Dr. Joel Seedman, Ph.D.
““Does a cheetah warm-up before it catches a zebra? Then why would I.””
While everyone tends to have their own unique New Year’s Resolution goals, I’ve never been one to follow this tradition. However, this year was a bit different (sort of) as I decided to try a 30-day mini experiment on myself starting January 1. The experiment was simple: I would perform sprints with zero warmup for 30 days straight and report the results.
PREPARE TO BE RED-PILLED!!!
Note: The goal of this experiment was simply to show, using sprints as an example, that optimal body mechanics and muscle function are the key to injury free, high level performance and underscore the fact that much of what is currently accepted in the industry as ‘truth’ is, in fact, unnecessary and based on flawed methods and myths. Additionally, regarding warmup, I’m not intending to show what’s optimal, I’m simply trying to show what’s possible under sub-optimal conditions.
So what on earth compelled me to do this?
A little over 5 years ago I wrote an article for T-Nation listing my 12 Key Tests of Functional Strength & Body Mechanics. While some of the tests I listed were pretty wild the one that seemed to get everyone’s attention and even cause a bit of controversy was the sprint test which states you should be able to sprint without warming up. Simple right? Yeah, I thought so too until I had numerous lifters, trainers, and strength coaches calling me out telling me how ridiculous and unrealistic this was and suggesting that no one could do this without seriously injuring themselves.
At the time I was honestly a bit shocked because, in my mind, of the 12 tests I laid out in the article this was actually the least extreme. In fact, I had spent the 4 years leading up to the release of that article doing no-warmup sprints at least several times per week with no negative consequences. It was during that time, roughly 9 years ago, as I began researching 90 degree eccentric isometrics for my PhD at UGA and implementing them into my training, that the no-warmup sprint quickly became my litmus test as I inherently knew that sprinting was one of, if not the, ultimate test of body mechanics and muscle function.
Sprint to Warmup, Don’t Warmup to Sprint!!
As humans, being able to run and sprint is part of our genetic makeup and hardwired into our DNA. Additionally, the ability to do so without a warmup is something human beings and all land mammals have had since the dawn of time. So exactly at what point in our history did the whole idea of sprinting, particularly under cold, non-warmup conditions, become such an incredibly rare and extraordinary act of superhuman ability that only a handful of modern day super hero mutants and mystical beings could perform such a miraculous task without spontaneously combusting? Yeah, I know, I’m being dramatic but I think you get the point. Simply put, why does the idea of sprinting, particularly under cold conditions, seem so unbelievable and scary to so many folks.
The answer is simple. This fear of sprinting isn’t just in their head, a psychological condition they need to overcome. No, it’s real and justified as sprinting actually poses a significant physical threat to their physiological well being, with the potential for injury being almost inevitable. The reason is that in most human beings the levels of muscle dysfunction, movement aberrations, and poor body mechanics are so significant that if, in fact, they were to sprint without warming up they would likely injure themselves.
With that said, I’d like to quote directly from the article I wrote 5 years ago and see if it gets your blood boiling because, honestly, I can’t state it any more clearly than I did then. See full article here.
“If your muscles are functioning properly and your movement mechanics are optimal you should be able to go into an all-out sprint anywhere at anytime. Now, I’m not necessarily recommending you do this on a regular basis nor am I suggesting this will produce optimal demonstration of speed and performance. Rather its something you should be able to do without injury, discomfort, or restriction.
Well before the modern era of fitness arrived, sprinting was considered a normal means of survival necessary for fleeing, chasing, hunting, and basic playground activity. The idea of performing a 20-30 minute warm up consisting of contortionist movements, foam rolling, and excessive mobility drills was a luxury few real-world sprinting scenarios allowed not to mention that fact that its completely unnecessary and counterproductive.
Because sprinting represents the epitome of explosive, rapid and, violent movement, being able to perform such an activity without warming up is probably the single most informative diagnostic tests of muscle function you can perform. Any neuromuscular inhibition, muscular spasticity, strength deficit, excessive co-contraction, activation impairment, asymmetry, imbalance, weakness, immobility, instability, faulty posture, or any other movement deficiency will almost immediately be exposed. Although the remedy for these goes far beyond the scope of this article, by working on the other aforementioned criteria first I guarantee you the sprint test will gradually become more feasible”
So there you have it, that’s the 3-paragraph section from the article that ultimately sent a small cosmic wave through the fitness industry at the time and still does every time I bring up the topic.
MY experimental Protocol & Training Regime
Each session usually consisted of 3-5 sprints and occasionally as many as 6-8 on weekends for more conditioning purposes.
The temperature ranged anywhere from low 30’s to low 50’s i.e., not only had I not warmed up I was typically quite cold (literally) due to the weather.
During the week my typical sprint time was around 8:30 pm or later, after 12+ hours training clients.
During weekends I would often perform my sprints within 30 minutes of waking up to get them out of the way earlier in the day.
A majority of sprints were done on asphalt on either flat ground or slight incline.
Sprints were typically 50-100 yards in length.
During the week I averaged roughly 5 hours of sleep per night.
All sprints were done in either Merrell Vapor Gloves or Vivobarefoot Primus lite which are two of the most minimal barefoot shoes in the industry.
My recovery time between sprints was the walk back to my starting point.
All sprints were performed after sitting for about 20 minutes while driving home from work or working at my desk. In other words, few if any sprint sessions took place immediately following a period of physical activity.
On the rare occasion I felt any muscle tightness during a session I would spend no more than 10 seconds in between sprints doing a 90 degree Eccentric Isometric for that muscle, e.g. an RDL for the hamstrings. This was very rare and even then not really necessary just therapeutic.
My lifting regime was the same as it has been for the last 9 years, i.e., full body workouts 6-7x per week, with 4-5 of those being heavy and 1-2 being light. All workouts involved predominantly the Big 7 I discuss in my book MOVEMENT REDEFINED using 90 degree Eccentric Isometrics very similar to the FUNCTIONAL WEIGHT TRAINING program.
My sprint speed and technique felt most locked in during the 2nd or 3rd sprint, as it typically took at least 1 sprint to get my nervous system fully dialed. However, my effort and exertion were still 100% on all sprints, including the first one, although I likely only hit 80-90% of my max speed on that one.
My heart rate after each sprint was well over 180 beats per second and often would hit closer to my max.
On at least 4-5 days during the 30-day period I performed 2 sprint sessions (one during a 5 minute break between clients, one in the evening), and on 2 days I performed 3 sprint sessions for a total of at least 9 sprints that day. In total, I performed roughly 40 sprint workouts during the 30-day period.
I often used my sprints to warm my body up before training. In other words, I didn’t warm up to sprint. Instead, I used my sprints to warmup.
The Results: Nothing To See Here!!
The key finding from this experiment is that there was, in fact, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT!!!! Yes, that’s right, everything felt almost the same on day 1 as it did day 30 with no significant findings or changes. However, in this case, no findings are, in fact, quite earth shattering based on what the mainstream fitness industry has indoctrinated us to believe, the assumption being that such a feat would likely end in near catastrophe. Simply, the key take away is that it’s possible to do what I did without injury or any detrimental effects to the body. That being said, there were a few very negligible outcomes, most of them probably not significant, mainly very minor observations I noted.
Minor Positive Results
The first 7-10 days my leg strength seemed to drop very slightly, likely a result of not being used to sprinting for that many consecutive day.
My upper body strength seemed to increase very slightly the first 2 weeks.
I likely dropped 1% body fat if I had to guess although I never actually tested it.
After 2 weeks my leg strength appeared to increase very slightly.
My appetite was slightly increased although I tried to maintain a similar diet.
My cardiovascular conditioning and work capacity seemed to improve which is no surprise as my heart rate spiked to near maximal each and every sprint as did my breathing particularly after sprint #3.
My speed and power as well as my running mechanics felt very locked in by the end and everything felt very automatic.
My running mechanics seemed to improve very slightly especially after making one minor modification i.e. keeping my core more braced. This was after fellow kinesiologist Ben Lai, who has extensively researched sprinting and examined a lot of sprint videos, made this suggestion. As a result of this modification any over-extension/over-arching as well as excessive arm locking in the backswing phase that my body may have been prone to was resolved.
There seemed to be no apparent physical or adrenal fatigue.
Most days, sprint #1 felt great although there were a few days when it didn’t feel perfect in terms of efficiency yet was still 100% pain free.
In every session, my final few sprints felt very locked in if not perfect.
I never experienced even the remotest sign of any significant injury, tweak, pull, or even muscle soreness for 30 days although there were a few days where I felt a bit tighter than others likely due to either the colder weather during those particular instances or from a very taxing workout the day before.
Minor Negative Results
The first 3-7 days my lungs became very slightly inflamed from the cold conditions although this quickly went away after a week.
There was 1 time during week 2, while sprinting in an area where the road was moderately slanted to the left, when my left foot felt a bit odd, like a slight nerve pinch, after the first sprint. A few shin and calve raises took care of the slight discomfort, adding only an extra 15 seconds between reps 1 and 2. I should note that the discomfort during the sprint did not impact the performance of that specific sprint and all discomfort disappeared after sprint 2.
There were 2-3 times where I felt the slightest tension in either my hip flexors or hamstrings although it was almost negligible. Literally 1-2 reps of eccentric isometrics for those muscles is all it took to eliminate any trace of tightness. For instance, if I felt a bit of tension in my hamstrings I did 1 or 2 eccentric isometric RDL’s for 10 seconds at most. I should emphasize that this was entirely preventative and in many ways unnecessary as the level of tension could not have been any milder.
I could tell that on sprint #1 I would often get upright too soon, likely from not being warmed up. It also felt a bit more robotic and mechanical. Again nothing ever hurt it just didn’t feel maximally neuromuscularly efficient or flowing.
As previously mentioned, physically I felt 100% during the 30 days. However, mentally it became a bit draining knowing that every day, after being on my feet for 12-14 hours straight training clients, I had to do 3-5 sprints once I arrived home. To be honest I was initially worried this would get to me mentally but it turned out to be much less mentally and psychologically taxing than I thought it would be. This was likely because physically everything felt so great that mentally it wasn’t an issue. Had it not felt 100% physically, I’m sure mentally it would have been exhausting to say the least.
My Apologies
I wish I had something more interesting to report. Truth is I was really hoping for something a bit more exciting and interesting. Physically I felt amazing before and after the 30 day experiment and in some ways possibly more energized and stronger after the 30 days.
Why 3-5 Sprints?
My maximal speed usually occurred between reps 2-4. After 5 reps I could tell my legs would fatigue and also the activity turned more into a conditioning workout than speed training
When I first began the no-warmup sprints 8-9 years ago, before I had fully refined my eccentric isometric protocol, my left hip flexor always tended to mildly or moderately lock up and get very tight. This typically occurred at rep 2 or 3. Therefore, to make the determination that this was no longer an issue and there was no trace of hip discomfort dictated I perform at least 3 sprints.
Will I Continue This Protocol?
As previously mentioned I’ve been doing no-warmup sprints for 8-9 years now averaging 2-3 days per week. I’ll probably return to that not because physically my body can’t handle more but simply because psychologically it’s a bit draining knowing that everyday you have to sprint with maximal exertion particularly when you are on your feet training 12-14 hours straight per day. Furthermore, I typically have an additional 3-5 hours of online work once I get home from in-person training, therefore, from a scheduling standpoint it’s often a bit of a challenge.
My Running Form
I’ve had track coaches tell me (quite recently actually) that I have incredible running mechanics while I’ve had others tell me it needs work. So, I’m really not sure who’s right especially because the criteria for what constitutes proper sprinting mechanics continues to change and evolve in the track and field world.
Generally speaking I’d say it’s better than most but not as good as some, particularly pro and collegiate athletes. I simply do what feels natural, without over analyzing it, letting activation patterns from my training, specifically with eccentric isometrics, naturally transfer into my running technique. One thing is likely true and that is that my form is probably fairly efficient and biomechanically sound otherwise I would have injured myself long ago.
Usain Bolt like many sprinters also has a high level of arch and back extension
Additionally, many have suggested that I have too much lumbar extension. However, if you examine some of the best sprinters in the world including Usain Bolt (picture to the left), many of them actually demonstrate a fairly large arch in their spine including their lumbar spine when they hit full extension with the back leg. Yes I realize to even compare myself with such elite sprinters is laughable and will likely bring on a host of comments from the ardent haters.
However it simply shows that what is considered over-extension may in fact be normal and likely does not contribute to injury, low back pain, or hamstring pulls. Additionally what’s typically considered optimal or neutral spinal alignment for sprinting or for high force exercises may be slightly different for some folks or perhaps is not quite as kyphotic and flat-backed as the fitness industry has suggested for years.
Notice the degree of back extension especially in the middle 3 sprinters
Should Be Able To vs. should: My Recommendations for Sprinting
Do I recommend the 30 Day No-Warmup Sprint Challenge? Probably not as anything other than textbook body mechanics and sound running form would likely cause issues. Yes, it’s something you should be able to do if necessary but probably not something you should do on a consistent basis. Now, if you do decide to try it be prepared as this truly is the ultimate diagnostic test of body mechanics and neuromuscular efficiency.
With that said I’d recommend something similar to what I’ve been doing the last 8-9 years i.e. several sprints 2-4x per week. You may also want to play it safe and perform 30-60 seconds of bodyweight eccentric isometrics beforehand such as RDL’s, lunges, and squats. A few reps of each, 1-3 minutes or so before you sprint should suffice if your body is functioning properly. Additionally, you will likely want to start your sprints at 75-90% speed rather than immediately jumping into 100% speed although as previously mentioned you should be able to go right into 100% speed/effort if needed.
Should You Stop Warming Up?
Am I suggesting that people should not warmup or that warmups are useless? Absolutely not!! On the contrary I think they’re important and optimal. I’m simply trying to show what should be possible under non-warmed conditions if in fact any human were required or needed to sprint or perform an aggressive physical movement under cold conditions.
Simply I’m not trying to show what’s optimal I’m simply trying to show what’s possible under suboptimal conditions if in fact muscle function is sound. Yes, 100%, without a doubt, warmups will help improve neuromuscular efficiency, technique, mechanics, power, speed, etc (although the need for excessive warmup is likely unnecessary if muscle function is sound). However just because an individual doesn’t perform their warmup doesn’t mean he or she should lose the ability to perform their task or skill at a moderately high level because of imminent injury.
What about the time period Before My Eccentric Isometrics Studies?
I honestly can’t tell you exactly when or how it started, but probably sometime while I was in high school, at 14 or 15, I came to the realization that I had to start warming up before I did any form of aggressive sports or sprinting. Ironically, that’s also the age I began lifting weights using “traditional” training methods. From around the age of 15-25 the thought of sprinting without a warmup would have made me cringe. In fact, back in my undergraduate physiology and biomechanics classes, during labs or practical tests, I was always very concerned about pulling something and would spend at least 10 minutes before any type of sprint test or running test to make sure my body was warmed up.
What’s more, by the time I completed my Master’s at Indiana University I pretty much stopped sprinting altogether as my body was a complete wreck. In fact, I probably had a several year period where I never broke beyond the 10mph mark if, in fact, I did decide to push my body and run or jog. Even going for walks would often hurt my hips, knees, and back as I had so many imbalances and forms of dysfunction simply from following the “current trends in strength and conditioning” espoused by all the “performance experts”.
It wasn’t until I started experimenting with 90 degree eccentric isometrics during my PhD at UGA that my ability to sprint gradually returned. As I continued to refine the 90 degree eccentric isometrics protocol and improve my body mechanics, my sprinting ability become more and more dialed in to the point that I was eventually able to sprint without warming up mostly pain-free. I say mostly pain free because it really wasn’t until the last 5-6 years that I truly have been pain free during my sprinting or training as it took me several years to truly refine my eccentric isometric training protocols to the point where there were no obvious flaws in the system. Those methods are laid out in my book MOVEMENT REDEFINED.
Who’s to Blame?
As previously alluded to, mainstream fitness is largely to blame for this debacle as many of the concepts currently espoused by “experts” actually degrade body mechanics more than they help. In fact, trends dealing with mobility, flexibility, corrective exercise, deep squats, and gaining greater range of motion have all created scenarios where individuals have negatively impacted their muscle function and sacrificed motor control. It’s these elements, along with other similar trends, that are likely to blame for why most individuals who participate in traditional training methods are unable to function at a high level without injury (i.e. sprinting under cold conditions).
In fact, it’s almost guaranteed that any individual who has been strength training with current methods and using modern day training protocols (including deep ATG squats, powerlifting methods, and or Olympic lifting) has likely degraded their body mechanics to the point that performing tasks such as no-warmup sprints without injury is a physical impossibility. Simply put, the fitness industry is ruining people’s bodies. This mini experiment gives further credence to that. Read more about the consequences of faulty body mechanics here.
I’m Not A Freak!!
At this point you’re probably thinking that perhaps I’m just a rare anomaly and my body is an exception to the rule. However, I can assure you that has nothing to do with my body, genetics, or the physical attributes that I was born with but instead everything to do with my training. In fact, at almost 36 years of age I can more easily sprint without risk of injury than I could when I was in my teenage years playing sports in high school when I routinely had to take at least 10-15 minutes to warmup my hips, knees, hamstrings, and low back before playing sports or there would be consequences.
And no, it has nothing to do with my getting stronger and performing strength training. As I mentioned earlier, I started training when I was 14 yet by the time I was in my early and mid 20’s not only was my ability to sprint markedly worse, I would have never even considered sprinting cold seeing as I could barely do so under warm conditions without the fear of injury. That’s because I had been participating in traditional strength training programs using protocols recommended by “mainstream fitness” (including ass-to-grass squats and movements with large range of motion) all of which produced more nagging joint and muscle pain than just about any other physiological malady or disease I could have developed at that early stage in my life.
Only after I refined my body mechanics with 90 degree eccentric isometrics did I regain my ability to sprint and could to do so under cold conditions, something I enjoyed frequently as a young kid.
It’s Obvious, I’m Not the Flash!!
I realize my sprint speed is nothing to write home about and many folks may even question my experiment suggesting the reason for the lack of injuries is simply because I’m slow and don’t produce high force. There are 3 main flaws with this assumption. First, sprint speed has nothing to do with it. The whole point is being able to perform any natural physical activity with maximal or near maximal effort/exertion and intensity without extensive warmup, regardless of absolute speed or force.
Second, if you insist on sticking with the flawed assumption that sprint speed does in fact play a role in potential for injury, let’s examine the numbers. The average maximal sprint speed for a fit human ranges anywhere from 12-16 mph while the average for a top athlete will be 20-25 mph (although numbers my vary depending on the source). Several years ago I had my top sprint speed measured and it ranged between 18-19 mph (after being thoroughly warmed up and fully activated). Simply, it’s faster than most fit humans including most lifers although significantly slower than an elite athlete.
In essence, the level of force is relatively high for my body. Therefore, even if you were going to make the argument that such a notion as being able to sprint without warmup is not feasible for elite level athletes (which in fact it is if muscle function is sound), the concept and principles still apply to a majority of fitness enthusiasts and lifters for whom this article was written. Simply the level of force and speed I produce will be higher than a majority of the folks reading this. Therefore, making the argument that I didn’t injure myself while sprinting because I don’t produce high force doesn’t apply.
Third and lastly, other elite level athletes who had very high sprint speeds such as Deion Sanders were also capable of sprinting without warming up. I’ve also heard from several sources (although the claims need to be confirmed from official sources) that elite sprinters Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson regularly went into their sprint practice sessions fairly cold with little warmup.
My Athletes Are Similar although I’m More Careful
Yes, I train quite a few high level athletes and I’m always very diligent and careful, making sure to minimize their risk of injury while maximizing their athletic performance and training results. In fact, I’ve been training high level athletes for well over 7 years and I’ve never had a single injury other than a very rare 1-2 day muscle tweak which, in every case, occurred from faulty form and sloppy mechanics not poor warm-up routines. That being said, my athletes spend much less time warming up than they used to not because I tell them to but because they instinctively don’t feel the need or compulsion to do so.
Truth is I often have to recommend they do a few more warmup sets of eccentric isometrics drills (typically lighter sets of the exercises they’ll be doing for that workout which is my go-to warmup method) before going at maximal intensity during their workouts. In reality, I have to be the one to pull the reigns on them as the athletes I’ve been working with for multiple years now often go charging into their workouts like wild stallions ready to go at maximal intensity with very little warmup. Once again, this has everything to do with their improved body mechanics a result of which is they simply need very little warmup compared to before we began training when they felt they needed at least 20 minutes of foam rolling, stretching, and mobility drills before jumping into their workouts.
With that said here are 3 of my clients NPC figure competitor Leslie Petch, fellow kinesiologist & PhD candidate Ben Lai, and NFL athlete Julian Williams showcasing the no-warmup sprint below.
These are individuals I’ve been working with for many years whose muscle function and body mechanics I know are very sound so there was no chance of injury. Additionally, when asked, each of them felt more than comfortable to do this as they instinctively know their body’s are more than capable of handling something so simple as the no-warmup sprint.
Note About Internal Body Temperature
As one of my clients and fellow scientist Leslie Petch and I discussed, internal body temperature is highly regulated and, in healthy individuals, does not drastically change depending on circumstances, rather, it stays within a very narrow range, hovering near 98.6 degrees. In other words, warming up will not magically take your body from 30 degrees to 110 degrees or alter your internal temperature to the point that a long and extensive warmup would physically alter your ability to use your muscles for high levels of physical exertion.
Yes there are subtle elements such as blood flow, synovial fluid, central nervous system activation, and other physiological elements that will enhance neuromuscular function and improve the athlete’s performance. However, none of these should dictate whether or not the individual physically has the ability to perform intense activities without injury in a cold or non-warmed up conditions. In other words, a more extended warmup likely improves neuromuscular efficiency slightly. What it is not likely to do is alter an athlete’s body so drastically that it goes from a decrepit and frail state in which a sudden dynamic move induces immediate injury, to a state of superhuman gold medal Olympian status.
The Missing Key
It’s probably pretty obvious at this point what the key is in terms of an one’s ability to sprint consistently under cold conditions without injuring yourself. Eccentric Isometrics with 90 degree joint angles. Yes, I probably sound like a broken record but that’s because the truth bears repeating until it sinks in. If you’ve been training with traditional methods commonly perpetuated by the fitness industry including deep squats, mobility drills, foam rolling, exaggerated mobility exercises, powerlifting methods, large range of motion, and feet externally rotated on your lower body exercises such as squats and deadlifts, then I can just about guarantee that performing no-warmup sprints will result in injury almost immediately.
In reality there are 2 types of folks who will likely be able to perform no-warmup sprints without injury. 1) Those who have been using 90 degree eccentric isometric protocols on a consistent basis, or at least training with a method that very closely resembles eccentric isometrics or) 2 genetic specimens who have near perfect muscle function and have rarely touched any weights or participated in any form of traditional strength training protocols, as doing so would have obviously improperly re-wired their neuromuscular system and altered their natural biomechanics to the point that they would have needed correcting and neuromuscular re-education before attempting non-warmup sprints.
Yes, you may get luckY!
I’m sure I’ll be receiving dozens of messages and hate comments from the deranged lunatics on social media who use traditional methods and were able to perform the no-warmup sprint protocol one, or even a few times without injury, thereby debunking this entire article. Just keep this in mind: individuals will have a higher or lower risk of injury depending on a number of factors including age, training history, genetics, athletic background etc. Some may have a 50% chance of injury, others may have a 20% chance, 10%, 5%, and even 1% chance of injury.
However, this still suggests that, on average, if such an individual were to sprint 100 times at some point they’d likely injure themselves. So please don’t tell me you did the sprint test one time or even a few times and had no issues. Try doing it a few thousand times as I’ve done over the last 9 years then report back. And yes, I’ve never had an injury meaning my risk of injury is not 1% or .1 or even .01% I could technically argue that it’s 0.00 since my record is in fact perfect in this regard with a very long and extensive track record to prove it.
Don’t Get the Wrong Idea!!!
Please don’t get the idea I’m being cocky or trying to show how amazing I am. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I’m simply trying to highlight just how incredibly powerful and almost miraculous proper movement is. This article has much less to do with sprinting than it does human movement in general as I simply used the one example of sprinting to illustrate how incredibly important optimizing body mechanics are in preventing injury and maximizing human performance for all individuals.
If Other Athletes Can Do It, So Should You!!!
I’m not the first person to argue this point. In fact some of the best athletes on the planet have adopted this mindset over the decades. According to NFL legend Deon Sanders as to why he didn’t warmup before performing his 40 yard dash at the NFL combine "Does a cheetah warm up before it catches a zebra? Then why would I". This pretty much summarizes the article in a nutshell. Unfortunately this mindset and mentality is becoming increasingly rare among athletes likely due to modern training methods.
If you Disagree
If you disagree with what I’ve laid out in this article that’s perfectly fine and understandable. However, I do suggest you prepare and memorize a few convincing should you, by mere chance and poor luck, happen to encounter a local criminal, thief, or henchmen attempting to mug you in which case you’ll need to articulately describe in a matter of seconds, and with as few words as possible, why you should be allowed to spend 4 minutes stretching, 3 minutes foam rolling, 5 minutes doing corrective exercises, and 2 minutes doing gradually ramped-up running drills so you can flee with your life before they attempt to mug you. Let’s just hope and pray you run into one of those more saintly criminals who finds a warm and tender spot in their heart to give you the designated time necessary to complete your allotted warmup protocol.
Note About Heavy Lifts
On a similar note you should also be capable of performing 80-90% of your 1RM for any lift at anytime even under semi-cold conditions. That’s right. Having the ability to quickly summon your nervous system and perform a relatively heavy deadlift, squat, or press without significant preparation is not only a great way to expose areas of inflammation or weakness, it represents a level of movement competency that any well-trained athlete should be capable of attaining. This is something other strength coaches including legendary Charles Staley have alluded to in the past.
Here’s an example where I went from my desk at work, after sitting for roughly 30 minutes doing busy work, straight into a heavy eccentric isometric front lunges which require full body mobility, strength, stability, alignment, & more.
The cool thing was they felt perfect as they always do, with zero pain, because my technique and muscle function were perfect. Anything less, and not only would these have felt miserable in multiple areas of my body, the risk of injury would have been quite high. My client Leslie Petch was able to do the same thing after sitting while driving and being inactive for closer to 90 minutes before doing these.
In closing, if half of your training time is devoted to warming up your joints and blunting the pain and inflammation associated with dysfunctional movement, chances are your lifting technique needs a serious overhaul. So yes, the same or very similar principle applies to lifting as it does to sprinting.
Note About FOam Rolling
This is something I’ve addressed over the years but it’s worth repeating. If you have to foam roll, stretch, massage, and perform various forms of soft tissue work on a consistent basis this is a strong indication your movement patterns and muscle function are producing inflammation, tightness, and muscular spasticity. Contrary to what the fitness industry would have you believe, this is anything but normal and should never be accepted as common practice. Performing these various forms of “supposed” therapeutic modalities is a common case of treating the symptoms rather than the cause. Fix your movement patterns, eliminate dysfunction, and watch the symptoms fade. Read more in my book MOVEMENT REDEFINED.
On a similar note, I’ve been asked quite a bit over the last few years why I never post videos on foam rolling, corrective exercises, soft tissue work, stretches, mobility drills, and joint mobilization exercises. The reason is simple. I never use them on myself or my clients. Their bodies don’t require any such modalities and they simply have no need for these suboptimal methods. All of the therapeutic benefits they need are produced from properly executed foundational movements. If, in fact, my clients needed any of the above mentioned modalities it would simply be an indication that something is amiss with their training and body mechanics.
If you really want to enhance your quality of movement try incorporating eccentric isometrics on foundational movement patterns into your routine. This will provide better therapeutic benefits than foam rolling, soft tissue work, and stretching without the negative repercussions of repeatedly desensitizing your muscle spindles and pain receptors from over-manipulation - an unfortunate side effect of foam rolling and stretching. Learn more about detecting dysfunctional movement patterns here.
