Focus Fitness Coaching

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7 Minute Full Body Warm Up



Key Takeaways

  • The benefits of a thorough warm up include:

    • Decreased risk of injury

    • Increased range of motion

    • Blood flow

    • Improved performance

    • Improved lifting longevity

  • If you’re in a rush, select high bang for your buck movements to optimize your time in the gym.

  • The warm up:

    • Neck rotation top half x 10 each way

    • Trap stretch x 15 sec each side

    • Band pull apart underhand x 20

    • Band overhead shrug  x 20

    • Band shrug x 20

    • Push up plus retraction/pronation x 5

    • Cat cows x 5

    • Thoracic Rotation x 5 each side

    • Low lunge + rotation x 5 each side

    • Adductor rocks x 5 each side

    • Side plank hip abduction x 5 each side

    • Side lying hip adduction x5 each side

    • Straight leg raise x 5

    • Lateral leg raise x 5

    • Hip thrusts x 5

    • Single leg hip march x 5 each side

  • The purpose of a warm up is take your body through a logical progression so that you can efficiently move key muscles through a full range motion.

  • Warming up is important. Never let lack of time be your excuse for skipping it.



Full Story

In a perfect world, we would have ample time to warm up and it would rain chocolate. But it’s not. We don't have a minute to spare to loosen up our achy joints and rain is just boring water. 

My perfect warm up would consist of:

  • 30 to 45 minutes of rolling out all my knots...No, no. We’re talking perfect here - a 1 hour deep tissue massage by the number one massage therapist in the world

  • 15-20 minutes of steady state cardio to get my core temperature up

  • Dynamic stretching head to toe

  • 3-4 lights sets of every exercise to dial in my technique


In the perfect world, I wouldn’t even unrack my first dumbbell until I’ve had 2 hours of easing into it, loosening up, and getting in the zone. It would be glorious. 


Nobody has a few hours to warm up. You’re lucky if you get a few minutes, right?


In reality, my pre-gym morning routine looks more like this:

  • Roll out of bed

  • Chug coffee

  • Fire up my Jeep and roll to the gym

  • Speed walk through the doors - the clock is ticking!

  • Throw my gym bag in a locker

  • Begin my warm up (IF my coffee chug doesn’t interrupt me with a biological pit stop)

Sound familiar?

You read Solokas Focus - you’re busy, important, and successful. In between work, class, and talking about how busy you are, you likely have 60 minutes max for the whole shabang- warm up, workout, and cool down. You need to get in, get warm, and get going with the heavy weights and high intensity - I get it!

Your warm up may be:

  • Boring

  • Too easy

  • Time consuming

  • Ineffective

  • “I don’t even need it, John! Throw some plates on the bar already.”

Because warming up is incredibly important, I’m going to help you address all of those complaints. No matter how little time you have or how loudly that squat rack is calling your name, do not skip your warm up. With this ten minute full body routine, you can throw any excuses you have right out of the window.



The Why Behind Warming Up

If you’re over the age of 30 and/or have been working out consistently for over ten years, you can skip this part. You know it, and your knees, back, or shoulders might even remind you every now and then of the importance of a proper warm up.


If you’re young and healthy, with well-lubricated joints and blissful ignorance of the limitations of the human body - listen up. The benefits of a thorough warm up include:

  • Decreased risk of injury

  • Increased range of motion

  • Blood flow

  • Improved performance

  • Improved lifting longevity

Trust me - if you enjoy training and would like to do it well, pain-free, and for the next 20, 30, or 70 years, warming up properly before every workout is in your best interest.

If you’re thinking, “John says to warm up, got it. Burpee city here I come!” Please stop thinking those thoughts. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if you never do another burpee in your entire life. The goal of a warm up is not to get you sweating with hundreds of squat thrusts and jumping jacks.


Instead, the purpose is to take your body through a logical progression so that you can efficiently move key muscles through a full range motion. Your warm up should not only loosen up tight joints and increase blood flow to the target muscles but prepare your body to handle heavy loads safely and efficiently.

This warm up template is quick, effective, and proper execution will result in decreased risk of injury and improved performance - in ten minutes or less, or your money back guaranteed!


The Warm Up - Your 10 Minute Or Less Guarantee

  • Neck rotation top half x 10 each way

  • Bring arms behind back and hold one hand with other

  • Lift chin to the sky and rotate to the other side

  • Only move through top range of motion

  • Return to start and repeat


  • Trap stretch x 15 sec each side

    • Set shoulders back and down

    • Gently pull top of head down toward right ear

    • To intensify stretch, think about dropping left shoulder down as you pull towards the right, and vice-versa

    • Repeat on other side


  • Band pull apart underhand x 20

    • Set shoulders back and down

    • Hold each end of band with underhand grip

    • Slight bend in arms

    • Pull the band to about nipple height on chest, hold for 1 sec

    • Return to start and repeat


  • Band overhead shrug  x 20

    • Step on single band and lift over head

    • Keep arms straight- movement does NOT come from elbows

    • Shrug your shoulders toward your ears, hold for 1 sec

    • Return to start and repeat

      • Be sure not to arch low back too much


  • Band shrug x 20

    • Set shoulders back and down

    • Step on both bands and hold at sides

    • Shrug your shoulders toward your ears, hold for 1 sec

    • Return to start and repeat

Just like that

  • Push up plus retraction/pronation x 5

    • Start in push up position

    • Protract your shoulders by rounding your upper back and turning your elbows out

    • Retract your shoulders by bringing your shoulder blades together and turning your elbows in

    • Perform push up by lowering chest until your elbow makes 90 degree angle, and not letting your elbows flare out

    • Repeat

  • Cat cows x 5

    • Start on all fours with a neutral spine

    • Round your upper, mid, and lower back and point your head down

    • Hold for a second and then arch your low back, retract your shoulder and look up

    • Hold for a second and return to start

    • Be sure not to over arch/ over extend the neck on the “cat” portion

  • Thoracic Rotation x 5 each side

    • Start on all fours with a neutral spine

    • Put your hand on your ear

    • With hand on ear, turn in and bring elbow down to opposite knee

    • Then reverse course and bring elbow out and to the sky. That’s 1 rep.

    • Keep your eyes on your elbow, neutral spine, and shoulders back the entire time

  • Low lunge + rotation x 5 each side

    • Start in push up position

    • Bring right foot next to right hand and keep foot flat

    • Lift up right arm and open up toward right leg

    • Return and bring elbow in, trying to touch it to ground while keeping back flat

    • Repeat for 5 reps and perform on opposite side

It really is.

  • Adductor rocks x 5 each side

    • Start on all fours with a neutral spine

    • Straighten one leg out to the side

    • Walk your hands back until you feel stretch on inside of leg

    • Hold for 2 seconds and repeat

  • Side plank hip abduction x 5 each side

  • Perform a side plank by bringing the shoulder blades back, stacking the shoulder and elbow, and stacking the feet

  • Lift the hips off the ground

  • From there, hold the plank and lift your top leg up, squeezing the side of your glutes and pointing the toe inward

  • Return to start and repeat.

    • This one is challenging. If it’s too tough, perform a side plank for 15 seconds then move on to the abduction with your hips on the ground.

  • Side lying hip adduction x 5 each side

    • Lie on your side and bend and cross your top leg over bottom leg

    • Pull you leg in and hold your foot

    • Lift your bottom leg up nice and slow, and return to start

      • You’ll likely have a limited range of motion!

  • Straight leg raise x 5

    • Keep your leg straight, low back flat on the ground

    • Lift leg up and lower under control

  • Lateral leg raise x 5

    • Keep your leg straight, low back flat on the ground.

    • Lift leg up, lower it out to the side as far as it will go while keeping opposite hip on the ground

    • Don’t let opposite knee flail to the side

  • Hip thrusts x 5

    • Feet shoulder width apart, drive through the entire foot

    • Lift the hips, squeezing the glutes for 1 sec

    • Return to start

  • Single leg hip march x 5 each side

    • Perform a hip thrust

    • With hips up in the air, lift one leg off the ground and straighten it while squeezing glutes

    • Repeat with other leg

    • Bring hips back down and return to start

Done!



The Proof

I know, it’s a lot. You may even be thinking, “John, you'’re full if it! There is NO WAY I can do all that in 10 minutes or less.”

Well, don’t just take my word for it. I’ll put my money where my mouth is and show you! Please enjoy the high quality lighting, angles, and music. Filmed in my private studio/living room gym.

Here’s your proof!

Even with checking my phone and setting up the camera, it took me 7 minutes! 3 minutes to spare to add your other favorites or perform more reps of the ones that really hit the spot.


Wrap Up

Everyone needs to warm up. Whether you’re:

  • 16 or 60

  • A newbie or experienced lifter

  • Healthy or banged up from sports or pushing it too hard in the gym


…an effective warm up will add years to your lifting career. By performing this routine you will enhance your performance and get in and out of the gym, pain free.

With this ten minute routine, time will never again be an excuse for skipping your warm up.



GIF Sources: Joey Kevin Dwight KristenBell Hips Stevie

(giphy.com)