What is a dynamic warmup? Dynamic training is exercise that stimulates real life body movements. The exercises in a dynamic warm up mimic the exercises that will be performed in the main part of the workout. The movements are usually done against light to moderate resistance in order to improve functional strength, mobility, stability, balance and coordination. Dynamic warm up uses exercises that exaggerate the ability to stay balanced while moving or slightly resisting. This can be done by unilateral exercises that use one leg or one arm. They also can include bilateral, on stable or unstable surfaces, or even by closing eyes.
A dynamic warm up is better than static stretching. With static stretching you lengthen the elasticity of the muscle. In doing so you decrease its ability to rebound as well and limit its ability to perform maximum strength output during the work out. Static stretching should be done once your entire workout is complete to get rid of lactic acid and help with recovery.
It is best to start out with five to ten minutes of a full body cardio machine like an elliptical if you are doing a full body workout. If you are doing a lower body I suggest cycling or running. If it is an upper body workout you may want to warm up on the rowing machine.Once the blood is flowing from the warmup I continue getting them ready for the workout by using different series of dynamic exercises. The dynamic exercises should geared towards what your workout is going to be.
The following are some examples dynamic circuits that can be used. You can combined as many series as you want and do them in any order you would like. Remember this isn’t the full workout and that it is just part of the warm up. Some of the series involve hurdles. If you don’t have any hurdles you can just skip that series.
Series 1(20m)
Alt Arm Rotations Fwd
Alt Arm Rotations Backward
Alt Arm Rotations Fwd Acute
Alt Arm Rotations Backward Acute
Double Arm Rotations Fwd
Double Arm Rotations Backward
Double Arm Rotations Fwd Acute
Double Arm Rotations Backward Acute
Chest Flies Straight Arm
Chest Flies Acute Arm
Series 2 (10 Reps)
Wrist Circles
Trunk Twists
Hip Circles
Knee Circles
Ankle Circles
Sky Divers
Series 3 (10 Reps)
Scorpions
Scissors (Frontal & Sagittal)
Donkey Kicks
Trail Leg Against Wall
Lead Leg Plows
Fire Hydrants
Iron Cross
Series 4 (10 reps)
Hurdle Cross Over
Wall Attack
Inverted Bicycle
Hurdle Seat Change
Trail Leg
Lead Leg
Lead Leg/Trail Leg
Lunge Exchange
Series 5 (10 reps/20m)
Ground Sweep
Lunge Walk
Hamstring Jog/Stretch
Dynamic Hamstring Walk
Grapevine
Series 6(20m)
Same hand/leg(inside heel/outside)
Heel/Toe Walks (In/Out/straight)
Knee-Chest/Heel Butt
Inside/Inside/Outside/Outside
Karaoke leg crossovers
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