What Should A Warm Up Actually Do Before Lifting
How To Replace Five Generic Minutes With Five Targeted Minutes That Change Your Session
Most warm ups are a waste of time. Not because warming up is unnecessary, but because five minutes on a bike followed by leg swings and band work does almost nothing to prepare your nervous system for the specific demands of the session ahead.
What A Standard Warm Up Misses
A warm up has two jobs. First, increase tissue temperature and blood flow. Five minutes of light movement handles this. Second, and far more importantly, prepare your nervous system to recruit the right muscles in the right sequence. Almost no standard warm up addresses this second job. You feel warm. Your movement pattern is the same compromised pattern you had when you walked in.
The Two Jobs Of A Real Warm Up
A corrective warm up targets the specific positional issues that affect your training. If you have a Left AIC pattern (and most people do), your warm up should include exercises that reposition the pelvis, restore hip internal rotation on the left, and establish a Zone of Apposition so your diaphragm can brace properly. These are neurological resets, not general mobility drills.
A Sample Corrective Warm Up For Squats
For someone with a Left AIC pattern, breathing dysfunction, and rib flare, a typical pre-squat warm up looks like: 90/90 Hip Lift with Balloon (3 sets of 5 breaths, restores pelvic position and ZOA), Left Sidelying Adductor Pullback (2 sets of 8 reps, activates left adductor and restores left hip internal rotation), Wall Supported Reach with Exhale (3 sets of 5 breaths, brings ribs down), Standing Left AF/IR (2 sets of 8 each side, integrates new position into standing). Total time: five to seven minutes.
Why Corrective Warm Ups Produce Immediate Changes
The results are noticeable from the first session. Squat depth improves because the hip socket is in a better position. The bar feels more stable because your core is pressurized. The drive out of the hole feels different because your glutes are contributing. Over time, the corrective warm up drives pattern resolution, not extra sessions or special recovery protocols.
How MOVECHECK Generates Your Warm Up
MOVECHECK generates a personalized warm up protocol based on your assessment results. Your warm up should not be a ritual. It should be a targeted intervention that prepares your specific body for the specific work you are about to do.
See This In Your Own Body
Every concept in this article is tested in the MOVECHECK assessment. Find out which patterns apply to you.
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