Warm-up Question for Newbie

S

sugar

Member
For all,
How much time do you spend warming up? Do you do Cathe's entire warmup section on her workouts or do you modify? If so, how?

I'm asking because I have only 60 minutes to work out in the mornings and I'm not able to make it through the two Cathe videos I currently have which are Max Intensity and Interval Max. I've tried to wake up at 4:30 am. (yikes!) so I am able to complete the videos. But this isn't working; instead I just don't work-out at all. I feel like I can only work out to all; or nothing! That's my OCD kicking in! I try telling myself I'll work out in the evening and well, that just never happens with juggling family activities, etc.

I've been thinking that if I cut out the warm-up that would help me get through the entire workout. I know I need some sort of warm up (5 min run on treadmill?), but maybe just not as much as on these videos.

What are your thoughts!
Thanks,
Kerry
 
Hi Kerry, If I'm doing one of Cathe's cardio w/o's, I usually do the entire warm-up, since they seem to flow right into combo #1. Her weight w/o's, though, I always do my own warm-up, usually on the treadmill (20 mins at least). I just feel if I jump into any w/o cold, I risk injury, especially in my ankle area (broke it badly many years ago). Have you tried splitting up the w/o? Like doing 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night? I can't believe you try to get up at 4:30 to w/o -- there's no way I could ever do that, I'd be stumbling all over the step!
 
Hey Kerry! The 2 workouts you mention do have longer warmups because they are so intense. It isn't a good idea to skip the warmup completely as your body needs this exceleration phase to bring more blood flow into your muscle tissue and prepare for the jumping and impact to come. Diving in before warming up greatly increases the likelyhood of cramping, spasm or injury. Perhaps you could warmup with I-Max just until the stretch and skip the 'mini step routine' before the intervals begin. I'm trying to remember the MIC warm up, perhaps you could start from where she actually starts marching, warmup, stretch and then fast forward through the first little bit of low impact aerobics to the medium impact. This allows you to warmup effectively while still enjoying}( the more intense parts of the workout. HTH

At the very least you should warmup with large range of motion movement through the legs, hips and shoulder girdle. March, knees up, ham curls, insoles up and outer thigh lifts hit the legs from pretty much all angles, try that with large arm movements. When your rate of respiration and heart rate come up a bit throw in some dynamic stretch and you should be good to go. If you don't opt to warmup then consider your first 5 minutes of the workout as a warmup and let your body gradually settle into the work to come. It will thank you by performing better, longer and with less chance of injury.

Take Care
Laurie:)
 
I do the entire warm-up. To me, the length of Cathe's warm-ups is about minimal (except for CK, where it is about right: 12 minutes). In fact, before PUB or PLB, I've added short cardio workouts (10 minutes) because I like to be sure to be completely warm and have my joints lubed and ready to work.

IMO, the warm-up (general warm-up to raise the core temperature, and more specific warm-up working up to full ROM moves in body parts that are going to be working during the bulkk of the workout) and the cool-down stretch are NOT optional.

With workouts like MIC and Interval Max, I think the warm-ups are even more important, since you are going to be working up to high intensity.
 
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