Working Class Runner

Taken from here.

“stop warming-up”

is breakfast warm-up eating?  is washing hands warm-up showering?  are “good morning” warm-up words?

no.  they aren’t warm-ups.  they are just the first part of the entire meals, hygiene, and talking situations.  and that first part should always include the elements of the whole.

you practice eating lunch by eating breakfast.  you practice showering by washing your hands.  you practice sentences with phrases.  you practice in the doing.  you practice full.  from the start.

a “warm-up” doesn’t exist in life.  so why does it exist in movement?

let’s look at what you do.

getting ready to dance? start dancing. getting ready to run? start running. getting ready to play tennis? start playing. getting ready to lift weights? start lifting your (body) weights.

f the warm-up.  don’t do lunges unless you are about to do lunges.  don’t do high knees unless your activity involves high knees.

just start at 10% of your full range of movement possibilities.  start slow.  start soft.  start small.  but start full.  with all of the movements you will be performing later.  and remember, 10% only refers to a tenth of your total energy output.  10% energy is still 100% of your movements. now gradually build that into 20%, 30%, 40%, etc…

(great. hope you enjoyed said activity)

now, getting ready to warm-down?  no you’re not, cause that doesn’t exist either.

just taper your activity level down from its climax, gradually back to 10%, arriving at slow, soft, small.  but always full.

like a good meal.