Triceps warm-up

Triceps are involved in heavy weight lifting. Movements are included in this exercise to help loosen and warm-up your triceps.

Here's how to do it:

  • Extend your arms out to the sides, parallel to the ground, with your palms facing down.
  • Maintain a straight line with your arms and rotate them in backward circles.
  • Rotate your arms in forward circles after 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Turn your palms forward and pump your arms back and forth after 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Repeat the pulsing movement with your palms facing backward, up, and down after 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Perform 1 to 3 sets of this exercise.

3. Bird Dog

A bird dog workout is great for getting your core and lower back in shape. In preparation for your workout, this technique will activate the core muscles that support your spine. This movement will also benefit your glutes and hip flexors.

Here's how to do it:

  • Place your knees under your hips and wrists beneath your shoulders on all fours of the ground.
  • Pull your shoulder blades back and down towards your hips while contracting your abs and keeping your spine in a neutral position.
  • Raise and lengthen your left leg until it is straight back and parallel to your hips, and at the same time, raise and straighten your right arm until it is parallel to the floor. The position of your head and shoulders should be upright and aligned.
  • Switch sides after slowly lowering your arm and leg to the beginning position.
  • On each side, repeat 8-10 times.

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4. Jogging leg lifts

Leg lifts during jogging can help your heart beat faster and enhance circulation throughout your body. You can jog in place or run back and forth, depending on how much space you have.

Spend 30 seconds to 1 minute on each component of this exercise. By walking at a slower pace, you can minimize the intensity of this workout.

Here's how to do it:

  • Jog at a slow speed.
  • After roughly a minute, jog for at least 30 seconds while elevating your knees towards your chest or kicking your feet upward towards your buttocks.
  • Return to a slow jogging pace.

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5. Banded Row

It can be difficult to sense movements in the rear of your body appropriately. For optimal forms and results, the mind-muscle connection is critical. A banded row will aid with the activation of your back muscles. Warm-up your shoulder joints and shoulder blades with banded rows.

Here's how to do it:

  • Hold the handles of a resistance band in your hands and place it beneath your feet. Your toes should be pointed slightly out and your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
  • Maintain a small bend on your knees and a forward bend at the hips. Maintain a strong core and a flat back.
  • Pull the resistance band handles back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together and leading with your elbows. Hold the contraction for one count in your upper back.
  • Return to the starting position carefully.
  • Repeat for the desired number of times.

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6. Walk-Outs

Walk-outs are great for stretching your hamstrings while also activating your core. It will improve your flexibility, mobility, and strength. Increase the tempo to push your heart rate up even higher.

Here's how to do it:

  • Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
  • Crawl out to a high plank position by bending your hips and reaching your hands to the floor.
  • Take a few seconds to pause with your shoulders over your wrists and your abs engaged.
  • Stand up by crawling your hands back to your feet. It counts as one rep.
  • Rep 8-10 times.

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Poll : Do you regularly warm-up before workout?

Yess!!

No. But, I will start

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Edited by Akshay Saraswat