Warm Up For The Warm Up?

Step away from the foam roller, people! Ever walk into a gym and are unsure how to warm up, but know you should probably not surprise your body too hard by just jumping in to your sweat fest? So maybe you jump on the closest cardio machine until your lungs are audibly working, crank out some foam roller moves, and then do some barbell thrusters or front squats. Great! However, you realize your last interval of your sweat fest of a workout felt much better than your first interval, and then it hits you: My first three rounds were basically my warm up!

What you need is a warm-up before your coach-led warm-up. Something like a specialized warm up before the coach gets you moving with more workout-specific movements. What this will lead to is your very own “HOT-UP.” This is not a real term, much like “back abs” are not an actual anatomical term, yet we do SEE them when you get leaner. A “HOT-UP” is what I will refer to as the potent combination of the warm-up before the warm-up, plus the coach-led warm-up.

Example (with a little “WHY”)

• 20-30 Hanging L-Raises (decompress spine + warm up hip flexors warm grease hamstrings)
• 10/ea Thread The Needle (Thoracic rotation + open tight fascia between ribs…helps diaphragmatic breathing)
• 30-40s SL Wall Sit (Efficient way to create bilateral imbalances + fire up the glutes)
• 30 Arch Body Rocks or GHD pulses (synergizes global muscle recruitment of the core corset)
• 8/ea ½ Kneeling Bottoms Up KB Press (contralateral stabilizing + shoulder integrity)

[Work through 1-2 rounds, or 12 steady minutes]

At CrossFit Parable, we have formerly referred to the first part of this equation as the, “On Your Own” part of the whiteboard that you work through before class starts. Now, you will see this section written as, “Part 1 of Your HOT UP.” If you come 10-15 minutes before class starts you’ll benefit from all the moves you need to activate global and intrinsic muscles, strengthen bilateral imbalances, improve skill, and build heat. Our coaching professionals work quality movement into your day so that valuable first part of your training doesn’t get wasted as a warm up.

These are just some of the things that Part 1 of your Hot-Up will provide you, just by doing what’s written on the board:

• Prepare your mindset with the perfect energy dose
• Wake up your CNS (central nervous system)
• Increase blood flow without a treadmill
• Activate stabilizer muscles that will keep you in better positions #virtuosity
• Strengthen bilateral imbalances
• Work on skill progressions, not under fatigue #virtuosity
• We do the thinking for you; you just do and learn as you do

The entirety of the hot-up takes 20-30 minutes, which includes the learning and progressions that your coach leads you through. This is part of the process. Consider all of the groundwork you would miss out on if you skip the part 1 of your warm up (see list above). Thank you for trusting us with the development of your fitness and your virtuous movement. We ask that you trust the process 😊

Parabolically,

Ye ‘Ol Coach