Bodybuilder Shares 5- Minute Weighted Warm-up for Better Gains

• One bodybuilder said he saw better results in the gym after he stopped skipping warm-ups.
• A 5-minute warm-up can help improve muscle activation and reduce the risk of injury.
• Research shows that adding weights to your warm-up can improve performance.

One bodybuilder said a four-part warm-up that includes weightlifting helps him get the most out of his workouts to build muscle and strength.

Andre Adams, a master trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, competes in the International Bodybuilding Federation’s professional league.

Adams said taking even a few minutes to warm up and training with a few sets at a moderate weight can lead to better movement.

This is especially important for those who go to the gym after a desk job, as sitting all day can create tension and muscle imbalances.

“Skipping warm-ups is a lot more common than you think. I’ve been guilty of it too. We’re all pressed for time,” he told Business Insider. “It doesn’t have to be a long time, just five minutes is fine. Just do the right moves for your workout.”

Easy 4-part warm-up including foam rolling and bodyweight exercises

Typically, Adams says, you’ll spend about five minutes activating your muscles and warming up, followed by five minutes of light cardio.

Jumping into a workout too soon can increase your risk of injury. Injuries may not occur immediately, but can accumulate over time and cause persistent pain.

Warming up is also important to prepare your muscles and joints to work effectively so you can maintain the best quality of movement possible.

“When I was younger and my body was more resilient, I would often skip the warm-up altogether and get away with it. But as I get older, this can lead to soreness, muscle imbalances, and unproductive “This can lead to poor training and ultimately injuries and setbacks,” he said.

Now he’s warming up like this Four steps recommended by NASM:

Suppression — The first step is to reduce tension and soothe overactive or tight muscles, usually through foam rolling.

Make it longer — Next, do some stretching. This can be static (keep stretching) or dynamic with movement. On a typical leg day, Adams said, you might do hip circles while standing.

Activation – Bodyweight training is often used to prime the appropriate muscle groups. For example, to target the glutes for leg day, Adams does a glute bridge march.

Integrate – Wrap it all up with compound exercises similar to what you do in your workout. This includes bodyweight exercises such as squats. You can (and should) also include exercises with weights. However, it is slightly less strong than the working set.

Adding weights to your warm-up will improve your performance

a recent small research We found that athletes who lifted heavier in the warm-up (80% of their 10 rep max) were able to lift more weight and perform better during their workouts.

“If you make the right decisions during your warm-up, you can significantly improve your training performance,” study author and professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Igor Nasser told Business Insider. “In our study, it was clear that a strategy of applying higher intensity during warm-up sets led to better results than using lighter loads, which is more commonly practiced.”

According to Adams, this confirms what bodybuilders already know: If you don’t warm up heavy enough, your gains can be left on the table.

“You’re not activating your muscle fibers to their full potential,” he said.

That doesn’t mean giving it your all. Adams said if your working weight is 200 pounds, you should do one set at 100 pounds to warm up, then one set at 150 pounds before the main event.

Even if you take your time with every part of the process, adding just a few minutes to your workout can improve your performance, improve your range of motion, and prevent injury.

“It’s not just activating your muscle fibers, it’s making your body work as a system, which is why you need to do these four steps,” Adams said.