Happy Thursday to you,
It’s been a busy week here at GB Headquarters.
Firstly, I’ve been testing my new workout app that is due for release within the next 2 weeks.
It’s called the kettlebell workout wizard and will provide you with daily workouts depending on your fitness level. I’ve included 45 videos of the exercises along with teaching points so you can get your technique right.
Oh, and did I mention it will be totally free!
Secondly, my 12 week muscle building program has been getting a complete overhaul. I’ve learnt a lot since I first wrote that program so I’ve been making some crucial changes.
As soon as the program is finished I’ll let you know. Plus, those who have already purchased version one will get the updated program automatically.
Finally, as you know, I believe in exercising using movement patterns rather than muscle groups so I’ve divided up my website to reflect that.
You can now gain access to each of the 5 movement patterns along with all their exercises and workouts by using the menu on my blog sidebar (on the right hand side).
That’s it for my news, now on to warming up…
How to warm up the smart way
Performing a warm up before your workout does a few things:
- Attracts blood into the muscles
- Switches on your focus
- Lubricates and frees up joints
- Acclimatises you to the weight
By performing an intelligent warm up you seriously reduce the potential for injury plus, have a far more enjoyable workout.
Generally, the older you are and the earlier in the morning, the more warm up you will require.
I like to break down my warm up routine into 2 parts, although in practice they flow into one.
Joint mobility: I run though a joint mobility routine starting at the neck and finishing with the ankles. This only takes a few minutes and I spend more time on areas that feel restricted.
Movement Prep: If my workout includes swings I’ll do a few lighter swings first, 2 x 10 reps. If I’m squatting I’ll do some bodyweight squats or yoga squats 2 x 10. The same applies to lunges, deadlifts, get ups, presses etc.
It makes no sense to warm up on a bike or treadmill and then perform a set of swings.
The best type of warm up should replicate the same movement pattern just with 50% less load.
If my workout contains lots of exercises in a circuit format then I’ll perform a practice circuit just using less weight.
Try not to exhaust yourself warming up, there is no time limit. So perform a practice circuit but take your time and think about your movements. Take a few minutes rest afterwards before you add more weight.
I guarantee with a good warm up you will feel stronger, move better and reduce your potential of injury.
Watch the video: Here is a 5 minute warm up routine you can use
Here’s a workout from week 8 of my Women’s Program:
- Two Handed Swing – 60 seconds
- Lunge with Rotation – 30 seconds each side
- Squat and Press – 30 seconds each side
- Slow Mountain Climbers – 60 seconds alternating sides
What is not to love about this 4-minute circuit?
The swings will challenge your cardio and strengthen your hips, glutes and hamstrings. The lunges will condition your legs, buttocks and core muscles. The squat and press will hit most muscles in the body and keep your heart rate up. The slow mountain climbers will tighten up your core muscles and shoulder stabilisers.
I’d recommend you aim for 3 rounds of this workout with minimal rest in between circuits.
Click here to download this workout
If you are still trying to understand which size kettlebells you should use then here are my recommendations:
- Women: 8kg, 12kg, 16kg (experienced women will then move up to 24kg+)
- Men: 12kg, 16kg, 24kg (experienced men will then move up to 32kg+)
You can see what kettlebell weights I use for the different exercises here.
That’s all for today my friend,
Take care of yourself and each other,
Greg
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