Issue 153
April 2017
S&C guru and international sambo competitor Barry Gibson shows you how to mix up movements for the perfect warm-up
LOOSEN UP
- Foam roll
Concentrate on all the major areas – especially the quads, hip flexors, spinal erectors, IT band, hamstrings and calves. Avoid any joint structures.
Hover over any painful areas for 15-30 seconds.
RAISE YOUR PULSE
- Jump jacks
Raise your heart rate and body temperature. I like pyramid sets: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10.
- Agility ladder
There are many variations. Try icky shuffle, hopscotch, tango, and Ali shuffle.
DYNAMIC STRETCHING
- Forward-reaching lunge
Do 10 reps of this movement, raising your chest for a good stretch.
- Lateral lunge
Another 10 reps, but don’t get lazy. Keep your chest high and back straight.
- Drop lunge
A personal favorite of mine – great for hitting the piriformis and IT band. Do 10 reps.
- Cossack squats
An awesome movement for your adductors’ range of motion. Do 10 reps on each side.
- Resistance band pull-aparts
Do 20 reps with a reverse-fly motion.
- Sit-throughs
Hit 10 reps on each side to develop shoulder and hip strength.
- Backward roll-over
An old martial arts favorite. Go for 10 reps each side.
- Hip/hamstring/piriformis stretch
Holding each position for 5-10 seconds.
- Cats/camels
Do 10 reps of each. These are great for thoracic mobility.
ANIMAL MAGIC
- Bear crawl
Move on your hands and feet over at least 50ft, but don’t sacrifice form for speed.
- Monkey run
A great one for the adductor muscles. Perform as you did the bear crawls.
- Crab walks
Go slowly with these, as your shoulders may be tight. Keep it up and they’ll loosen up.
- Croc hops
Keep as low as you can and literally hop off your hands and feet simultaneously.
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