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A solid warmup sets you up for a solid workout. When it comes to prepping for strength training, an active warmup primes the joints and muscles, prepping them for the heavy lifting. Lauren, my Equinox trainer, introduced me to these moves, and after a little light cardio — for me, it's five minutes running on a treadmill at a 6 mph pace, but the elliptical or a little jump rope would work — Read more
If you find yourself all fired up to play tennis after watching Wimbledon, let me remind you to warm up before you rally. Watching elite athletes can be really deceptive. They lunge, jump, and volley with such ease, but this is one game that can be hard on your body. One way to prevent injuries is to warm up properly. Here are a few things I think you should do before jumping onto the court with Read more
Adding a dynamic warm up to your running routine is a great idea. I am not the only one who thinks so. Check out how middle distance running superstar and Olympic hopeful Shalane Flanagan warms up. Get Flash to see this player. var so1692325 = new Read more
When warming up for a run you have more options than just walking briskly or jogging slowly; you can warm up dynamically. Doesn't that sound like fun! Here are a few moves that prime your body for running: High-Knee Marching: Marching in place while bringing the knees up to at least 90 degrees alternating legs, or better yet even with your belly button, is a great warm up for your hip flexors. Read more
Stretching before a run has always been a little iffy in our playbook. It's hard to lengthen muscle fibers before they're warm and trying to do so can lead to injury. But warming up is still a good thing, so try an active warm-up. A dynamic warm-up raises your heart rate a bit while priming your joints for action. We created this video of five moves to do before you hit the ground running. Check Read more
Muscle building is an important component of any exercise routine, but are you strength training the right way? Here are five common myths about muscles, and why they aren't true. Heavy weights make you bulk up: It's a common belief: lifting heavy weights will have you looking more bodybuilder than long and lean. But in reality, your muscles won't get Ms. Olympia-sized from lifting a 20-pound Read more
You know that you should warm up no matter what, but if you ever wondered what exactly you should be doing, here are specific warm-ups for different kinds of workouts. Yoga: Think you don't need to warm up before yoga? Think again. Warming up before your class can help your performance and keep you from being sore the moment you stretch out into Downward Dog. Keep your wrists, shoulders, and Read more
You've got the enthusiasm, the time, and the cute workout gear, and now you're ready to hit the gym. Don't ruin your workout by doing these big preworkout no-nos. Cold stretching: Yes, you're supposed to warm up before you work out, but stretching muscles when they're cold can lead to injuries and poor performance. Instead, warm up with five minutes of light cardio or start off slow for the Read more
We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar! This week, they've got the scoop on how Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence warms up before tackling her killer workouts. Jennifer Lawrence got in blockbuster shape for The Hunger Games. "We did high-energy moves, like backward running and walking lunges, to gain strength, agility, and balance," says on-set coach Read more
No matter your fitness passion, from snowboarding to CrossFit, you likely do squats in your sweat sessions — they're a fitness staple. Sometimes, the more simple the move, the more careless we become when doing it, and before you know it you have sloppy squats. Here are four common mistakes that plague the standard squat. Next time you head to the gym, take a little time to get back to basics Read more
