In the last ten years, much progress has been made in the world of strength and conditioning, including the development of dynamic warm-up routines. Gone are the days of static stretching before a sporting event. Before football and lacrosse games, you’ll see players do a series of active drills in a straight line, repeating the same drill 10-20 times while in constant motion. They will progress to faster drills in the same patterns on the field. There is no reason why you shouldn’t see gymnasts completing the same routine, and due to the flexibility demands of the sport, dynamic warm-up is even more important for these athletes.
There are several phases of warming up a muscle. First is the muscle activation phase, in which a gymnast performs a few repetitions of an exercise that will initiate a muscle to contract. This phase is not designed to strengthen, hence the low repetitions. These exercises are examples of a muscle activation exercise:
SingleLegBridge – This exercise will activate your glutes and hamstrings. Lie on your back with one knee bent and the other leg hugged to your chest. Lift your buttocks about 5 to 6 inches off the ground while keeping your back flat with your abs engaged. Repeat 5-6 times on each side.
Deep squat: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, arms above your head. Squat down by sitting your buttocks back. Your back should remain flat as your shoulders roll forward. Place your hands on the ground, then extend one to the sky and turn it towards that hand. Reach out with the opposite hand. Repeat the sequence 3-4 times
The next phase is the muscle mobility phase, which begins to introduce a dynamic stretch to a muscle and will begin to increase the temperature of the muscle tissue. This is an example of a muscle mobility exercise:
Dynamic supine hamstring stretch: Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and your legs straight. Keeping your back flat and abs tight, raise one leg straight up in the air, then lower it at a moderate speed. If it’s more comfortable, bend the opposite knee. Just raise your leg to a comfortable level and don’t allow your back to arch off the ground. Repeat 5-6 times on each side. You can also lift your leg, then slightly out to the side about 10-12 inches and bring it back in 5-6 times. Don’t allow your torso to twist or your hips to lift off the ground. Skip this last step if you have any hip problems.
The next phase of a dynamic warm-up is the travel mobility phase. In this phase, a gymnast uses an area of about 15 yards, adding constant movement to the exercises. The temperature of the muscles increases and each muscle is heated throughout its range of motion. Here are some examples of travel mobility exercises:
Quad stretches: Stand tall and bend your knee to bring your heel toward your buttocks, keeping your legs parallel to each other. Grab your foot with the hand on the same side, hold it there for about 3 seconds, and then lower your leg. Step forward about 2 feet and repeat on the other side. Feel a stretch in front of your thigh. Continue the distance of 15 yards. As you come back in the opposite direction, you can stretch the front of your hip by leaning forward and reaching your opposite hand forward. Hold for about 3 seconds. Continue the distance of 15 yards.
Inch Worm: This is a hamstring stretch for the back of your thigh. Bend over to bring your hands to the floor, then walk your hands forward as far as you can. Keep a flat back. Next, walk your feet forward with your knees stretched out as close to your hands as possible. Don’t worry if you can’t bring your feet up to your hands. It will improve with practice. Repeat for the 15-yard distance twice.
The final phase of a dynamic warm-up is dynamic mobility, in which a gymnast uses the same 15-yard space to complete fast-moving exercises, such as high-knee runs, lateral runs, and lateral jumps, which will raise the temperature completely body to the level you need. she has to be to act on the ice.