Tip 11/03

Workout Preparation

It is the responsibility of the Instructor to insure that the workout routines executed are efficient, safe, and specific to the class to be taught. Of course there are still some Instructors who fail both themselves and their students by using exercises that belong in the dark ages, but that is for another article. However, the students themselves need to firstly prepare themselves for the class and works out session before hand. Too often I’ve come into dojangs seeing people come in cold, drop to the floor and begin stretching. This gung-ho approach, which is supposed to pass as getting ready for a workout, leads to injury and reduced performance. The key to a successful workout is a successful pre-workout to prepare the mind and body for maximum performance.

First, we need to start with preparing the mind. Rushing headlong into the dojang after a long day at work is the norm for many people. They try hard to sandwich in their training between numerous other commitments. However, to train successfully we need to set aside the rest of our daily stresses and bring our focus to the task ahead.

Whether it’s a minute or two of meditation or a visualization of the training session to come, take the time to center yourself and fully commit yourself to your workout.

Second, prewarm-up your joints and muscles. A good five to ten minutes of light exercises are necessary to increase blood-flow to your muscles. Light running, skipping, shadow boxing and light joint rotations are all excellent ways to warm your muscles. Make sure you warm up your entire body not just your arms and legs. Basic limbering-up exercises would also be good to end your pre-session.

Done correctly, your workout preparation should have you in the right state of mind, lightly limbered and ready to begin the actual warm-up section, which should include all the specific active stretching (not static!)