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Dynamic Warm up |
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Have you ever pulled a
muscle standing
still?
Hopefully the answer to the above question is no.
 Think about it then, does running up and down the court a few times
before performing a few (static) stretches represent what happens
when you start playing.
If you said NO then you would be correct, so why do I see so many
players doing exactly this as their warm up? Why would you want to
prepare your body in that way, what is the point? |
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Paul Gold
Paul Gold has a Masters degree in Sports Sciences and is a
Performance Enhancement Specialist and Speed Agility Quickness
trainer.
For information about exercises, products and services you can contact
Paul via
www.OptimaSportsTraining.com |
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Before beginning any
exercise program, consult with your physician. |
 GET
YOUR FREE REPORT ON THE ESSENTIAL FOOTWORK
DRILLS OF THE PROS ...
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These are the main reasons you need to
warm up:
- Increase core temperature and
suppleness of musculoskeletal tissue
- Increase heart rate and therefore
blood (and fuel) flow
- Increase activation of the
Central Nervous System (improve co-ordination, skill, reactions
etc)
- Increase the speed, efficiency
and force of muscle contraction
The main problem with the "typical
warm up” is that it does not adequately prepare you for the demands
of the game. Jogging in a straight line is not representative of the
sport of squash and normally has minimal effect on body temperature.
Static stretching is performed slowly either standing still or
sitting and whilst it can be useful at the end of a session for
increasing range of motion, before you start it reduces power
output, causes a drop in body temperature (negating any gains
previously made from jogging) and bears no resemblance to the very
active contraction - relaxation process that occurs when you play. |
Dynamic Warm Up
Follow these guidelines to get you ready to perform at the top of
your game!
Replace jogging with a more dynamic series of movements that include
skipping, high knee drills, butt flicks, crossovers and progressive
shadowing. This should take about 5 minutes and you should be
breathing quite heavily by the end.
Use dynamic forms of flexibility like walking quad stretches, lunges
and high kick walks along with some leg and arm swings in all planes
of motion.
This whole process is very important for the preparation of the
muscles to perform dynamic movements and should take about 15
minutes.
An example of an on court dynamic warm-up sequence would be:
- Skipping forwards & backwards
- Side shuffles
- Carioca
- Butt kicks
- High knees
- Zig Zags
- Walking quad stretch and high
kick walks (hamstrings)
- Leg and arm swings (use racket)
- Shadowing (build up to 100%
intensity)
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Once you are sweating and are able to
perform your shadowing at full speed, you can consider yourself
warmed up for the training session or game.
I have found that when I compare a thorough dynamic warm up to the
“typical” warm up I find myself saving at least 10 minutes at the
beginning of every session which is a minimum of 1 hour per week
that I can use more productively.
Since one of the biggest issues we all face is the time available to
develop the many areas of the game, to be able to add an extra 50-60
hours per year to your training without additional sessions, can
make a huge difference. |
So, use progressive dynamic warm ups
(and warm downs) to “hit the ground running” when you play and leave
your opponents in the dust behind you!.
www.optimasportstraining.com
Also from Paul:
Eccentric
Strength for Squash |
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