The Warm-Up; a few arm swings, lunge stretches and you’re good to go right?

Wrong, very wrong indeed. Remember, the whole point of a warm-up is to you get some blood pumping and to help prevent injury – now, do you really think the arm swings do that?

The problem with most trainers is that their warm-ups are either way too long and make you feel like you have gone through an entire physio session before even touching a weight; or they just stick you on a treadmill for 5 minutes.

A good warm-up should:
• Raise your body temperature
• Get you in the right mindset i.e. gets you focused and ready to move
• Wake up your muscles, tendons and central nervous system
• Elongate the muscles that tend to get tight
• Allow you to lift heavier, run faster etc

I also have my own theory about warm-ups – if you are not sweating within the first 5 minutes, then it is not going to be an effective fat-loss workout. The warm-up is part of your workout and should be taxing – arm swings, lunges and looking in the mirror are not taxing.

Try the below warm-up next time you are in the gym. Yes, it will be hard and it will make you sweat but it WILL make a difference.

5 Minute Fat-Loss Warm-Up
• 30 second double foot speed skipping
• 30 seconds hand walk outs
• 30 seconds hip hinge hamstring stretch
• 30 seconds alternate foot speed skipping
• 30 seconds alternate foot spiderman
• 30 seconds bent over T-Spine rotation
• 30 seconds double foot speed skipping
• 30 seconds alternate chest mobilisation
• 30 second overhead alternate lunge
• 30 seconds alternate foot speed skipping

N.B. Speed skipping is just skipping as fast as you can

About David & Carol Petersen

David & Carol Petersen run Results by Design Personal Training - a personal training gym in Clapham at 292 Battersea Park Road SW11 - Call 020 3551 6739 today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation session and discover how we can help you or complete the blue form on the right hand side of our blog and we will call you. We provide one to one personal triaining, group personal training, classes as well as bespoke healthy eating plans and more. We help our clients lose body fat, tone and sculpt their body and look great outside while feeling great inside.