Eat your vegetables. Do your homework. Brush your teeth before bed. Do your soft tissue and mobility work to warm up? From childhood, we’re faced with things we despise, yet we’re obligated to do them. Whether it was cleaning our rooms or eating broccoli, at some point, we all grew some degree of hate for these little tasks forced upon us. Maybe it’s because we were told to do something and we wanted to resist? Or the monotony of the task just drove us up the wall? Whatever the reason behind the grown dislike, we were influenced to do it.
The same mentality is formed when we constantly hear from our strength coaches and trainers to roll around on a piece of foam as our hate grows with every little trigger point we hit. Whether you’re pressed for time or want to get straight to the weight, the thought of skipping over those warm-up exercises and routines seems to always cross our mind. But have you ever thought about the importance and benefits of the fifteen-minute process before loading up the bar?
In the principles of marketing and establishing a network, we are urged to build true relationships through trust, commitment, and investment of our time. Basically, instead of trying to “network” when you need something out of someone, create your community of contacts well before you actually need something from them. The same idea is the emphasis of our training programs and warm-up routines. You must build it before you need it!
Get into a routine of never blowing off your warm-up routine. In a time investment of fifteen minutes of soft tissue, mobility, stability, and activation work, not only are you helping yourself in the long run, but you are sure to improve your immediate performance. Just take our word for it. You won't be disappointed. Within that short amount of time spent debating whether or not to warm up, you could have already prepared your body to dominant your training session by:
- Increasing your internal core temperature
- Improving your musculoskeletal system’s health
- Increasing your joint motion and range of motion around the joint
- Lubricating your joints and muscles
- Engraining correct movement patterns
- Reducing the incidence of injury
- Elevating your performance to the next level
Whether looking for a new job or having to face an appointment book filled with doctor and physical therapy visits, take the time needed now to possibly prevent those times of desperation. When you’re pressed for time or really want to just go straight to the iron, think again before skipping your warm-up routine. After all, maybe swinging a five-pound plate around in circles a few times isn’t the best way to warm up before your next set of bench presses? Or instead of looking at yourself in the mirror between sets, you could have used that time to get some soft tissue and mobility work in? Just remember, build it before you need it.
“Stubbornness is usually considered a negative, but I think that trait has been a positive for me.”
— Cal Ripken Jr.