Using Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises instead of Traditional Warm-Up

Using Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises instead of Traditional Warm-Up routines
For years coaches and athletes have performed an old style warm up before all sporting events. This warm up has included
light aerobic activity followed by static stretching. However over recent years, research has been provided stating that the old
style warm up is not effective but for some reason coaches and athletes still use them!
A warm up is necessary to prepare athletes for training or competition both physically and mentally. An old style warm up
would consist of 5-15 minutes steady cardiovascular work
e.g. jogging followed by stretching. The stretching component means
athletes would sit about stretching and usually chatting and by the time the session starts they are cold both physically and
mentally.
Using the old style warm up technique athletes are no where near prepared for the dynamic activity they are about to
undertake. And, although coaches used to constantly remind athletes about stretching to improve range of movement, is being
so flexible really relevant to your sport.
The idea of the "new" warm up is that it should be a much more dynamic, focused routine which is specific to your
sport. The various drills employed need to warm up our muscles specifically for the movements that will be required of them in
the activity to follow.
This therefore allows nerves and muscles to be switched on and the functional range of movement developed. To be honest it
seems obvious but to some this is an all new concept.
This new concept will be a challenge to get all coaches and athletes in a number of sports to turn their beliefs on their heads
and use the idea of dynamic warm up instead of the old traditional style.
Although you may think that a dynamic, focused warm up is a new idea, it is not. Athletes from the former Soviet Bloc have
been using these types of warm ups as far back as the 1970s, decades before they came to mainstream attention in the West.
A training course with former long jump world record holder and (at the time) Head Soviet Coach Igor Ter-Ovanesian in the
early 80s, showed the idea of the new warm up, by athletes being put through a short, sharp warm up, comprising star jumps
and various agility moves.
However, on receiving the instruction to warm up, all athletes attending the course began by plodding round the track, only to
be called back by Ter-Ovanesian and instructed in the 'new way".