Warm-Up Strategies

[Jason B]

Well, I'm finally settled in (sort of) after my move to Omaha, I've finally got MM and IO. My question is, I know each warm-up takes about 7-10 min, but the program I'm gonna start now is more of a full-body approach. I have a ME, DE, or RE lift for the bench or SQ/DL, followed by supplemental work for both the upper and lower body. For example:

a) ME Floor Press
b1) T-Bar Rows
b2) Front Squats
c1) Elbows-out Tricep Ext.
c2) Pull-throughs
d1) Abs
d2) Grip

or

a) DE Box Squat
b1) DB Bulgarians
b2) Swiss Ball DB Bench
c1) Back Ext.
c2) Band Face Pulls
d1) Abs
d2) Grip

My question is for a full body warm-up should I go through an entire MM dynamic warm-up and IO dynamic warm-up? I do a general warm-up first (treadmill walking, jump-rope, jumping jacks, etc.) for about 3-6 min depending on how cold I am, then dynamic mobility (IO and MM), then 2-3 min for ab activation. Doing both IO and MM this takes about 15-20 min, at least. I'd like to take this down to 15 min tops if I could. Should I just do the dynamic drills from MM one day and IO the next, or do just a few from each every day? Maybe I'm just thinking too much, it just seemed like each DVD addressed warm-ups for upper or lower body workouts, but not full body. Hope this rambling makes sense somewhere, any help is appreciated while I continue to experiment.

[Steve-O-68]

I'd go with full body warm-up since you're doing a full body workout. I haven't seen MM or IO yet (gasp!), but I'm guessing there are ways to restructure a full body warmup so that it doesn't go past 10 - 12 minutes. Like, instead of doing leg swings, kicks, firehydrants, bird dogs, lunges and squats - do leg swings, bird dogs, lunges, and squats. Just an example, but you get the idea.

[jijin]

You could possibly put the focus on the warmups in I/O on your bench days (i.e. doing one exercise from each of the seven sections) and throw in a few from MM that you find most useful (about 3-4), and vice versa for squat/deadlift days.

That's how I'm doing mine at the moment. Just put the emphasis on what you think would prove most useful for that session.

Hope this helps

[Lisa~]

I like what jijin said. I've also dropped the general cardio warm-up altogether. I used to do that, but now I'm just doing more MM and I/O stuff. They get the blood flowing all by themselve and I am devoting my time to something more effective.

I look at each of the workouts in a program and make a warm-up to go with it. Bench day - more I/O choices; squat day - more glute activation, something that stretches my hip flexors (like that overhead crossover reverse lunge, that's a new fav of mine); a ME day I'd want more choices that get my heart rate up; RE day I'd need fewer of those. It also depends on what your particular mobility needs are. If you have trouble spot, you might want to include a movement in every warm-up to address it. I put some upper body and some lower body movements into all of my warm-ups.

Does that help?

[Jason B]

Cool, thanks people. I'll try dropping the general warm-up like Lisa said, and put more emphasis on whatever primary movers I'm working that day.

[Proteus]

I just use the 8 categories from I/O and ~8 categories from MM (I just made these up - grouping exericses for a given joint together). Pick one exercise from each category for 8-12 reps, and I'm done in 8-10 minutes.

Next workout, pick a different exercise from each category. Since I hit a total body workout 3-4 times a week (plus 1-2 cardio sessions) I can hit every exercise in each video at least once a week.

Nathan