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Why Warming Up and Cooling Down Is Important

Why Warming Up and Cooling Down Is Important

by | Dec 18, 2022 | Exercise, Fitness, Injury Prevention, Strength Training

Steps to avoid injury and improve results.

Bootcamp Class

Before jumping into a workout, consider starting with a warm up and ending with a cool down.

Although these additional movements surrounding your workout seem repetitive and unnecessary, they are not pointless.

Warm Up

A warm up is intended to decrease your risk of injury and improve exercise performance by forcing blood into your muscles and stimulating your nervous system.

You can think about a warm up like getting to a cool pool.

If you jump in, the sudden difference in temperature will shock your body. This “trauma” increases your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate rapidly, and in a worst-case scenario the shock could trigger a heart attack. Simply put, our bodies don’t like abrupt changes.

A warm up is like slowly walking into the pool, stopping to adjust to the temperature change, so your body can gradually adapt and reduce the risk of being shocked. The warm up lets your body know that it will be put under stress and gives it a “warning” to adapt. As the body prepares, it reduces the risk of injury from the stressor.

“So as long as I warm up I will never get injured?”

No, injuries may still happen, but warming up significantly reduces the risk of injury.

The best warm ups raise your heart rate and engage the targeted muscles of the workout. The most effective way to target the right muscles is by mimicking the same movement patterns of the core exercises in your program.

For example, warming up with body weight squats before starting your Barbell Back Squat set is an ideal practice.

Cool Down

But what about after the workout?

After training you are sweating, your heart is pumping, and maybe you just hit a new PR on your deadlift! The last thing you want to do is walk out of the gym and sit in your car for 10-30 minutes driving home.

This is where a cool down is important.

A cool down helps with the recovery process by removing lactic acid build up and reducing DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness. When you cool down, you recover faster. The faster you recover, the more you can train. The more you can train, the better results you get.

Cooling down can improve your training results.

A few cool down approaches coaches use are stretching techniques (which I will be explaining in next week’s newsletter), core exercises, isolations, and even light cardio movements.

All of these techniques can be helpful in cooling the body down.

So don’t skip your warm up and cool down…they are important.

Ready to create a sustainable lifestyle and

build the body you want?

LEARN MORE
David Minishian, MPH

David Minishian, MPH

Fitness and Nutrition Coach

David is the owner and coach at Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, CA. The mission he has started at Sculpt is to educate, equip, and empower the local community to make the best decisions for their health. He has been coaching exercise and nutrition for over 10 years, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle to build the body they want. When he's not training, coaching or cooking, David is on an adventure with his wife and daughter or teeing up his next shot on a golf course.

The Equipment You Need For Resistance Based Training

The Equipment You Need For Resistance Based Training

by | Dec 13, 2022 | Exercise, Fitness, Strength Training

How to use three pieces of equipment for resistance training.

Starting a resistance based training routine can be simple and effective with minimal equipment. Whether you’re at home or in the gym, there are only a few pieces of equipment you need. 

In a gym it can feel overwhelming with so many equipment options. You don’t need to use everything. The free weight section alone has all the equipment to implement a fantastic program from the extremely versatile dumbbells to more specific tools like kettlebells and barbells.

There is NO WRONG choice when it comes to equipment.  The trick is to use the equipment that is going to benefit you most within your current workout plan and move you closer towards your goal.

Resistance Based Training Equipment

Dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells can be used to complete each of the six fundamental exercises included in a training program. Let’s use the chest press exercise as an example to show when you might use each piece of equipment.

Dumbbells

When training dumbbells are foundational to have in a resistance based program. Dumbbells can be used to achieve muscular endurance, hypertrophy, or strength. In the chest press movement, dumbbells allow you to fully contract the chest muscles by bringing your arms and hands closer together at the top of the movement. Since dumbbells can be rotated in your hand, a neutral hand position can be used to reduce stress on the rotator cuff, possibly allowing someone with shoulder discomfort to complete the movement with little to no pain. Completing the chest press with dumbbells is also a safer choice when going heavier without a spotter as the weights can be dropped to your sides if you fail to complete a repetition. After you perfect your form with dumbbells, use other free weight equipment to challenge yourself in new ways.

Kettlebells

While kettlebells are used in the same ways as dumbbells, for specific movements like the chest press the weight is off-centered. This means controlling the kettlebell throughout the movement requires a higher level of muscular coordination. The stress place on the smaller stabilizing muscles will strengthen them, which will help improve chest press performance when using dumbbells or a barbell. 

Barbell

When you want to maximize strength or power, the barbell is your best friend. The barbell allows you to lift more weight which helps improve overall strength. Since the bar requires a fixed hand position, you can also exert less controlled quick movements on the weight to build power. For the chest press the bar will require a spotter during heavier lifts. Safety comes first. Although the bar is specifically better for strength and power, it is excellent for hypertrophy, building muscle, too. 

There is no wrong choice when it comes to which equipment you choose to grab.  As long as the form is good, weight is challenging, you are progressing the program and having fun, the results you want are bound to follow.

Ready to create a sustainable lifestyle and

build the body you want?

LEARN MORE
David Minishian, MPH

David Minishian, MPH

Fitness and Nutrition Coach

David is the owner and coach at Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, CA. The mission he has started at Sculpt is to educate, equip, and empower the local community to make the best decisions for their health. He has been coaching exercise and nutrition for over 10 years, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle to build the body they want. When he's not training, coaching or cooking, David is on an adventure with his wife and daughter or teeing up his next shot on a golf course.

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