ARTICLE: PROPER WARM-UP AND RECOVERY

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Article: Warm-up and Recovery

           

One of the main things I have learned over the last 15 years of training is how to properly warm-up.  This is not something that I am always great about.  When I do take time to be diligent and focus on my stretching and recovery I notice great results both in max effort as well as shorter recovery time between hard training.  This allows me to Work harder more often.  That allows me to get more awesome at a faster rate.  Why wouldn’t you want to get more awesome?  If you don’t like being incredible I am sure you can find some sport to play where no one loses and everyone gets a trophy. 

Standard Warm-Up:

• ·         5 min of cardio (start sweating)
• ·         Leg swings 10 swings each way
• ·         Arm Swings 10 swings each way
• ·         Kneeling Hip Stretch x 10 seconds each side
• ·         Groin Stretch x 10 seconds each side
• ·         PVC Stretching  shoulder dislocates x 10 reps
• ·         Shoulder Mobility use band or light dumbell:  x 10 reps each way
• ·         Hip and low back mobility: 10 sec each side
• ·         Foam or PVC rolling: 10 reps over each side

If you are not accustomed to warming up this is going to seem tough and pretty taxing.  That is an indicator of how out of shape you are and in need of this.  After two weeks of this, 5 days a week it will go much quicker and you will see immediate results from it.  This increase in flexibility will help your throwing as well.  The more separation you can get from upper to lower body the more time you have to apply force on the implement.

The other half of this is proper recovery.  I know that after a workout typically you want nothing but to get out of the gym and back on with whatever you have to do.  This is something that is also going t allow you to train harder more frequently.  Think of it as a cool down.

PWO Recovery:

• ·         Foam or PVC  roll: x 10 each side
• ·         Easy stretching         
• ·         Contrast showers
• ·         EAT AND SLEEP

I know that the last one seems obvious but most people screw this up as well.  There is an old saying that there is no such thing as overtraining, just under eating and under sleeping.  If you are going to push your body to give you optimal results you have to give it all the things it needs to get there.

            I know that there have been debates for as long as training has existed to the value of warming up and stretching.  I don’t much give a shit about what all that says this is what works for me.  If I don’t do this I run into many more issues of small injuries.  No one ever became the BOSS sitting on the sideline hurt.  Take care of yourself and see what works for you.