The Sunday News
Simon Gama
BEFORE beginning your workouts it’s important that you realise how invaluable warming up and cooling down are to your success. In this and the following article, I will explain their importance, outline exercises and techniques you should use before and after every workout. In the gym many of my advanced champions do not do any conventional warm up or stretching movements before their workout.
They warm up by doing their first set of each exercise with about half the weight they normally could handle and with a high number of repetition very slowly and in the groove. However, until you have reached the most mastered the weirder instinctive principle I want you to play it safe and follow my advice.
WARMING UP (before exercising)
1. Warming up increases blood flow to your joints and helps increase fluidity of movement which protects against injury.
2. Warming up raises the temperature of your blood which also guards against muscle pulls.
3. When blood is pumped into your muscles they can contract more forcefully and efficiently. This leads to faster growth.
4. Warming up allows you to work your muscles through their full range of motion (from extension to full contraction and back again) this is critical for complete development.
COOLING DOWN (after exercising)
1. Moderate exercise after strenuous weight training gives the heart and circulatory system time to slow down gradually and your metabolism time to return to normal besides preventing the blood from pooling.
2. Stretching after heavy training elongates muscles that have undergone severe contractions during your workout, thus preventing muscle soreness and promoting flexibility.
3. You will recuperate more completely by allowing your body temperature to normalise before resuming regular activities.
WARM UP/ COOL DOWN EXERCISE
After completing the fine stretching movements you can also do the following exercise to increase your circulation to prepare yourself to workout. The first of these is jogging in place or jumping rope. You can also do push ups, sit ups and jumping jacks. You should allow no more than 5-10 minutes for those warm up stages since you should save energy for your workouts.
HERE IS A GOOD WARM UP ROUTINE
1. Jumping jacks 20-30 ropes.
2. Alternate the touches 20-30 ropes each side.
3.Push ups 10-15 ropes.
4. Side bends 20-40 ropes.
5. Remember to do these movements one night after the other without pause to get ready for your workout.
Here are some cooling exercises after your workout:
1. Re-cooling 5-8 minutes in a whirlpool or sauna.
2. Swimming for about 5 minutes.
3. Stationary bicycle for about 5 minutes.
4. Slow jogging gradually slowing to walk over a 5-10 minute period.
If your muscles seem unusually tired or sore massage them with deep relief athletic rub after a warm relaxing shower. — Additional information from Online sources, books. The writer is a fitness trainer at Bodyworks gym in Bulawayo.
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