Warm Up Exercises | Dynamic Stretching

To bring out an athletes’ full athletic potential their body must be functioning at the highest possible level. Athletes can perform strength, speed, and agility training to put their body in peak physical condition. However, it can be frustrating for an athlete to put in such a tremendous amount of work and feel like they are not as fast or as strong as they could really be while competing.

Athletes can dynamically activate larger amounts of muscle as well as lubricating and protecting the joints. Warm up exercises will take athletes through a dynamic stretching sequence allowing the body to practice and perform some of the movements which will be used during competitive situations.

In addition to helping to activate more muscle mass and increase body heat, athletes can also protect themselves against injuries by allowing the body more time to prepare for more intense physical situations.

Dynamic Stretching With Resistance

If athletes are able to activate more muscle and increase their level of play by performing body weight warm up exercises and dynamic stretching drills then adding resistance with Kbands Leg Resistance Bands will amplify those unresisted adaptations.

The use of Kbands Leg Resistance Bands during dynamic stretching drills will use different levels of resistance to activate even more muscle fibers in the thighs and hip flexors. Athletes who play sports like baseball, basketball, soccer, football, or track will see dramatic improvement in their leg speed and explosive movements after performing resisted dynamic stretching drills. Performing 1-2 unresisted warm up exercises following the resisted warm up activities will give the athletes a great feel for the enhanced muscle activation and increased explosive power they will receive during their competition.

However, it is very important that athletes be reasonable in the amount of time they perform any warm up exercises, especially resisted warm up exercises. Athletes should take breaks between sets so the legs do not become overworked and fatigued prior to the athletes’ competition. For this reason it is very important for coaches and athletes to follow the repetitions and time durations given when completing dynamic stretching drills and warm up exercises.

Kbands Warm Up Exercises And Dynamic Stretching

The Kbands Dynamic Stretching Drills will require athletes to complete three different warm up activities while wearing the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands. Athletes will begin by securely attaching the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands just above their knees and placing two sets of Speed and Agility Cones ten yards apart to create a start and finish line for the Dynamic Stretching Drills.

To start the warm up exercises athletes will line up at one set of Speed and Agility Cones and lunge from one end of the Dynamic Stretching Drill to the other end. As athletes come to the bottom of each lunge they will slowly and under control rotate to the left and to the right. Not only will this rotation help to stretch the abdomen and hips but it will also allow athletes to warm up important muscles in the legs which help with balance and coordination. Athletes will perform the Dynamic Stretching Lunges down and back 1-2 times, taking short rest of 10-20 seconds between sets to allow the legs to recover. While performing the Dynamic Stretching Lunges athletes need to use good lunging form, controlling the movement through the front heel, and working for a 90 degree angle at the hips and knees as they sink the hips down toward the ground.

The next of the warm up exercises will be a high knee going back and down for ten yards. Athletes will keep the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands attached for the Dynamic Stretching High Knees as they drive the knees high and work against the resistance from the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands. Athletes need to use their arms and shoulders as they keep an “L” in their elbow and drive the arms up and down. This will allow the shoulders to get loose and build the connection and timing between the upper and lower body. Having the lower and upper body work together will make for more efficient warm up exercises and better game time performance. Athletes will perform 1-2 down and back repetitions of the Dynamic Stretching High Knees, allowing 10-20 seconds rest between each set.

For the final of the warm up exercises athletes will move through a Modified Dynamic Stretching High Knee. Athletes will stay in a stationery position as they alternate driving their knee in the front of the body and driving the knee to the outside of the body. Athletes will maintain rhythm as they patter and hop with their opposite, planted foot. Athletes will perform the Modified Dynamic Stretching High Knee for 20 seconds on one leg then switch and perform the same warm up activities for an additional 20 seconds. Athletes can complete 1-2 resisted sets of the Modified Dynamic Stretching High Knee, taking 10-20 seconds of rest after each leg is complete.

After athletes have completed all of the Dynamic Stretching Drills they can remove the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands and go through the warm up exercises again with no resistance. Performing one unresisted set of the warm up activities will allow athletes to feel the increased muscle activation and adapt to the “light” feeling of the legs and thighs.

Warm Up Exercises Outside Of Dynamic Stretching

Outside of dynamic stretching athletes can perform two other kinds of warm up activities; static stretching and foam rolling. Although neither of these forms of warm up exercises will be as effective at warming up the body as dynamic stretching they have other positive advantages to being used during training and competition.

While static stretches for the shoulders and hamstrings will help to increase flexibility, foam rolling with the Recovery Foam Roller will help athletes’ muscles to recover faster and stay looser during intense physical activity.