Pre-weight Lifting Warm-up Stretching Exercises

Being flexible - having well lubricated joints and elastic muscles - is one of the best ways to reduce the prospect of injury and give you the basis for a wide variety of workout routines.

Your overall goal is to attain good range of motion, while gradually extending that range to a degree appropriate to your fitness level and body type. There are several different ways to accomplish that goal, and you should use at least a few of them before every workout.

Warm-ups are fundamental. Cold muscles are much more likely to tear and lead to stretched or torn cartilage and other harmful results. Warm-ups and stretches help produce the fluid that lubricates the joints, and it helps the muscles become more elastic. Those both lead to safer, higher performance workouts.

By performing warm-up routines, you actually do literally just that - warm up the body. Internal body temperature can't raise by a large amount, or you would have all the symptoms of a fever. Nevertheless, the temperature in the muscles can, and should, be raised slightly in order to dilate blood vessels and loosen muscles. That dilation leads to greater blood flow, which helps oxygenate muscles and remove the waste products of cellular activity.

Warm muscles are looser, more supple and flexible. That reduces stiffness and lowers resistance to larger movements. That helps reduce the risk of injury and prepares the body for high-performance activity.

A good warm-up also raises the heart rate, respiratory capacity and the overall metabolic level. Among other benefits, this helps deliver nutrients to muscles that will be useful for the workout to come. Warm-ups help lubricate joints, too, as well as lowering the risk to stretched tendons and tears.
Eight to ten minutes is the minimum for most people. This can be done by low-impact jogging in place, simple stretches and other techniques.

Static stretching, for example, is the old-fashioned stretch and hold for 30 seconds. I recommend cutting this time to a shorter 20 seconds as studies have shown that stretching 30 second or longer can ultimately reduce muscle strength during workout. This should be done with the arms, upper body, legs and neck.

Dynamic stretching and ballistic stretching involve more active, bouncing-style or weight-assisted stretching, sometimes with extra force applied. Both types are helpful. Some dynamic stretches involve holding the arms out to the side, then swinging them back and forth across front of the body, repeating for 30 seconds. A variation of this exercise is to make circles with your arms, starting with small circles and gradually increasing the circles to promote full range of motion in your shoulders.

Another technique involves using a short bar across the back of your neck, lying on the shoulders. Place your hands on the bar and then bend slowly left, then right, moving your head toward the outer edge of your foot.

Abdominal muscles can be prepared by lying backwards on a large rubber ball. Push back slowly and raise the arms above your head. Repeat 10 times. Loosen your hamstrings by lying on your back, and raising one outstretched leg using a large towel wrapped around your foot. Grab the ends and pull up slowly. Switch legs and then repeat for 10 reps.

A full back stretch is accomplished by lying on your back and bringing both knees to your chest, hands clasped behind your knees. Roll forward until your feet hit the floor, then roll back until your head touches. Do 10 of these rolls.

Groin stretches can be done safely by using a large rubber ball. Place one knee on the ball and slowly rotate the ball a few inches away from your body. Move the ball back toward your body, then switch legs. Do 10 movements.

Both the legs and back muscles can get a good warm-up stretch by doing toe taps. Stand up straight, feet apart about shoulder width. Lean forward, touching your big toe on one foot with the opposite hand - left hand to right foot, and vice-versa. Those with lower back problems should consult a trainer or physician before attempting these.

For maximum flexibility and injury prevention during workout, stretching routines and a light warm up jog on a treadmill should be carried out prior to every workout. This will help maximize the range of motion and increase the blood and oxygen flow to your muscles, promoting better workout results.