Gear for the Warm Up

In my last post about building a home gym, I didn't mention anything specifically for the warm up. First of all, you really don't "need" any gear to do a good warm up, but gear can help with some specific things and definitely make certain aspects of a warm up more effective. Some of my favorite tools for the warm up are:

• The Hip Circle 
  There is no better warm up tool that I have found to warm up the entire posterior chain and the hips in general. Your glutes, glute medius, all those deep external rotators in the hip, your hamstrings and hip flexors will all be functioning at a high level after doing some exercises with this band around your legs. If you workout at all on your own, whether that is running, weightlifting at a commercial gym, a home gym, or any other activity, consider it part of your general orders to have the Hip Circle to use as part of your warm up and injury prevention routine. It is particularly important to use before high intensity running and/or weightlifting. I consider it an indispensable tool. If you've trained with me before it's extremely likely you've used or seen these :) You can check out this video for some basic warm up instruction using the Hip Circle here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=if_MbHiy87w

• Resistance Bands (also called pull-up assistance bands)
  ​This refers specifically to the type of band that is a loop; there are no handles. These bands are extremely versatile and also very durable. You can select bands of different thickness to provide various levels of resistance. There is a lat stretch that is absolutely fantastic, assuming the band provides a high enough resistance. The low resistance bands provide great shoulder mobility and overhead position warm ups. These tools provide great ways to improve the strength and reduce dysfunction and tightness in both the shoulders and the hips/low back area. Fantastic stuff. I haven't found the brand to be super important with these, although I will say I've had my EliteFTS bands for years now and they are still good. They are all made of latex. Check out this video that's full of great shoulder warm ups using this type of band by a great strength coach here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=235RWW0Ih9Y

• ​The Jump Rope
  The jump rope has been used extensively by professional boxers and martial artists as a warm up and a conditioning tool. It can be used to work on timing, footwork, and coordination as well. It's a great tool for a warm up and it's definitely one of the basics for the home gym. Quality is actually quite important for jump ropes, as the really cheap ones break often and do not spin or rotate well. Ropes that spin really well, preferably with bearings, are my preference. Heavy and high drag ropes also provide a great workout.  It's important to buy your rope at a custom length and gauge to best suit your build and training needs.  I've had a few RX Ropes for several years and they've never broken. They have great handles, the bearings are excellent, and the custom colors, length, and gauge steel cables are excellent. The steel cables are cheap and easy to replace in case they were ever to wear out. I have not had to buy a replacement set of handles ever. Check out the sizing guide and custom color options at www.rxsmartgear.com - the lighter the gauge wire the faster it will spin, and the heavier the gauge, the slower it will spin. Light ropes are great for double unders and triple unders. You have full customization here with RX. Check out a quick video showing some of the RX ropes in action here, some of you may recognize the Hades rope with the 3/4 lb steel cable line :)  www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbdGaSJa904 
  Another option for a great rope are Thai Boxing style heavy ropes - these are thick and heavy ropes and provide a great upper body stimulus as well as aerobic.
  
  

You can do a great warm up without these tools, but these are great lightweight and portable tools that would be a great part of your home gym. They also double as an addition to your gym bag to carry with you when you workout elsewhere. Most commercial gyms do not have these available, so consider acquiring this gear and learning how to use it whether you plan to use it at home, a commercial facility, or any public place.