| When clients in Singapore come to ask for | | | | muscles. These knots cause the muscles to |
| personal training, I realized that we all want to lose | | | | become shortened, tightened and weak. Normal |
| weight and get fit. However without a proper | | | | stretching does not help here. The illustration is |
| warmup, injury risks go way up and when we are | | | | one of a rubber band with a knot in it. Stretching |
| injured, we can't train effectively, side-tracking all | | | | does not help. The knot remains and the rubber |
| our fat loss, weight loss and fitness goals. | | | | band does not function optimally. SMR gets rid of |
| As a personal trainer in Singapore I am often | | | | the "knots". It is cheap to do and makes you feel |
| asked..."What Makes a good Warm-up?" | | | | absolutely great. I have had experiences with |
| When we think about warm-ups, somehow our | | | | clients who come is super stiff and tight. A few |
| minds go back to physical education class in our | | | | sessions of SMR and they feel like they are 30 |
| school days. When I was in school in Singapore, | | | | years younger. SMR is an article in itself but there |
| we were told to move into several stretches and | | | | are some good videos out there. One is called |
| "stand here and hold this position for a count of | | | | "Foam Roller Techniques" by Coach Mike Boyle. |
| 20". | | | | The commonly used tools are foam rollers and |
| These stretches were undoubtedly followed by | | | | tennis balls. Depending on how tight you are, you |
| several laps around the track of field. You know | | | | should spend 3-15 minutes on SMR. |
| what... this is not all that bad. In fact physical | | | | Static Stretching - |
| education lessons 2 times a week is more | | | | Static stretching is the most "ancient" part of the |
| physical activity than most people get in this day | | | | warm-up. However it has been shown to |
| and age. But remember we want to have an | | | | "deactivate" muscles (which makes sense |
| attitude of excellence. "not all that bad" just won't | | | | because we have stretched them and now we |
| cut it. | | | | want them to contract forcefully during exercise? |
| Let's look at this way. How many of us have the | | | | that's not going to happen!). Deactivation is bad |
| ability, passion, athletic background, genetics or | | | | because it makes our strength training session |
| even the desire to train for a place in our | | | | less productive. But what if we WANT to |
| country's Olympic team? Not many right? | | | | deactivate the muscle? That is the case for some |
| However does that mean that the "non-elite" | | | | of our tight and overactive muscles. Common |
| athlete or even the regular person at a gym, | | | | ones are the hip-flexors (front of thigh and hip), |
| should train in a less than optimal (Olympian) way? | | | | the thigh adductors (inner thigh), and the upper |
| I would hope not. And I certainly hope my | | | | trapezius/levator scapulae (neck). |
| personal training clients don't accept any run of | | | | From my experience as a personal trainer in |
| the mill training methods either. | | | | Singapore, our seated and hunched postures (long |
| Of course we would not be lifting the weights | | | | hours of computer use etc) these are the |
| that they can. We would not be running, jumping | | | | muscles that get tight. Static stretching helps here. |
| or swimming as fast or as long as they do. | | | | 2 sets of 20 second holds per tight muscle should |
| However in fundamental aspects they are the | | | | be enough. Remember this is done AFTER SMR. |
| same as us, they are just more finely tuned. An | | | | (the knots are gone now we can stretch |
| Olympic sprinter has exactly the same number of | | | | effectively) |
| muscles performing the same functions as the | | | | Dynamic Stretching/Muscle Activation - |
| couch warming TV addict. The Olympian is just | | | | Now the fun begins, there are numerous |
| far more efficient and powerful. | | | | movement drills and bodyweight exercises that |
| Somewhat like a F1 Racecar versus a broken | | | | can be used in this category. The key idea is to |
| down 1970 Nissan Sunny. The sunny may never | | | | increase body temperature and activate muscles |
| Race on the F1 circuit. But if we put in a new | | | | so they work properly during the main workout. |
| engine (muscular strength and power), new | | | | The key muscle to activate is the glutes |
| suspension (more mobile joints and stronger | | | | (buttocks) because these are not well conditioned |
| bones/connective tissue), and a new body kit | | | | in most people. Failure to activate them results in |
| (reduced body fat) this old car is going to do | | | | hamstrings, adductor and lower back muscles |
| pretty well for itself in a local street car race. | | | | taking the strain. That is a recipe for injury. Good |
| That's great considering its former state of disuse | | | | instructional DVD's for dynamic warm-ups are |
| and ill-treatment. And this is what we hope that all | | | | "Magnificent Mobility" and "Inside-Out". |
| our readers and personal training clients achieve. | | | | Core Training - |
| The Warm-up techniques in this article are the | | | | In most personal training programs in Singapore, |
| beginnings of the transformation of that run down | | | | this area is often left out but it is important. I |
| Nissan. The warm-up exercises will prepare your | | | | include core training in the warm-up because I |
| body for training. | | | | have seen to many people with poor core |
| * Your cardiovascular system will be activated * | | | | function. The key muscles are: |
| Your joints and connective tissue will be more | | | | Transverse Abdominus (TVA) - This muscle |
| pliable * Your nervous system that controls your | | | | performs the "drawing in" of the belly button. This |
| muscles will be activated * Your balance and | | | | is a skill that is lacking in many people, especially |
| reaction time will be improved. * Your body will be | | | | those who have excessive lower back arches. |
| in motion, negating the effects of keeping the | | | | Stand up straight with arms overhead, and think |
| body in a fixed position (usually sitting down for | | | | of making yourself as "thin" and as "tall" as |
| extended periods) as is common in our sedentary | | | | possible, as if you were trying to squeeze |
| lifestyles | | | | between two vertical poles which are close to |
| The exercises are designed to "bullet-proof" your | | | | each other. Hold the drawn-in position for 5 |
| core and major joints from injury. Injury is | | | | seconds for 5 sets. |
| frustrating, prevents progress and is also | | | | External Obliques - This is trained by moving the |
| uh...inherently painful. | | | | hips to the shoulders. Any kind of reverse crunch |
| The warm-up exercises are so important that if | | | | trains this movement |
| you really had a tough day with zero time for | | | | Internal Obliques - This is trained by moving the |
| yourself, all your planning (you did plan to train | | | | shoulders to the hips, any kind of crunching |
| right?) and all your scheduling (you did plan time to | | | | movement trains this. Take note, the crunch |
| train right?) went down the drain... the very | | | | movement curls the body into the "smallest" |
| minimum that you should do on that day is a | | | | possible ball, it does not bring the "face to the |
| series of warm-up exercises. | | | | ceiling" |
| If you are having a regular workout the warm-up | | | | Lateral Flexion - This is achieved by all kinds of |
| exercises should be done before the training | | | | side bridging. |
| session. The components of a warm-up are: | | | | Do 2 sets of 5-10 reps at a controlled speed. |
| Self Myofascial Release (SMR)- | | | | Once you have all these elements in your |
| This is a fairly new piece of "warm-up" | | | | warm-up, you are ready to train. It should take |
| technology. It simply means self massage for | | | | 20 minutes to get all this done. But it is important |
| parts of our body that may have knotted up | | | | enough not to skip it! |