The Ultimate Barbell Vs Dumbbell Showdown

Want to be prepped to give your all in class? Here are stretches that are definitely worth the time.

While it’s tempting to start your workout the second you walk out of the locker room, take a few minutes to focus on your warm-up first. A smart warm-up will help improve your speed, strength, endurance, flexibility…the list goes on. So while those first few minutes may feel like you’re not working up a sweat, you’re actually putting in some serious work.

The primary purpose of a warm-up is to prepare the body for the rigorous demands of your workout, explains Jessica Matthews, M.S., assistant professor of exercise science at Miramar College and senior advisor for health and fitness education for the American Council on Exercise. “A well-rounded warm-up routine can help address underlying muscle imbalances and enhance your overall movement quality, while also gradually increasing your core body temperature in preparation for the activity to come,” she says.

A proper warm-up will also help decrease your risk for injury, explains assistant director of strength and conditioning at Princeton University Angie Brambley-Moyer, CSCS. “Adequate joint mobility, or range of motion around the joints, is imperative to perform loaded movement patterns safely and effectively,” Matthews adds.

An effective pre-workout routine includes something called dynamic stretching, which means you’re pretty much constantly moving while getting your blood pumping and muscles ready for action. Static stretches, on the other hand, are held in place. And you’ll want to save those stretches for after your workout, explains Brambley-Moyer.

Brambley-Moyer works closely with high-performing collegiate athletes—she trains the women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, and lacrosse teams, as well as the men’s hockey team, so she’s pretty much a pro at running a killer strength program in addition to the warm-ups that make them count. So what’s your game plan? To help make your pre-workout minutes count, try five of Brambley-Moyer’s go-to dynamic stretches below.

Leg Cradle To Side Lunge

How to do it: Stand on your left leg and lift your right leg of the ground opening your right knee to the right. Grab below your right knee with your right hand and above your right shoe with your left hand. Lift your right leg toward your chest, keeping it parallel to the ground (similar to a standing figure four stretch, but keeping your standing leg straight). Now release your right leg and step it out to the right, lowering into a side lunge on your right leg before returning to standing tall. Do fives reps on each side, alternating sides with each rep.

Why it works: This stretch improves mobility and flexibility of your hips, ankles, thighs, and knees. This comes in handy during lower body exercises like squats, where you need your hips and ankles to be loosened up to get the full range of motion, explains Brambley-Moyer.

Back Lunge To Groiner

How to do it: Start standing and step your right foot back into a reverse lunge. Bend both knees to lower your butt toward ground while keeping your spine long. Now place both hands on the ground on the inside of your left foot and straighten your right leg behind you. Drop your left elbow and gently push it against the instep of your left leg. Pause, then return to standing. Do fives reps on each side, alternating sides with each rep.

Why it works: You’ll improve mobility in your knees, hips, ankles, and lower back, and increase flexibility in your groin and hip flexors, explains Brambley-Moyer. This dynamic stretch comes in especially handy if you’re doing any lunges with weights during your workout.