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Gain More by Doing Less — The Myth of the Prolonged Warm-up By Kris Fronzak
Fitness
As both casual gym-goers and professional athletes can attest, sometimes a thorough warm-up readies the muscles. Other times, it can drain them completely. Increasing amounts of research suggest that a longer warm-up may actually inhibit aerobic and muscular ability by exhausting the muscles before they have a chance to reach the main workout.
The Purpose and the Problems of the Warm-up The warm-up has long been considered a crucial component of any good workout plan. It has numerous purposes, since heating up the muscles is generally agreed to help reduce cramps, prevent injuries, increase efficiency, speed up reaction time and decrease post-workout soreness[1]. Done to excess, however, warming up can have a negative impact on the muscles, and lead to reduced output. A recent study tested the same set of skilled rowers twice within a 12-day period, and found that those assigned to shorter and less-intense warm-ups Photo by Kris Fronzak before an on-land race were less strained and yet more powerful during the actual race[1]. How’s that for a win-win? In another study, researchers gave sprint track cyclists a traditional, 52-minute warm-up routine or a 23-minute warm-up with lower intensity. The traditional warm-up resulted in “significant fatigue”[3] and reduced output, which indicates that the less intense warm-up is, again, preferable for overall performance.
Plan of Action Though it seems clear that shorter and less intense warm-ups may help with overall performance in professional athletes, the same verdict may not apply to the rest of us — the joggers, lap swimmers and recreational gym-goers. This is mainly because it can be hard to draw the line between a warm-up and a core routine. “There is little difference between warm-up and exercise for a non-competitive recreationally active individual,” said Dr. Tomaras, one of the researchers behind the cycling study. However, “it is probably good if people are performing ‘too much warm-up’ because it would hopefully mean that they are being more physically active as a result.”[4]
If a workout regimen involves powerful aerobic exercise, clearly dividing the warm-up from the main regimen can be useful, as it provides a clearer starting point for measuring improvement over time and allows exercisers to lessen their output in the warm-up while increasing power in the main program. When the main goal is simply to be active and relatively fit, however, the means of achieving that fitness become less crucial. Exhaust those muscles in the warm-up or the main routine, or somewhere in between. Just be sure not to start out too stiff and risk pulling a muscle in the process.
Further Resources
The New York Times — When Warming Up For Exercise, Less May Be More Fitness writer Gretchen Reynolds explores fatigues from different warm-up routines, and the science behind measuring fitness. Livestrong.com — Exercise Warm Up Routines Contains recommendations for different types of warm-ups for recreational athletes. Teaching Ideas — Physical Education Warm-up and Cool-Down Ideas Quirky ideas that are perfect for those tired of the typical “jog for 8 minutes and do 30 jumping jacks” warm-ups. Bodybuilding.com — Hazards of Improper Warm-Ups and Experience with “Prolo Therapy” A failure to properly warm up led to this bodybuilder’s first experience with painful injections as part of “Prolo Therapy.” Works Cited
1. Warming-up and stretching for improved physical performance and prevention of sportsrelated injuries. Shellock FG, Prentice WE, Sports Medicine. 1985 Jul-Aug;2(4):267-78. 2. Warm-up Intensity and Duration Affect Traditional Rowing Time Trial Performance. Mujika I, Gonzalez de Txabarri R, Maldonado-Martin S, Pyne DB, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of the Basque Country and USP Araba Sport Clinic, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2011 Dec. 3. Less is more: standard warm-up causes fatigue and less warm-up permits greater cycling power output. Tomaras EK, MacIntosh BR. Human Performance Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2011 Jul;111(1):228-35. 4. Is Your Pre-Race Warm-up More Harm Than Good? Saunders Travis, Plos Blogs, Diverse Perspectives on Science and Medicine, 2011 Nov.
Fitness
As both casual gym-goers and professional athletes can attest, sometimes a thorough warm-up readies the muscles. Other times, it can drain them completely. Increasing amounts of research suggest that a longer warm-up may actually inhibit aerobic and muscular ability by exhausting the muscles before they have a chance to reach the main workout.
The Purpose and the Problems of the Warm-up The warm-up has long been considered a crucial component of any good workout plan. It has numerous purposes, since heating up the muscles is generally agreed to help reduce cramps, prevent injuries, increase efficiency, speed up reaction time and decrease post-workout soreness[1]. Done to excess, however, warming up can have a negative impact on the muscles, and lead to reduced output. A recent study tested the same set of skilled rowers twice within a 12-day period, and found that those assigned to shorter and less-intense warm-ups Photo by Kris Fronzak before an on-land race were less strained and yet more powerful during the actual race[1]. How’s that for a win-win? In another study, researchers gave sprint track cyclists a traditional, 52-minute warm-up routine or a 23-minute warm-up with lower intensity. The traditional warm-up resulted in “significant fatigue”[3] and reduced output, which indicates that the less intense warm-up is, again, preferable for overall performance.
Plan of Action Though it seems clear that shorter and less intense warm-ups may help with overall performance in professional athletes, the same verdict may not apply to the rest of us — the joggers, lap swimmers and recreational gym-goers. This is mainly because it can be hard to draw the line between a warm-up and a core routine. “There is little difference between warm-up and exercise for a non-competitive recreationally active individual,” said Dr. Tomaras, one of the researchers behind the cycling study. However, “it is probably good if people are performing ‘too much warm-up’ because it would hopefully mean that they are being more physically active as a result.”[4]
If a workout regimen involves powerful aerobic exercise, clearly dividing the warm-up from the main regimen can be useful, as it provides a clearer starting point for measuring improvement over time and allows exercisers to lessen their output in the warm-up while increasing power in the main program. When the main goal is simply to be active and relatively fit, however, the means of achieving that fitness become less crucial. Exhaust those muscles in the warm-up or the main routine, or somewhere in between. Just be sure not to start out too stiff and risk pulling a muscle in the process.
Further Resources
The New York Times — When Warming Up For Exercise, Less May Be More Fitness writer Gretchen Reynolds explores fatigues from different warm-up routines, and the science behind measuring fitness. Livestrong.com — Exercise Warm Up Routines Contains recommendations for different types of warm-ups for recreational athletes. Teaching Ideas — Physical Education Warm-up and Cool-Down Ideas Quirky ideas that are perfect for those tired of the typical “jog for 8 minutes and do 30 jumping jacks” warm-ups. Bodybuilding.com — Hazards of Improper Warm-Ups and Experience with “Prolo Therapy” A failure to properly warm up led to this bodybuilder’s first experience with painful injections as part of “Prolo Therapy.” Works Cited
1. Warming-up and stretching for improved physical performance and prevention of sportsrelated injuries. Shellock FG, Prentice WE, Sports Medicine. 1985 Jul-Aug;2(4):267-78. 2. Warm-up Intensity and Duration Affect Traditional Rowing Time Trial Performance. Mujika I, Gonzalez de Txabarri R, Maldonado-Martin S, Pyne DB, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of the Basque Country and USP Araba Sport Clinic, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2011 Dec. 3. Less is more: standard warm-up causes fatigue and less warm-up permits greater cycling power output. Tomaras EK, MacIntosh BR. Human Performance Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2011 Jul;111(1):228-35. 4. Is Your Pre-Race Warm-up More Harm Than Good? Saunders Travis, Plos Blogs, Diverse Perspectives on Science and Medicine, 2011 Nov.
