Static Stretching or Dynamic Warm Up Before Workouts?

Technically stretching and warming up are not the same thing. However, most people perform static stretches before physical activity, because they assume it is a proper warm up. Let's look at the difference between the two. Static stretching incorporates holding a stretch anywhere from 15-30 seconds. A warm up, on the other hand, raises the temperature within the body and muscles, and prepares the body for vigorous exercise. The videos below are all exercises within a Dynamic Warm Up that you should be performing before that pick up basketball game, softball league game, or early morning run.

Now some of you might be thinking, "This is crazy! Who doesn't stretch before a workout?" Well research on dynamic flexibility states the following:
1. Warm muscles contract more forcefully, enhancing speed and strength during exercise.
2. When blood temperature rises, the blood is unable to hold as much oxygen. This makes oxygen more available to flow to the working muscles.
3. The movements within a warm up increase the range of motion around the joints.

Think about it, have you broken a sweat after 5-10 minutes of static stretching? Has your heart rate elevated to facilitate more blood and oxygen flow to your muscles? Try the exercises below before your next workout, and I GUARANTEE your body will feel primed and ready to go!

Keep in mind the warm up should only take about 6-7 minutes total. Perform the following exercises over a 10-15yd stretch of land (dirt, sidewalk, grass, track etc.) Execute the exercises throughout the designated distance, then jog back to the start (unless stated otherwise).The goal is to break a light sweat, elevate the heart rate, and increase range of motion in the joints.

DYNAMIC WARM UP:
A. Jog 10 - 15yd and jog back to start
B. Front skip with arm swings (to 10 - 15yd mark)
Backward skip with arm swings (back to start)
C. Side shuffles with arm swing there and back
D. Front Skip with arm circles (to 10 - 15yd mark)
Backward skip with arm circles (back to start)

1. Front Skip and backward skip with arm swing/ Side shuffle with arm swing/ Forward and backward skip with arm circles


2. Hamstrings


3. Glutes


4. Spider Crawl


5. Quads


6. Inchworms


7. Lateral Lunges


8. Hurdle Skip
(forward there, backward on the way back)


9. High Knees


10. Butt Kickers


11. Carioca

15 Minute Abs

Check out the "Posterior Tilt" video before you perform flutter kicks or scissors! Be sure to rest 30 seconds between repetitions and 1 minutes between sets!

Posterior Tilt


1. Flutter kicks
3 x :30 (beginner)
3 x :45 (intermediate)
3 x :60 (advanced)



2. Scissors
3 x :30 (beginner)
3 x :45 (intermediate)
3 x :60 (advanced)



3. Russian Twists
*Remember a twist to BOTH the left and right side equals 1 rep!
3 x 15 (beginner)
3 x 20 (intermediate)
3 x 30 (advanced)
*Wanna kick it up a notch? Perform these while holding an 8-12 pound dumbbell or medicine ball.


4. Reverse Crunches
3 x 10 (beginner)
3 x 12 (intermediate)
3 x 15 (advanced)

Recess Renegade (Workout 2: Upper Body Blow Out)

This workout is designed to target the upper body. Since all of the exercises primarily target muscles within your upper body (pecs, triceps, biceps, back, shoulders,etc.) they don't get much of a chance to recover from the previous exercise. This is not for the weak of heart! This is for those who want a challenge!

Complete 10 sets of each exercise and you are finished!

-Complete the exercises in the order below.
-Perform one set of the first exercise, then the second and third etc.
-After fourth exercise return to top of list and perform the second set of all 4 exercises.


1) Burpees x 10 (with push up)

• Beginners (no push up)

• Intermediate/Advanced (include push up)

2) Mountain Climbers w/ twist x 10 (each side)
If you begin to fatigue and cannot perform push ups properly during the set, then eliminate it from the rest of the repetitions. Start the beginning of each set with push ups and discontinue once form is compromised.

3) Eccentric/Negative Pull Ups

• men 5 - 10 reps
• women 3 - 5 reps
  

4) Forearm Plank :30 - :60 seconds



VIDEOS:

Burpee With Push Up


Burpee Without Push Up


Push Up Instructions:


2) Mountain Climbers w/ twist x 10 (each side)


3) Eccentric/Negative Pull Ups x 5-10


*If you can't do a pull up check out the two videos below!

Jump Pull Up (Eccentric)


Assisted Eccentric (Negative)Pull Up


4) Forearm Plank

Strength & Cardio Workout #1

I. STRENGTH

Complete 10 rounds
1 set of all 5 exercises = 1 round
Perform exercises in the order listed below
Once you have performed all 5 exercises rest 1 minute then begin next round
After 10th round begin cardio portion of the workout


1. Body Weight Isometric Squat :30 - :60
Hold bottom position of the squat (top of thigh parallel to floor or below)


2. Isometric Push Up :30 - :60


3. Isometric Lateral Lunge :30 - :60
Hold bottom position of the lunge (top of thigh parallel to floor or below)


4. Burpees x 10 (NO push up)


5. Trunk Twists x 8 (8 right & 8 left)


II. CONDITIONING (Beginner)
100m stride x 5

Use the straight (100m) of a track for all repetitions
Stride/Run (70% effort) 100 meters
Active Rest (Immediately walk back to the start)
Once you return to beginning/starting line turn around and begin next stride

*CONDITIONING (Intermediate)
100m x 5
Use the straight (100m) of a track for all repetitions
Stride (85% effort) 100 meters in :16-:20 seconds
Active Rest (Immediately jog back to the start)
Once you return to beginning/starting line turn around and begin next stride
*Use a 3:1 work to rest ratio.
Example= finish stride in :20/jog back in 1 minute
= finish stride in :19/jog back in 57 seconds
= finish stride in :18/jog back in 54 seconds
= finish stride in :17/jog back in 51 seconds
= finish stride in :16/jog back in 48 seconds
Once you return to beginning/starting line turn around and begin next stride

Should I stretch before a workout?

Yes! You definitely want to stretch before vigorous activity. However, most people perform the stretches that should be done after a workout (static stretches), at the wrong time. You all know what static stretches are. We grew up on them, and carried them out mindlessly during PE. You sit down with your legs straight and touch your toes, or maybe cross your arm across your chest, and hold these positions for 15 - 30 seconds. These are the stretches you want to do AFTER a workout. Why? You will get a better stretch out of muscles that are warm.

Static stretching does serve a purpose. It will help increase range of motion in the joints, and will decrease muscle stiffness as well. However, studies prove that if done before activity, static stretching can produce a decrease in strength and power production. If this is the case, then what is the proper warm up?

A Dynamic warm up will definitely prepare your body for activity. These are a series of moving stretches that will increase the heart rate and increase oxygen and blood flow to the muscles, increase range of motion in the joints, prepare the body for upcoming activity, and target core and joint stability.

In the near future I will post videos of different movements you can incorporate into your own dynamic warm up. This blog however, will focus on different static stretches you can do after a workout. These stretches can be done with a stretching strap (pictured in the photos), a resistance band, or long towel. Using an implement only helps intensify the stretch by applying added pressure.

1. Hamstring

-Sit down and grab the strap, resistance band, or towel.
-Place band over sole of foot, then lie down on your back.
-Keep leg with the strap and the bottom leg straight.
-Apply pressure and pull your leg towards your chest.
-Keep the legs straight so that you fully stretch the hamstrings.
*If you are bending your leg, release a little of the pressure so the leg remains straight.


2. Inner Thigh (Adductor)

-Sit down and grab the strap, resistance band, or towel.
-Place band over the sole of foot, then lie down on your back.
-Allow the leg to fall to the side (without touching the ground)
-Stretch will be felt in the inner thigh and groin region.
-Keep the leg straight so that you fully target the inner thigh.


3. IT (Iliotibial) Band




-Sit down and grab the strap, resistance band, or towel.
-Place band over the sole of foot, then lie down on your back.
-Allow the leg to fall across the body.
-Keep foot flexed and rotate sole of foot toward the ground
-Stretch will be felt on the outside of the thigh.
-Keep the leg straight so that you fully target the thigh.
*Not feeling anything? Keep leg parallel to floor and move it toward your head.
* See that white stripe on the side of my shorts? That is where you should feel the stretch.

3. Glute


-Sit down and grab the strap, resistance band, or towel.
-Place band around ankle, then lie down on your back.
-Bend leg, as shown above, and pull straight down on the band towards the chest.
-Stretch will be felt on the glute of the bent leg.

4. Quadricep


-Sit down and grab the strap, resistance band, or towel.
-Place band around the top of shoes, just above the ankle, then lie down on your stomach.
-With both hands pull the band up and forward so that bottom knee lifts off the ground.
-Once the knee is lifted keep pulling to keep tension constant.
-Stretch will be felt in hip flexor and quadricep

5. Calf


-Sit down and grab the strap, resistance band, or towel.
-Place band over sole of foot, then lie down on your back.
-Keep leg with the strap and the bottom leg straight.
-Apply pressure by pulling down on band so foot becomes flexed.
-Stretch will be felt in the calf.

6. Chest and Biceps


-Grab strap, towel, or resistance band at both ends.
-Lift strap over and behind your head.
-You will feel a stretch in the chest once the band is over head.
-Continue to lower band behind the body and biceps will begin to stretch.
*If you have had a previous shoulder injury, lowering the band too far behind the body may cause too much pain or discomfort. Limit the range of motion of this movement if necessary, or use a wider grip on the band.

7. Triceps


-Grab strap, band, or towel with top hand.
-Allow strap to fall behind the body.
-Grap opposite end with lower hand and apply downward pressure.
-This will stretch the tricep in the top arm.
* Each picture shows a different grip with the bottom hand. Use which ever grip (palms out, or palms in) that will facilitate a greater stretch.

Need somewhere to do the Recess Renegade workout in the East Bay?

I just posted the first workout from the Recess Renegade series. If you live in the east bay, near the Oakland area, you will have all that you need at Montclair Park!

*In between Moraga Avenue and Mountain Boulevard

No Exercise Equipment? No Problem (Workout #2)

Sometimes you want to get a workout in, but you're short on time. This is when you can get back to the basics and perform a variation of simple exercises. There are a variety of ways to execute a push, squat, and lunge. This workout will incorporate isometric variations of these movements. If these are exercises that you do normally, then using a different method to carry out the movement will wake your muscles up! (Ever heard of muscle memory?) This will be a great way to counteract potential plateaus if you do squats, push ups, and lateral lunges regularly.

Essentially you will be holding the bottom position of all of these exercises. For the body weight squat, lower your hips so that the top of your thigh is parallel (or below) to the floor. Hold that position for 30 seconds without moving! Try not to stand up, (or give up), before the 30 seconds expire. To enable proper oxygen flow to your muscles you must breath steadily. In other words, do NOT hold your breath! Do the same with the push ups and lateral lunges as well. For push ups lower yourself as low as you can into the bottom of a push up. Hold that position without lifting your hips to rest, or dropping them to low (to further increase the chance of low back pain). For lateral lunges you will lower your hips so that the top of your thigh is parallel to the floor (on the bent leg). Hold that position without letting your torso lean too far forward. Do all of the isometric exercises first.

The work to rest ration will always be 1:1. This means you will work for 30 seconds, and rest for the same duration of time. Once you have done your isometric squat, rest 30 seconds and move onto push ups. After lateral lunges, utilize your rest time and start back at the top of the list for the next set. If you are doing an advanced version for :45 seconds or more, then your rest time will be the same as your working time. Once you have done 5 sets of ALL of the exercises, then move on to the 2 core exercises. These will be performed regularly.

This should only take about 15 minutes. This may seem simple but believe me it's a challenge. You will be feeling the burn all 15 minutes!! Once this routine gets easy for you, increase the time of the hold. Once you can do these for 1 minute, increase the amount of sets to 6.

Good luck!

ISOMETRIC EXERCISES:
1. Body Weight Squat: x 5
*Beginner: 30 second hold
*Advanced: :45 second - 1 minute hold


2. Push Ups: x 5
*Beginner: :30 second hold
*Advanced: 45 second - 1 minute hold


3. Lateral Lunge: x 5
*Beginner: :30 second hold
*Advanced: :45 second - 1 minute hold


CORE:
4. ABC's: 2 x 10 (2 sets of 10)
(30 reps total if you count the 3 reps within 1 repetition)


5. Lying Trunk Twists: 2 x 10 (2 sets of 10 (each side))