Before we get into any specific workouts, I think it's important to learn a little about movement preparation(warming up). A good warm up will not only increase body temperature and blood flow, it will also help stretch any tight muscles, put your body through its different ranges of motion, and help activate(kind of like waking up) any muscles that are somewhat relaxed and dormant.
Many people do something like a 10 minute repetitive motion cardio exercise like jogging, stair master, or (God forbid) the elliptical. This accomplishes raising body temperature and increasing blood flow, but it doesn't stretch the tight muscles and activate the lax ones. The sequences in the video do a great job of getting the heart rate up, and basically putting the body through it's paces, but without over fatiguing it.
Things I generally look for in mobility warm ups:
-Glute Activation
-Shoulder girdle stabilization/activation
-Loosening up the structures of the Lumbo-Pelvic Hip Complex(lower back, obliques, hip flexors, piriformis, biceps femoris, medial hamstrings)
-An element of balance and coordination
-Establishing good basic movement patterns for total body exercises, especially those planned for the main workout of the day.
The emphasis on dynamic mobility doesn't mean we forsake all static stretching before working out, a very effective blueprint for a typical workout session is as follows:
1. On any overly tight or sore muscles, do soft tissue work with a ball or roller, then static stretch those muscles.
2. Dynamic Mobility Warm Up as illustrated in the video
3. Strength Training
4. Conditioning(Cardio) work, if any.
5. Static Stretching cool down.
This sounds like a whole lot of stuff, but it really isn't. A person can easily squeeze all of this into a workout that is finished in under an hour.
Mobility sequences are also a great thing to do on days between workouts to aid in recovery. Happy Mobilizing!
