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Warm up ideas

LuizH
LuizH Posts: 211 Member
edited November 23 in Social Groups
I think we have had a thread about this but I can't find it in the list. Tonight I was asked to lead the class warm up for the first time, unfortunately the guy I was leading with wasn't so good and kept switching between cardio and stretching. I want to put myself a plan together so that next time I am asked I can lead alone. When I warm up for a home workout I would start with something cardio, followed by dynamic stretches and some deeper static stretching if I am working on kicking. Something like this:
Jumping jack - windmills - jogging on the spot
Leg raises to front /side /back, dynamic chest /shoulder /neck mobilisation
Static leg stretches/torso twist/side bend/front bend
Which other exercises would you add to your warm up? We have quite a wide range of participants, the older adults need to do a good warm up to get mobilised, the kids need it to be short enough that they aren't worn out before the lesson starts properly!

Replies

  • Geocitiesuser
    Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
    We've done so many warm up combinations I couldn't even begin to list them all out lol.

    My instructor likes to do a lot of line drills. An example might be:

    Sprint to the other side and back a few times

    Chamber leg a few times

    Round house a couple times

    axe/stretch kick a couple times

    Jump kick in the middle

    Then finish off with suicides.

    ----

    The girl who leads kids class likes to do a lot of jumping jacks and core work

    So something like 50 jumping jack

    bunch of mountain climbers

    six inches/plancks

    running in place

    hopping and hopping variations

    squat thrusts

    ----

    They teach us all types of warm ups from partner drills to line drills to how to make "running" more engaging but everyone has their own unique style so it changes from instructor to instructor. One day if I ever get to lead warm ups I already plan on making everyone hate me with push ups burpees and core work
  • Out_of_Bubblegum
    Out_of_Bubblegum Posts: 2,220 Member
    edited November 2017
    Great topic! Warm ups are one of my favorite parts of leading a class...

    Here's my take on it. This is based for a Taekwondo class, but I think the principles could be used for any stand-up striking martial art.

    First - I establish the goal of the warm up, which I base on the goal of the class. As example, if we are going to be focusing on improving head level kicks, then I need to include more dynamic stretches, and less pushups (sorry, Geo!) - but if we are working on posture and stances, then I probably want to include less stretching, and more core/strength work.

    If I'm not in charge of the class and I'm warming up someone else's... Then my goal is to make them sweat and prepare them for anything... so a mix of cardio and strength conditioning, easy kicks and strikes, dynamic stretches.

    One thing I do NOT do during warm up is static stretches. These tend to reduce performance, and can increase the chance of ligament injury. Static stretching is for the end of class, not before.

    Another thing I take into account is the age and belt level. I don't usually vary the warm up TOO much based on this, but the quantity and pace of the exercises will vary considerably. Kids like to move fast... Adults want to take a little more time and be thorough. White belts probably aren't ready for 50 pushup sets... that kind of thing.

    I start the warm up easy, and tend to make it progressively more intense toward the end.


    Here is one you can have: (assuming class theme is high kicks):
    1. Windmills (forward, backward, single arm, double arm, etc)
    2. Neck rolls
    3. Waist rolls
    4. Jumping jacks
    5. Mid section punches
    6. High blocks
    7. Knife-hand strikes

    (Switch direction)
    1. Mid section front kicks (no high kicks allowed yet)
    2. Mid section side kicks
    3. Easy front stretch kicks
    4. Easy side stretch kicks

    (Switch direction)
    1. Run in place with high knees (~30 seconds)
    2. Jump in place with high knees (~30 seconds)
    3. Run in place with high knees, jump on command and do 5 pushups (until students sweaty and breathing hard)
    4. Fast Crunches (insert your favorite core exercise here)

    (Switch direction)
    1. Front kick set down then immediately do stretch kick on same leg.
    2. Side kick set down then immediately do stretch kick on same leg.
    3. Fast/High front stretch kicks
    4. Fast/High side stretch kicks
    5. Outer-crescent kicks (GREAT for loosening up the hips)
    6. High front kicks
    7. High side kicks
    8. High round kicks


  • Soy_K
    Soy_K Posts: 246 Member
    our warmup is almost the same each time.

    1. jog light 10 laps around the room

    2. conditioning warmup across the floor:

    - dynamic stretch low lunges (with elbows on floor) across the floor one way, same stretch lunges with added hamstring stretch on the way back across the floor
    - high lunges + jump in place across the floor one way, backwards on the way back
    - jumping cossack squats sideways across the floor one way, jumping drop stances on the way back
    - jumping sideways into horse stances with upper body swings on one side across the floor, the other way back
    - stomping high knees forward across the floor one way, backwards on the way back
    - sideways high knees across the floor one way, other side back
    - forward bend and caterpillaring out into exaggerated plank with your hands and tip toeing feet to hands one way across the floor. legs together tipping over to balance your body parallel to the floor alternating legs on the way back.

    3. stretching for 7 minutes - splits front both sides, center splits, bridges

    4. wall kicks 10 each on both sides (front, side, tail, sidekick side)

    5. kicking across the room and back (front stretch, side, front slap alternating, front slap opposite hands, inside, outside) often includes a short sequence (front slap kick/windmill hammerfist/ straight kick/balance)

    6. jump warmup - jump front, jump inside, jump outside, butterfly (kind of like doing the jump kick w/o the kick part)

    7. cartwheels

    8. actual jump kicks (jump front/jump inside/jump outside/ butterflies)


  • LuizH
    LuizH Posts: 211 Member
    Some great ideas here, I will be stealing some and putting together my own plan ;)
    Last night I took the beginners for warm up while my friend took the senior grades. They are all very young and new so we did jogging/jumping jacks/windmills then had a little competition boys vs girls - low kicks building up to high followed by who can kick the highest, who can punch the fastest, who can touch their toes. It was good fun, and the girls totally beat the boys :D
    Next time I may add in more jumpy stuff, but I'm not a fan of jumping myself.
  • Dory_42
    Dory_42 Posts: 3,587 Member
    One of the guys who warms us up at times likes to do a kind of ladder drill. Running around the mat and when he says stop the first time it is 10 of a specific exercise (for example squats) then continue running. Second stop you repeat the first one (10 squats) and do 10 of another (say pushups) then run. By the final round you are doing 5 different exercises. Its simple but easy to vary the specific exercises (squats, lunges, jumping versions, pushups, situps, burpees, etc etc etc)
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