Tip of the Month - January 2023
What Makes A Good Warm-up?
In 2021, the Canadian Coaching Association renamed the traditional Warm-up and Cool-down as ‘Pre- and Post-training’ phase, adding “general, sport-specific, and training-session-specific movement competencies” to every training session as these are considered to be fundamental for successful performance. In addition, the emphasis is also on correct posture and body control as key aspects for skill acquisition and reducing the risk of injuries.
A “good and functional” Warm-up has several important features in order to optimize and maximize function and athletic performance:
Warms up the body’s systems by increasing the blood flow to muscles or muscle sets
Taps into the available range of motion (ROM) and mobility
Primes the nervous system to get muscles and muscle sets fired up
Warming up properly and in the correct order raises body temperature and heart rate (HR)
Trains general physical attributes (components) in a progession through general movement competencies, then sport-specific movement competencies (those needed to succeed in a specific sport), and finally specific movement competencies (those needed in upcoming workout sessions that day)
Movement competencies need an ‘internal flow’ from one to the other, from the Pre-training phase to the actual training session in order to enhance learning and the training process, and finally to the Post-training phase (former Cool-down)
Movements should mimic the activities/tasks/skills going to be trained in the workout/training session
Reduces the risk of injury and minimizes muscle soreness
Motor function and motor fitness create the ability to initiate and support controlled execution of movement by enhancing performance and ‘mechanical efficiency’
It is common to perform traditional Warm-up exercises, like running laps, jumping jacks-side-to side (outdated now… need to be forward/backward stride pattern), and other outdated activities, which commonly have nothing to do with the skill set required in each pending training session!
A complete Pre-training phase (former Warm-up) should be about 20% of overall training time although in some instances it may need to be longer or could be shorter depending on the overall available training time or the tasks ahead. The process increases blood flow to reach the muscles involved in the activity, which delivers the important fuel substrates required for energy production.
The training of general and specific physical components depends upon correct timing within the annual or seasonal training phase/cycle and selection of methods to achieve the desired outcome. It is important that a continuous “flow” exists in relation to skill learning or training, that is … from component-to-component … sequence-to-sequence … progression-to-progression … from the Pre-training phase … to the skill/technique training session … to the Post-training phase (former Cool-down).
Movement competencies are combined with other activities/drills and are carried out as various dynamic moving and dynamic stationary exercises in the workout. General and specific exercises depend upon what is best and most beneficial for the age, level, experience, and overall individual needs of athletes as progressions should be focused on those factors.
Definition:
Movement Competencies - A set of skills, when taken together, improve the physical capabilities with a focus on core stability, body control, and a reduction or minimization of the risk of injuries, developed and trained as a) general movement competencies (physical literacy); b) those specific to the sport (swimming), and 3) those needed in the practice/training session.
Reference:
Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). Module Prevention & Recovery. Coach Workbook (2021, p. 27). Learning Facilitator Guide (2021, p. 36).
Schloder, M.E. (2022). Personal Lecture Notes: Prevention and Recovery. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.www.coachingbest.com