Warm Up, stretching, etc.

The Forums Fundamentals
1

Ok, I was curious if anyone had ideas or some stuff about my warm up and stretch routine before training.

I consists of this:

  1. 2 lap warmup run

  2. Stretches

  3. Some movement things:
    a. High knees
    b. Butt kicks
    c. high skips
    d. normal skips
    e. leg crossovers (going sideways)
    (a, b, and e are done twice for 20 reps)
    (High jumps/skips are done for 8 once)
    (Normal skips are done for 10 once)

Now, what else should I do? Any running drills before training? Any more movement drills I should add? My stretching is fine, it just everything after it that I am concerned about. What, if anything, should I add?

2

What you need for a great reference tool is the GPP DVD! It covers all you need!

3

I actually have it. I’ll look through it again to check it for information.

I also forgot, I also do the “hurdle drill” against the fence before training. Its the one where you hold onto the fence and kick back and forth.

Anymore information or ideas would be great though.

4

Hi commanch,
my warm-up looks something like this:

  1. 800m jog
  2. Arm circles/hip cirlces (joint rotations)
  3. Easy stretching (6-8secs)
  4. Side skips + arm circles etc (additional warm-up)
  5. Calistenics + dynamic stretches (push-ups, lunges, squats, bridges,over/unders…)
  6. Drills (butt-kicks, A&B drills, cariocas, ankling, skip…)
  7. Baslistic(?) stretches (leg swings: front-back, side-side)
  8. Fly-ins (generaly building speed)

When there is less time, kick out 800m jog(1) easy stretching(3).
The static stretch should be gentle and held less than 10sec. I love strethcing on my back (knee to chest, knee to shoulder, knee to side), but this can cause instability in spine (McGill), so, after that do some stabilizing exercises (bridges, isom curl-ups, side-bridge). The same question is for flexing/extending the spine. If you do it, take it gently with no force and hold short. Same for rotational strethes (knee to side, scorpions).
There is no problem with statical stretches, when they are held gently and short, and if there is a additional transition period to main part after them (just dont jump from stretches to sprints).
Some authorities avoid doing statical strethes in warm up, because can alter sensitivity of myotatical reflex and impair economy and explosivness and it is prooved that they dont decrease pasive stiffness but rather pain-threshold, but I think that they are reffering to long held, strenous stretches (without additional warm-up period: drills etc). I see no problem with moving limbs in gentle fascion to their ROM and holding for some secs. Just be careful with mobilizing the spine in warm-up (flex/ext, rotation).

  • Stabilize what should be stabilized, mobilize what should be mobilized
    Stuart McGill

BTW, I am thinking to research this warm-up issue in more thouroughly in my final paper and even conduct some experiments with my players, so, anyone having more info on this “issues”, or their opinion and method, please send it via my email:
duxx82@gmail.com

5

Thanks for the information duxx. :slight_smile:

6

Duxx-Could you describe hip circles?

7

Hi Coachf,
after a 800m jog, I usually do vezbe oblikovanja, which is a serbian term (from old comunistic times :slight_smile: ), it could be cosidered as rhytmical/dynamic stretches. Basically, these are gentle joint circles (head, shoulder, elbow, hip…).
Hip circles are:

  • stand in the upright position, feet shoulder width appart, arms on the hips
  • try making circles with your hips (in transversal plane) and not moving feet of the ground. (you got them in GPP DVD)

Also, I do leg rotations (also in hip), trying to step over an invisible hurdle…

8

That’s what I thought. THanks Duxx