The Best Way to Prep Your Muscles for Workout or Performance

The Best Way to Prep Your Muscles for a Workout or Performance

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Remember R.M.A.I.

Optimal physical performance and overall fitness require preparation for our muscles to be at their most effective. Whether you’re gearing up for a workout, sports performance, or simply aiming to enhance daily mobility, the type of muscle preparation can significantly impact how you move and feel. Understanding the four essential steps — Release, Mobilize/Stretch, Activate, and Integrate — forms the cornerstone of a holistic approach to muscle prep. This effective method caters to the needs of all populations, from easing tension in overactive muscles to improving range of motion and enhancing muscle engagement. Let’s unlock your body’s full potential to ensure a flourishing, smooth performance!

Release The Muscles:

Priming muscles for performance or training becomes more challenging when they’re tense or overactive. The muscles you’ll be targeting are typically the ones that feel the tightest or sore. Releasing these muscles helps alleviate tension, improving range of motion and reducing discomfort. Begin by using a foam roller or a palm-sized ball to target the muscle in need of release. Position the muscle on the roller or ball and roll up and down until you locate the ‘sweet spot’—the area that feels the most tense and sore. The aim isn’t to force the muscle onto this spot but rather to focus on controlled breathing and relaxation while pressure releases tension. Each spot requires at least a minute as different muscles will vary in tightness. Once each targeted muscle is released, you can proceed to stretch/mobilize step.

Mobilize/Stretch:

Mobilization is a crucial step in creating stronger ranges of motion. With the surrounding muscles released, it’s time to test and enhance the ranges of motion by facilitating movement throughout the joints. This process gradually opens up the joints, making them easier to move through without the discomfort of soreness or tightness. Mobilizing the limbs alleviates stiffness, allowing for deeper and fuller ranges of motion translated through the exercises. When it comes to stretching, dynamic stretching can also be incorporated, but static stretching should be avoided unless the muscles are already adequately warmed up. Engaging in static stretching without proper warm-up may hinder performance and could potentially lead to muscle strain. Mobilizing includes moving the joint throughout it’s entire ranges of motion in a nice controlled fashion. Simply said, it lays the groundwork for stronger ranges of motion by facilitating joint movement.

Activation:

After mobilization, next is activating the muscles to prepare them for the upcoming demands. Activating the muscles involves engaging them in a controlled manner throughout the desired range of motion. Think of this step as priming and waking up the muscles for their optimal performance in these deeper ranges. By activating the muscles, you increase blood flow and improve the neuromuscular communication needed to go past the usual mobility they’re used to. Muscle activation exercises help reinforce proper movement patterns, reducing the risk of injury and maximizing performance by incorporating loaded dynamic movements that can further stimulate the muscles and prepare them. This phase sets the stage for a smooth transition into more intense movements, ensuring that your muscles are ready to perform at their best while minimizing the risk of strain or injury.

Integrate The Muscles:

The final step is integration, which involves mimicking the specific movements that will be performed during training or the performance itself. Integration allows the muscles to seamlessly transition from activation to functional movement patterns, ensuring optimal coordination and efficiency. By replicating the demands of the upcoming activity, integration reinforces the neuromuscular pathways. This phase not only prepares the body for the specific challenges ahead but also enhances the body’s awareness of its position and movements in space. Through targeted integration exercises, such as sport-specific drills, functional movements, or dynamic simulations, the body is slowly prepared for full performance. By completing the integration phase, you bridge the gap between preparation and execution, ensuring that your muscles are fully primed to excel!

Here is an example tutorial focusing on the ankle:

Written by:

Dan Aquino – ASFA-CPT

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stretches, hips, tight hips, stretching hips, foam roller, foam rolling, personal trainer, south jersey, fitness

3 exercises for hip relief

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Top 3 Ways to Stretch the Hips for Hockey Players Using Foam Rolling

If you’re a hockey player, for that matter. We understand the struggle of dealing with tight hips. Hours spent skating weekly, driving from game to game, and traveling across states can put your legs through a beating. Consequently, you may experience lower back tightness or tightness in the groin, often stemming from tightness in the hip region. Here are three quick stretches to help loosen up your hips and improve mobility, specifically tailored for hockey players.

Foam Rolling: Why It Helps the hockey athlete

Placing the foam roller directly under the tailbone/hips helps alleviate pressure on the hips and enables a wider range of stretching. This is particularly beneficial for hockey players, whose hips tend to be in Anterior Pelvic Tilt due to the skating motion and stance.

Stretch 1: Leg Sweeps

With the foam roller under your hips, keep the knee extended and toes flexed to emphasize the groin. Perform leg sweeps in a circular motion, gradually increasing the size of the circle with each rotation. You may feel tightness being released, often accompanied by a “cracking” sensation. Take your time with this stretch, aiming for 5-10 reps clockwise and counter-clockwise.

Stretch 2: Lying Knee Pull (Hug)

After completing leg sweeps, shake out your hips and keep one leg extended on the ground. Hug your other knee to your chest and hold for 10-15 seconds to feel the stretch and allow the joint to relax. Slowly extend the hugged knee, shake out your legs, and repeat with the other leg. Perform 1-2 sets or as needed.

Stretch 3: Lying Hip Tilts

Begin by lying on the foam roller with your stomach facing the ground. Tilt one hip at a 45-degree angle onto the roller, while the other hip faces the ceiling. Use your bottom leg and arms to roll up and down on the hip flexors, focusing on areas of tightness. Apply pressure to the roller for 10-15 seconds to release tension. Roll after releasing and repeat as necessary, then switch to the other hip.

No Foam Roller, No Problem

If you don’t have a foam roller, you can still try these stretches, although you’ll experience a deeper stretch with the roller. Additionally, there are other bodyweight exercises to loosen up the hip/pelvic area, such as the Figure 4 Stretch and Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch. Stay tuned for next week’s article for more on these stretches specifically beneficial for hockey players.

#unleashthepotential

Written by:

Darrid Watson, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

 

Take action… Now! 

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  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Training Aspects Personal Training and Sports Performance:

Visit us:
Inside of the Flyers Training Center
601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043