We are two weeks into the Open already. But, we still have three more weeks of fun! Given the demand for different heats at the Saturday Main Event it is not optimal for all of us to warm up together. With that in mind here are a couple of guidelines that you can follow over the next few weeks to make sure that you are prepped and ready for the three remaining workouts.
Start with a General Warm Up
The purpose of this is to start to get the blood pumping towards the extremities and get the cardiorespiratory system woken up. Do not go hard in this portion! It should be an easy conversational pace and can last from 5-10 minutes. Jumping rope, jogging, biking, rowing can all be utilized here. Personally, I like to do a 500m Row then .5 mile Airdyne then 500 meter Ski everyday to hit some different movement patterns.
After the cyclical work to start you may also want to add in some more dynamic plyometric type movements. Think box jumps, kettlebell swings, broad jumps etc.
Move onto a Specific Warm Up
This is where you can start to hone in on the movements that will be utilized within the workout. During this portion you should focus primarily on dynamic range of motion activities. Movements you may consider here are: PVC Dislocates, Hip Circle Walks, Good Mornings, Scap Pulls, Walking Lunges, Handstand Holds, Single Leg Deadlifts etc. It is best to stay away from too much static stretching here. But, if you have a movement that is very dependent on positioning you may want to spend some time prepping for those positions. For example, an overhead squat workout may necessitate a bit more time spent with the hips, shoulders and ankles.
Finish with some Energy System Prep
This is one of the most important and often overlooked parts of the warm up. These should look like mini versions of the workout you are about to perform. Take last week’s workout (18.2) as an example. A good energy system prep warm up for that could be three rounds of 5 Dumbbell Squats and 5 Burpees with a minute of rest in between each round. Try to increase your effort on each round. If it is a short burner you want to make sure that the first time your heart rate spikes is not in the middle of the workout. This is also a good time for you to practice transitions and see how the movement combination feels.
