What you do before your workout is just as important as what you do during and after your workout. If you want it to be effective and get the best results, then make sure that you do the following things before getting going:
Hydrate Yourself
You already know that drinking enough water is vital for your overall health, but it plays an especially important role in a fitness routine—when you're sweating it out, you need to make sure your body is adequately hydrated since you're losing water. Plus, being hydrated will make sure your energy levels are where they need to be
Have A Snack
Don't go for a full-on big meal, but do make sure you're not working out on an empty stomach. You need to fuel yourself so a tasty pre-workout snack would be a piece of toast with almond butter to get you going, or if you don't feel like you can face food, then how about a prework out shake? Wilson Supplements offers plenty of pre-workout supplements which deliver intense, long-lasting energy.
Get Enough Sleep
Lack of sleep or oversleeping causes the body to become lethargic, and this makes your energy output much lower than usual, which makes the workout less effective. When you sleep, your body goes into recovery mode, and all the systems of your body benefit from adequate sleep, including your muscular system. Giving your body a chance to recover means you can get back at it — with your full attention and energy — sooner.
Do Dynamic Mobility Work 5-10 Minutes Before Training
Save your static stretching for after your workout and focus beforehand on dynamic mobility, which are full-body movements where the stretch is held for only one to two seconds in each position. Recent research has shown that those who engaged in dynamic warm-ups produce more significant long-term gains in mobility and flexibility, along with strength than those who do static stretching or skip the warm-up altogether. Effective dynamic movements to include before you train are the Elbow-to-Instep stretch, which fires up the glutes, hamstrings, calves and ankles, a Scapular Wall Slide for your scapulae and shoulders, and a Side-Lying Extension-Rotation for thoracic spine mobility.
Do a Workout-Specific Warm-Up
Performing warm-up sets at 40 to 70 percent of your one-rep max for each of the major lifts you plan to do is an effective way to prevent injury, prime the nervous system and improve performance during your "work" sets. So if you are planning to front squat 185 pounds for six reps, begin with a set of 8 at 95 pounds, then a set of 6 at 135 and finally a set of 4 at 160. This will provide the proper balance of being primed for your work sets without being fatigued by performing too many warm-ups. A rule of thumb is the closer to your max you are attempting to lift, the more warm-up sets you should do.
