Before you start your training session,
warm up your body with at least five minutes of easy aerobic exercise (see
below for suggestions). Your warm-up increases circulation to and the
temperature of your working muscles, making them more pliable and less
susceptible to injury. Your warm-up also lubricates your joints. The pumping action
of your bones at the joints stimulates the release of synovial fluid, which
bathes your joint and keeps it moving smoothly, as if you’re oiling a
mechanical joint. If you have a particularly heavy-weight workout planned, warm up for
ten minutes. Warm up your muscles by using Active isolated
stretching (AI). AI involves tightening the muscle opposite to the one
that you’re planning to stretch and then stretching the target muscle for two
seconds. You repeat this process 8 to 12 times before going on to the next
stretch. See Chapter 8 for an in-depth explanation of AI. Walking, jogging, stairclimbing, and
stationary biking are also excellent aerobic warm-up activities for the muscles south
of your waistline. But to prepare your upper body muscles, you need to add
extra arm movements to these activities.
- Vigorously swing your arms as you walk, jog, or use the stairclimber.
- When you ride the stationary bike, gently roll your shoulders, circle your arms, and reach across the center of your body.
- Use an aerobic machine that exercises your entire body, such as a rower, cross-country ski machine, or stationary bike with arm handles.
