Why our muscles need warm-up and stretching?

11 April 2010 0 views No Comment

THE MAIN TASK OF WARM-UP AND STRETCHING

The main task of any warm-up and stretching exercises is to get muscles ready for serious workout loads. When starting training session with ‘cold’ muscles one can seriously hurt and will not be able to achieve 100% of efficiency of basic workout sets. On the contrary, when a person is warming up the temperature of muscles and other tissues is increasing; blood is actively circulating in his organism and protectively preparing it for physical loads. Warmed up muscles and joints become much more flexible; and injury risk is reduced almost to zero.

Any warm-up prepares for work not only our muscles but also our mind getting it ready to realize and overcome heavy training loads.

So, let’s make it clear what a warm-up is. A warm-up is recognized as a part of a workout session distinguished by numerous reps, low intensity, and rapid exercise performance, which aim is to increase muscles blood supply. Quick and light movements raise muscular temperature and provide our flexibility and mobility. But how? – Everyone knows that a warm muscle with increased blood circulation is more elastic and flexible than a cold one. So, the most welcomed warm-up types are the following: riding an exercise bicycle, jogging, warming up when working with light weights.

In general, bodybuilders practice two main warm-up types: one is before a training session (basic warm-up: running, exercise bicycle, swings, etc.) and the other (special warm-up) – right before performing an workout exercise. It consists of several reps of this exercise completed with light weights and serves as a means of a target warm-up of a particular muscle group.

How do we warm up?

Spend 10 minutes on a light basic warm-up: ride an exercise bicycle, take a treadmill run. It’s possible to finish warming up with extension exercises (but they shouldn’t be too intensive). It’s worth mentioning that after a well-done warm-up your body becomes more pliant and it’s easier to perform extensions; you’ll spend much less time on them in comparison with performing them with cold muscles.

Stretching

If you complete basic sets not in a row but with rest intervals it’s very opportunely to stretch during these intervals. I am sure that stretching exercises performed during rest intervals (meaning right after muscles have suffered heavy loads) stimulate muscle growth.

Scientific researches show that people who perform stretching exercises become stronger; besides it, stretching exercises gradually but significantly change muscle shape. Due to stretching different anabolic processes take place in our muscles.

However, it’s very important to perform stretching after a basic warm-up but not instead of it! You have to understand that stretching can be (and must be) the part of warm-ups, but stretching IS NOT warm up.

How perform static stretching exercises?

The most popular and convenient way of performing stretching for bodybuilders is fixed point stretching: you need to keep a certain stretching position for 15-30 seconds and try to stretch you muscles under tension more and more till they reach their limit. It’s very simple and useful to employ this technique during rest intervals extending those muscles which you are currently training.

So, how do we do it? – I am not going to describe here the technical aspect of performing different types of stretching: you’ll be able to come to the idea on your own very easily. When we are lifting any weight a responsible muscle is contracting; the opposite muscle is stretching in this time. Try to repeat this stretching phase without using weight. To do it it’s often very convenient to touch any support with one hand in an extension position and try to increase it slowly. For example, you can stretch you chest muscles if you hold a support with one hand and imitate Dumbbell Flyes. Choose those stretching types that are the most appropriate for you; and you’ll definitely feel their efficiency.