WHEN IT COMES to stretching, timing matters. If you’ve been spending 20 minutes doing static stretches before each workout, it’s time to find a new warmup routine that’s won't waste that valuable time—and will actually get you ready to perform.
An effective warmup shouldn't be too complex, nor should it take longer than five minutes to have you prepped and ready to knock out your most valuable movements, from runs to heavyweight lifts. Touching your toes or any other form of static stretching will not prepare you for training, no matter how long you can hold the position, say Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. and Mathew Forzaglia, N.F.P.T., C.P.T., founder of Forzag Fitness.
“We want to move dynamically prepping our body for the moves to come,” Forzaglia says. “Static stretching is fine at the end of the day, throughout the day, or the beginning of the day, but it's not going to quite prep us efficiently going into lifting a heavy weight or moving in a multi-plane fashion.”
There are better ways to set up a quick and simple warmup routine that won’t have you holding any stretches for more than a few seconds, but will have you ready to crush any and all workouts.
Why You Should Skip Static Stretching
Static Stretching Doesn’t Elevate Your Heart Rate
Before you hit a heavy leg day, long run or a high intensity workout, one of the first goals should be to work on increasing your heart rate. You want to begin heating up your body’s core temperature to get yourself ready to roll. Unfortunately this won’t happen when we’re spending so much time holding your muscles in a stretched position for 20 to 30 seconds at a time.
Static Stretching Relaxes Muscles
When setting up for a big squat or deadlift, you want to create full-body tension, set to perform a big lift. Static stretching does just the opposite, as extended holds on muscles begin forcing you to “relax” your muscles at a time you want them to be tense and engaged.
Static Stretching Doesn’t Replicate Your Workout
Although there’s nothing inherently wrong with some toe touches or other types of static stretching at some point, it’s just not a good plan to do so prior to a big lift or workout. Another goal of an effective warmup is to lightly train the body by “going through the motions." Using just a light load to mimic the pattern in which our muscles are about to be overloaded targets the muscles that are going to be doing the heavy lifting, which is much more effective than static stretching.
The 5-Minute Pre-Workout Warmup
Walk on a Treadmill
Whether you're walking on a treadmill, around a track, or even a light jog or walk in place, the goal is to perform an easy move that will quickly get your heart rate moving and you're breathing a little heavier—a preview of how you workout should be. Again it should be light, easy, as well as short—60 to 90 seconds is all it should take before the next stage.
Dynamic Stretching
Unlike the slow, extended stationary moves that come with static stretching, dynamic stretching uses more fluid movements that can closely resemble the activity you’re about to take part—and it helps warm up the muscles better. One in particular, the world’s greatest stretch, is a great way to get the body prepped for a killer workout without taking too much time. All it takes is about five reps on each side to get you be better prepped to train.
Low Intensity Reps
Working through the motions of your first movement—whether it’s deadlift day, a long run, whatever—replicate with a much lighter weight or lighter intensity. The goal is to prime the body for the heavy work it’s about to perform. If it’s deadlift day, a light weight, for an easy five to six reps should set the stage for a great workout, while keeping your warmup in under five minutes.
