Stretching and the Warm up – Are You Confused?
By Brad Walker
Lately, I’ve been receiving a lot of questions referring to the latest studies and research findings, and one question that I receive most queries about concerns the role that stretching plays as part of the warm up.
Currently, there seems to be a lot of confusion about how and when stretching should be used as part of the warm up, and some people are under the impression that stretching should be avoided altogether.
This is a very important issue and needs to be clarified immediately. The rest of this article is dedicated to dispelling some common myths and misconceptions about stretching and its’ role as part of the warm up.
What has Science got to say?
Most of the studies I’ve reviewed attempt to determine the effects of stretching on injury prevention. This is a mistake in itself and shows a lack of understanding as to how stretching is used as part of an injury prevention program and the warm up.
Stretching and its effect on physical performance and injury prevention is something that just can’t be measured scientifically. Sure you can measure the effect of stretching on flexibility with simple tests like the “Sit and Reach” test, but then to determine how that affects athletic performance or injury susceptibility is near impossible.
One of the more recent studies on stretching supports this view by concluding;
“Due to the paucity, heterogeneity and poor quality of the available studies no definitive conclusions can be drawn as to the value of stretching for reducing the risk of exercise-related injury.” (The efficacy of stretching for prevention of exercise-related injury: a systematic review of the literature, 2003, Weldon)
To put the above quote in layman’s terms; there hasn’t been enough studies done and the studies that have been done are not specific or consistent enough. For the most comprehensive assessment and conclusion of research done on the affects of stretching I suggest you have a read through the following article, “The Truth about Stretching.”
Confusion about what stretching accomplishes, as part of the warm up, is causing many to abandon stretching altogether. The key to understanding the role stretching plays can be found in the previous sentence. But, you have to read it carefully.
Stretching, as part of the warm up!
Here’s the key: Stretching is a critical part of the warm up, but stretching is NOT the warm up.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that doing a few stretches constitutes a warm up. An effective warm up has a number of very important key elements, which work together to minimize the likelihood of sports injury and prepare the individual for physical activity.
Identifying the components of an effective and safe warm up, and executing them in the correct order is critical. Remember, stretching is only one part of an effective warm up and its’ place in the warm up routine is specific and dependent on the other components.
The four key elements that should be included to ensure an effective and complete warm up are:
1. The general warm up
This phase of the warm up consists of 5 to 15 minutes of light physical activity. The aim here is to elevate the heart rate and respiratory rate, increase blood flow and increase muscle temperature.
2. Static stretching
Next, 5 to 15 minutes of gentle static stretching should be used to gradually lengthen all the major muscle groups and associated tendons of the body.
3. The sports specific warm up
During this phase of the warm up, 10 to 15 minutes of sport specific drills and exercises should be used to prepare the athlete for the specific demands of their chosen sport.
4. Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching involves a controlled, soft bounce or swinging motion to force a particular body part past its usual range of movement. The force of the bounce or swing is gradually increased but should never become radical or uncontrolled.
Please note; dynamic stretching carries with it a high risk of injury if used incorrectly. Dynamic stretching is more for muscular conditioning than flexibility and is really only suited for professional, well trained, highly conditioned athletes. Dynamic stretching should only be used after a high level of general flexibility has been established.
All four parts are equally important and any one part should not be neglected or thought of as not necessary. All four elements work together to bring the body and mind to a physical peak, ensuring the athlete is prepared for the activity to come.
So what conclusions can we make?
Stretching is beneficial, when used correctly. However, as with most activities there are rules and guidelines to ensure that they are safe, and stretching is no exception. Stretching can be extremely dangerous and harmful if used incorrectly.
Remember, stretching is just one very important component that assists to reduce the risk of injury and improve athletic performance. The best results are achieved when stretching is used in combination with other injury reduction techniques and conditioning exercises.
Q. Here is what I want to do, in no particular order:
- build muscle, especially in my upper body (my legs and butt are crazy muscled already)
- get rid of some bodyfat
- look like I can kick some butt (I’ve been skinny, don’t want that again)
I’m 5′1″ and female, currently 131 and 29% bodyfat. I lift heavy (squats, deadlifts, leg press, bench press, more–all that stuff, try to vary each workout) for 30-40 minutes 3 days a week with a 10-15 minute cardio warmup (rowing). I’m about to throw some HIIT in there, too, but haven’t started that yet. Right now I’m eating maintenence (around 1600) most days, but I know I need to adjust that. I just don’t know whether to adjust up or down!
So, do I first concentrate on building muscle for a while (increase calories) and THEN cut back calories to get rid of the fat?
OR, do I cut the calories, lose the fat, and THEN work on building the muscle?
A. It’s funny because losing fat and building muscle go hand in hand when you lift weights. Building muscle is the best way to lose body fat. Over the years, cardio got a lot of focus and people started stepping away from the weights. When it is actually weight lifting that leads to a better overall body transformation. Cardio is still a component of fitness, just not as important as people think. As a whole it isn’t really about what you do first. It all goes together.
Overall fitness basically comes in a three step process.
1) Nutrition – All the exercise in the world won’t matter if you aren’t eating the right way. So the first thing to do is to re-examine your nutrition plan. You have to make sure you are eating enough calories of the right types of foods. More often than not, people who exercise aren’t eating enough. They think getting too many calories will make them fat. You need food to help with recovery and to get stronger. The trick is eating the right types of foods. So you want to eat 5-6 small meals a day (1 meal every 2-4 hours), and aim for one gram of protein per pound of body weight, 1.5 grams of complex carbs per pound of body weight from whole grains/vegetables/fruits, and healthy fats. Also drink a lot of water. If you follow this six times a week and have only one day where you eat what you want, it will get you results.
2) Weight Lifting- Lifting weights is second most important in body transformation. Building muscle is what leads to losing body fat. Also, when you gain muscle you raise your metabolic rate which helps to burn more calories through out the day. Make sure to lift at least three times a week for 45-60 minutes. Free weights yield the best results. Also, make sure that you lift heavy (a weight you can only do 6-8 times) because it helps build muscle better. You don’t have to worry about it bulking you up either.
3) HIIT Cardio – A lot of people waste hours and hours per week doing regular cardio. It does burn calories and help to maintain weight. However, the weight people are losing more times than not , is from losing muscle. That is what you don’t want. You only need 90-120 minutes per week to maintain cardiovascular fitness. So the secret is doing an effective form of cardio that will spare muscle, target bodyfat, and keep your heart in shape. The answer is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
You will find that Barry’s Boot Camp Total Body Video uses HIIT and many others. I’ll make a list here of the videos I use.
Strength training is exercise that utilizes resistance, for instance weights, to strengthen and condition the locomotor system, increasing muscle tone and endurance.
One important result of strength training is increased physical performance. Strength training increases the muscles’ size, strength, and endurance, which contribute to improvements in our work, our preferred sports and hobbies, and our general day-to-day activities.
Another benefit of a superior strength-training program is its effect on our overall appearance and body composition, which can directly influence self-esteem, self-worth, and level of confidence. Take, for example, a 170-pound man who has 20 percent body fat–34 pounds of fat weight and 136 pounds of lean body weight (muscle, bones, organs, water, etc.) By beginning an effective strength training program, he replaces five pounds of fat with five pounds of muscle. He still weighs 170 pounds, but he is now 17 percent fat–with 29 pounds of fat weight and 141 pounds of lean body weight. Although his body weight remains the same, his strength, muscle tone, and metabolism have improved, giving him a firmer, more fit appearance.
Both our physical appearance and our physical performance can be improved by muscle gain or hampered by muscle loss. Research indicates that unless we strength train regularly, we lose more than one-half pound of muscle every year of our lives after age 25. Unless we utilize a safe and effective strength-training program, our muscles gradually decrease in size and strength in the process called “atrophy.”
Strength training is therefore important for preventing the muscle loss that normally accompanies the aging process. A common misconception is that as we get older, it is normal to stop being active and to start using ambulatory aides like canes and wheelchairs.
There is absolutely no reason why all of us can’t be physically, mentally, socially, and sexually active, living a healthy vibrant life until the very day we die! The reason many elderly people rely on ambulatory aides and become slower and fatter is simply that over the years their muscles are decreasing, so their physical performance and metabolism also decrease, becoming less efficient.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a weight-management program is not including a strength-training program with their cardiovascular exercise and low-fat eating regimen. This is unfortunate because when we cut calories without exercise, we can lose muscle as well as fat. Many do not choose to do strength training because 1) they mistakenly think they are going to make their body big and bulky, and 2) they do not realize how beneficial and important strength training is in a weight-management program. Whether it is strength, endurance, muscle size or muscle tone (or a combination) you desire, all are very realistic and obtainable.
To reduce the risk of unbalanced muscle development, you should make sure that when you are training a specific muscle group, the opposing muscle groups are being trained as well (though not necessarily on the same day). For example, if you are doing strength training exercises for your chest, you should incorporate back exercises in your program as well.
Weightlifting affords many important benefits that cannot be achieved by any other exercise or activity. When you start achieving great results, the excitement and fun you feel will make the change well worth the effort. Action creates motivation!
I know what you’re thinking. You’d really love to be fit as a fiddle, but you just can’t seem to make it happen. Instead of making sweet music, all you get is a bunch of sour notes. Too much weight, too little energy, too much flab, too little tone.
Believe me, I totally understand — because my coaching clients come to me with the very same problem. They’ve “been there and done that,” but still aren’t getting the results they want.
Major Insider Fitness Secret: The #1 key to success is NOT to keep trying harder, but to stop doing what doesn’t work, and start doing what’s been proven to work. Amazingly, that one simple shift can give you — literally — twice the results with half the effort.
Problem is, most people have no idea what actually works. Why? Because all our lives we’ve been buried under an avalanche of hype, misinformation, wild claims, and outright lies about fitness, fat loss, and health in general. (Ever watch Saturday morning TV?)
So to help make sure 2006 will be the year you get fit — and stay fit — I want to help you avoid “The Top 7 Fitness Mistakes Just About Everybody Makes.”
Any of these ring a bell?…
1. Wasting your precious time, energy, money, and emotion doing things that simply don’t work. This leave you burned out, frustrated, and wanting to quit before you even get to see any measurable results. If that sounds painfully familiar, I urge you in the strongest terms to take this article to heart. You deserve to succeed, and I want to help you do it!
2. Fuzzy goals / wimpy motivations – A huge factor in reaching your fitness goals is to have a clear understanding of (a) where you want to be, and (b) why it’s so important to do be there. If you don’t have clear goals AND see that there are tremendous benefits in reaching them AND huge costs of not reaching them, you simply won’t have the motivation it takes to get you off your butt, put down the fork, or make wise choices in the supermarket.
3. Expecting results from “generic” solutions – and failing to recognize that you are a totally unique individual in a unique situation with unique needs. To succeed, you absolutely must have a program that’s custom-tailored to your unique needs, and it must involve not just your diet and exercise plans, but also your thinking and motivation.
4. The “Trojan Horse” between your ears. Are you trying to get fit and healthy through diet and exercise alone? Extensive research has shown that the REAL reasons we succeed or fail at fitness / fat loss has a lot more to do with what goes on between our ears much than what goes on our plates. Odds are, you’re not even aware of your own self-sabotaging beliefs and attitudes. But until you correct them, no amount of obsessing about diet and exercise can make any real or lasting difference for you.
5. Unrealistic, unenjoyable, unsustainable exercise program – The first time I ever went to a gym, they put me through such a routine I was sore for days. And you know what? I’ve NEVER been back to a gym. But I do get exercise. I’ve simply figured out what I like to do, so I have no resistance to doing it. (Well, maybe a little now and then.) And what a huge difference it makes! I actually get my exercise now!
6. Failure to build your fitness program into your lifestyle – I’ll tell you, I always had a pretty decent diet, but I struggled for years with the exercise thing. What finally worked — and still works great today — is to build my exercise program into my daily life. So now, instead of never being able to “find the time” to get the exercise I need, it’s simply become part of my day, like eating, showering, or brushing my teeth. The result? It gets done — automatically, and without stress, struggle, or procrastination.
7. Failing to involve “all of you” in the success process – You are not just your body! You are body, mind, and spirit, and unless you get all three aspects of yourself “on board” for success, you’ll only be running on “1/3 power.” You’ll be like a 6-cylinder car running on just 2 cylinders! The result? Very little power, and a mighty rough ride! That’s no way to get to your goals!
Making these mistakes — even just a few of them — will just about eliminate any real chance of getting or staying fit and healthy. There are quite a few other mistakes we make as well, but avoiding these “Super 7″ will make success a whole lot easier for you!
Next time we’re going to zero in on that “Trojan Horse” between your ears and see how to kick it out of your castle. You’ve got enough problems “out there” without having to fend off “psycho terrorists” inside your own head!
I am a die hard fan of dumbbells and barbells so when I saw these new Kettle Bells I was intrigued to see if they worked as well as my old standby’s. I found out that they are a whole lot easier to hold onto than dumbbells and what’s more is that there are workout videos that go along with them. I ordered a set with the dvd so I could try it out and make my recommendation.
You use these differently than you would dumbbells. With KettleBells you are doing more with with your body and the weight versus targeting one or two muscle groups with dumbbells. It is cardio with weights so you are getting more of a workout which means more calories burned and more muscles worked. THIS IS GOOD!!!!! And we all know (because I preach it so much) that we MUST do weight training exercises to keep the muscles burning fat longer throughout the day. With just cardio you stop burning calories right after you stop.
Here is the best part – they even sell a Kettle Bell w/ DVD for BOOTCAMP! YEAH BABY!!!!!!
That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!
Here is a little blurb about them: “KettleBells are the hot new dynamic training tool that deliver an intense workout that can be done in half the time of a traditional workout, while producing twice the results. Empower’s KettleBells are made with a soft touch shell for added comfort and a wide grip handle for smooth, controlled moves. Includes a 20 minute follow along workout DVD.”
I ordered mine through Amazon.com because it was a little cheaper than the Exercise store because I got free shipping.
I also found a dvd at Amazon by one of my favorite exercise queens, Gin Miller. Do you remember Gin Miller? She was the force behind Reebok when Reebok first came out with Step Aerobics. She rocked. Well she now has a video out doing Kettlebells so you know this is a good thing .
Hi, I’m your online personal Trainer, Nadine. I am proud to be a part of ACE’s 2009’s Top 10 Fitness Trends called “Boot Camp”. This site has everything you need to get toned and into shape quickly using a boot camp workout designed especially for your needs. You will be amazed at how quickly you will lose weight and tone up at boot camp!
First, let me start by explaining a little about boot camp exercises and what kind of workouts we have here on this site.
A boot camp workout is basically a set of body weight exercises that work the major muscles of the body at the same time. When you work these large muscle groups together they burn more calories faster than if you were to single out each muscle group and work them individually. See the example to the left. This exercise is working the torso (or chest), arms and legs all in one movement. It’s also a huge cardiovascular exercise! Try doing a few of them right now and you’ll see what I mean.
So how does this benefit you?
You benefit by burning more calories faster for a longer period of time than regular cardio exercise. Your muscles will continue to burn calories for hours after you’ve stopped exercising because you’ve worked the major muscle groups with your own body weight resistance into your cardio routine. If you were to do just cardio, for example walking on a treadmill, your body would stop burning calories right after your workout stops. With boot camp exercises you burn more efficiently. Sweet huh
After a hard workout your muscles are craving fuel to rebuild themselves and one of the best things you can do for them is to drink a protein shake within 1 hour after you’ve finished your workout. This is especially true after a hard boot camp workout because you are using some major muscles for that.
Here is my amazingly easy recipe:
Grab your blender and mix 8 oz of COLD water with one full scoop of whey or wheat protein powder. You can add any assortment of fruits if you wish such as a little banana and some fresh strawberries. I happen to drink chocolate protein powder with just water and no fruit. You can add ice if you want.
The protein powder is something you can buy at a local nutrition store such as GNC. I use “Ultimate Nutrition’s Protein Isolate in Cholocate Creme. I stick with protein powders that have high protein and little fat/calories. Mine has 1 gram of fat, 100 calories, 20 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar per scoop. This is a fantastic one to use!
By Guest Author, Tom Venuto, Competitive Bodybuilder
When is the best time of day to do your aerobic exercise? The answer is any time! The most important thing is that you just do it. Continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, will burn body fat no matter when you do it. However, if you want to get the maximum benefits possible from every minute you invest in your workouts, then you should consider getting up early and doing cardio before you eat your first meal – even if you’re not a “morning person.” Early morning aerobic exercise on an empty stomach has three major advantages over exercising later in the day:
Early in the morning before you eat, your levels of muscle and liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) are low. If you eat dinner at 7 p.m and you eat breakfast at 7 a.m., that’s 12 hours without food. During this 12-hour overnight fast, your levels of glycogen slowly decline to provide glucose for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. As a result, you wake up in the morning with depleted glycogen and lower blood sugar – the optimum environment for burning fat instead of carbohydrate. How much more fat you’ll burn is uncertain, but some studies have suggested that up to 300% more fat is burned when cardio is done in a fasted, glycogen-depleted state.
So how exactly does this work? It’s quite simple, really. Carbohydrate (glycogen) is your body’s primary and preferred energy source. When your primary fuel source is in short supply, this forces your body to tap into its secondary or reserve energy source; body fat. If you do cardio immediately after eating a meal, you’ll still burn fat, but you’ll burn less of it because you’ll be burning off the carbohydrates you ate first. You always burn a combination of fat and carbohydrate for fuel, but depending on when you exercise, you can burn a greater proportion of fat relative to carbohydrate. If doing cardio first thing in the morning is not an option for you, then the second best time to do it would be immediately after weight training. Lifting weights is anaerobic (carbohydrate-burning) by nature, and therefore depletes muscle glycogen. That’s why a post lifting cardio session has a similar effect as morning cardio on an empty stomach.
The second benefit you’ll get from early morning cardio sessions is what I call the “afterburn” effect. When you do a cardio session in the morning, you not only burn fat during the session, but you also continue to burn fat at an accelerated rate after the workout. Why? Because an intense session of cardiovascular exercise can keep your metabolism elevated for hours after the session is over. If you do cardio at night, you will still burn fat during the session, so you definitely benefit from it. However, nighttime cardio fails to take advantage of the “afterburn” effect because your metabolism drops like a ton of bricks as soon as you go to sleep. While you sleep, your metabolic rate is slower than any other time of the day.
Burning more fat isn’t the only reason you should do your cardio early. The third benefit of morning workouts is the “rush” and feeling of accomplishment that stays with you all day long after an invigorating workout. Exercise can become a pleasant and enjoyable experience, but the more difficult or challenging it is for you, the more important it is to get it out of the way early. When you put off any task you consider unpleasant, it hangs over you all day long, leaving you with a feeling of guilt, stress and incompleteness (not to mention that you are more likely to “blow off” an evening workout if you are tired from a long day at work or if your pals try to persuade you to join them at the pub for happy hour.)
You might find it hard to wake up early in the morning and get motivated to workout. But think back for a moment to a time in your life when you tackled a difficult task and you finished it. Didn’t you feel great afterwards? Completing any task, especially a physically challenging one, gives you a “buzz.” When the task is exercise, the buzz is physiological and psychological. Physiologically, exercise releases endorphins in your body. Endorphins are opiate-like hormones hundreds of times more powerful than the strongest morphine. Endorphins create a natural “high” that makes you feel positively euphoric! Endorphins reduce stress, improve your mood, increase circulation and relieve pain. The “high” is partly psychological too. Getting up early and successfully achieving a small goal kick starts your day and gives you feelings of completion, satisfaction and accomplishment. For the rest of the day you feel happy and you feel less stress knowing that the most difficult part of the day is behind you.
So, you say you’re not a morning person? Take heart; neither am I. I can sleep in like you wouldn’t believe! But I get up anyway because I know the effort is worth the results. When I have a bodybuilding goal that I am clearly focused on, such as reaching 4% or 5% body fat for a competition, I’m on my Stairmaster for 45 minutes every morning at the crack of dawn without fail. Sure it’s a challenge at first, but you know what? After a few short weeks, It’s no longer a chore and I’m “in the groove” – and you will be too. Just try it. Make a commitment to yourself to do it for just 21 days. Once those 21 days have gone by, you’ll already be leaner and you’ll be on your way to making morning workouts a habit that’s as natural as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. Once you start getting used to feeling that buzz, you’ll become “positively addicted” to it. The more you do it, the more you’ll want to do it. Before you know it, early morning cardio will your new habit; you’ll be leaner, your metabolism will be faster and you’ll feel fantastic all day long!
Just how many calories do you need to maintain your current weight, lose weight or gain weight? There are tons of calorie calculators out there but the easiest and fairly accurate way to determine how many calories you need each day is the one I am listing below.Once you determine your caloric needs you can then determine how many calories to cut from your intake each day to drop one pound.It takes 3500 burned to lose one pound so if you combine exercise with a reduction in calories per day you will meet your goal.
I happen to like the Mayo Clinic’s free calorie calculator because it is simple and quick.If you want determine how many calories you need just to exist at the weight you are at use this calculator.Then you can determine how much you want to exercise and find a calculator to determine how many calories are burned during that exercise and reduce your daily intake of calories to reach the 3500 mark.That will help you burn off one pound when you spread it out over a week’s time.
Push ups are a fantastic form of body exercises and when done correctly can really enhance your caloric burn. They are also a VERY basic maneuver of boot camp! So I’d like to give you a very basic understanding of how to properly do a push-up. Also, many women and sure, some men, lack the upper body strength to even do a push up so if you begin to train now in a few short months you can be doing some major push ups without difficulty.
So my friends, put on your fatigues and hit the deck!
The most common thing you see people do wrong with push-ups is they go through a very limited range of motion. You also will typically see people moving a little too fast through the range of motion, which makes the exercise easier.
So to begin, we’re going to slow everything down. We’re going to go about three seconds on the way up, three seconds on the way down. Think of a slow, controlled movement that eliminates momentum from the picture.
Start from a prone position – belly to the floor – with hands just outside shoulders with the fingers facing forward and arms fully extended. The feet can be together or as much as a foot apart. The hips should not sag towards the ground at any point during the exercise, and should be held in a position every so slightly lower than the shoulders. Weight is forward on the hands so that the arms form a straight line from the wrists to the shoulders; the shoulders should not be behind the wrists.
We’re going to flatten out the back and we’re going to also make sure that we go through a full range of motion, so we are going to come all the way up to the top, stopping just short of locking out our elbows at the top and then, we’re going to come all the way down ’til our chest touches the floor.
Inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up.
Focus on doing each repetition perfectly as opposed to focusing on how many you can do and trying to make a contest out of it.
For those of you who cannot do a push-up, here are some techniques to help get you there. And don’t bother with “modified” or “girl’s” push-ups that are done with knees on the floor. This exercise is a waste of time and, despite conventional wisdom, does NOT prepare the body to perform “real” push-ups.
The first step to prepare the body to do push-ups is to work on maintaining the proper start position. What seems like an easy enough thing to do is actually difficult for many people. So the first drill for those who can’t do a push-up is to get into the starting position and hold it for 30 seconds, breathing steadily the entire time.
Maintaining this push-up posture for 30 seconds at a time is the best way for a beginner to strengthen the body and prepare for doing real push-ups. The “modified” push does nothing to develop the core strength and balance that’s required to do proper push-ups. If you haven’t tried this “static hold” exercise, you’ll be amazed at how difficult it can be, especially when doing 3 or 4 sets of 30 second holds, and how much more difficult it is to hold this position than it is to do modified, bastardized push-ups.
Progress from this “top position” static hold to a “bottom position” static hold, and the body is in a position where the chest is a few inches off of the floor. This is a more difficult drill, so shoot for sets of 10-15 seconds in duration.
Once the two variations of “static hold” push-ups have been mastered, progress to “negative” push-ups. Negative push-ups will help to build the strength needed to do real, full push-ups. To do a negative push-up get into the starting position and slowly lower your body until your chest touches the floor, maintaining strict control during the movement. When doing “negatives” there’s no concern for the push phase of the exercise, so once your chest touches the floor just get back to the staring position by going to your knees and resetting.
Now it’s your turn! Don’t put off exercising any longer. You’ll build lean and long muscles which are fabulously sexy!
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First, let me start by explaining a little about boot camp exercises and what kind of workouts we have here on this site.
