Most people looking to hit a fast upper body workout have one thing on their mind. They want to get in and out of the gym fast. The warm-up is always an afterthought and is always skipped.
The fact is that if you perform a simple and fast warm-up, your training session will be so much better. You’ll feel better when you hit that first set and most times, you’ll hit your goal weights.
Let’s quickly look at the problem areas from too much TV, too much driving and too much Googling Charlie Sheen and Brea Olsen.
- shoulder slouched forward
- pec minor / hip flexors shortened and tight
- scapular retractors inhibited and weak
- Adonis DNA quotient is low as hell
- I need a sandwich and I’m sleepy
The good news is, the warm-up doesn’t have to be 20 minutes long. In fact, if you move from movement to movement, it can be done effectively within 10 minutes. The idea is to negate all the bad stuff you did all day long, otherwise you’re fighting a losing battle.
You spend 23 hours out of the gym. You have to overcome these 23 hours with just one hour in the gym.
Here's a great pre-upper body training warm-up (or recovery session at the end of the workout) routine that I put together that covers all of the bases:
“Open Up Your Sh*t” Routine
1A) Seated Scarecrows, 1 x 12
These can also be done standing.
1B) Side Lying Posterior Flyes, 1 x 12 each side
These can also be done standing.
1C) Kneeling Push-up Pluses, 1 x 10-15
The full version can also be done in a plank/push-up position.
1D) Side-to-Side Chest Stretches, 1 x 10 each way
These can also be done standing against the wall and supplemental with elastic band stretches.
1E) Back Extensions, 1 x 10-15
These can be done using the Elite GHR bench and Elite Bands.
1F) Squat to Stand, 1 x 10
I like doing these in bare feet or wrestling shoes.
*Side Note: You can perform this routine one or two times through depending upon how much warm-up or recovery you need.
(Exercises 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D)
Back Extensions (Exercise 1E)
Squat to Stand (Exercise 1F)