Written by: Ken Dominique
The general warmup usually takes around 10 minutes. That’s about 17% of the one hour class. If utilized correctly, it can be incredibly beneficial.
Here’s a few different ways to use the warmup:
- Put your body through the ranges of motion you’ll need for the workout
The warmup isn’t programmed by accident. The reason we put those specific movements in there is to see how the body (specific joints) are going to feel. If we’re doing front squats in the workout, you can bet you’ll see air squats in the warmup. If a knee doesn’t feel right, that’s when we want to know about it, not after your third set of heavy squats.
- Improve technique
If we’re squatting in the workout, and we do air squats in the warmup, that’s a PERFECT time to practice: getting your butt down to proper depth, keeping your core braced, leaving your heels on the ground, and forcing your knees to the outside. These skills need to be practiced with no weight and perfected before moving onto lifting weights.
- See if you’re mentally ready to go.
You can only workout to your own physical and PSYCHOLOGICAL threshold. Some days I feel like shit. I remember getting warmed up before class one time, and I was completely winded after 250 meters on the rower, which isn’t normal for me. I didn’t get much sleep the night before, my nutrition had been terrible, and life was stressing me out. I took that cue (of me being out of breath) as a sign that I needed to TAKE IT EASY THAT DAY! And that’s always fine to do. Listen to your body in the warmup. If you’re physically or psychologically not prepared for the workout, dial it back and talk to the coach. As a coach, I am here for you.
Let me repeat that for the people in the back:
- AM. HERE. FOR. YOU.
I care more about our members than any other collective of humans on the planet. I am here to help you through things like this, and sometimes that means flowing through the day instead of pushing your foot to the gas pedal.