Warmups/Finishers

The page gives you some ideas on how to warm up and finish your workout.
Warming up is important. It does not have to be elaborate. You want to get your heart rate elevated, get blood pumping to your muscles, and get those muscles moving. This will help prevent injury. I do not recommend static stretching before working out. (Meaning to hold a stretch until your muscles relax and lengthen) You need your muscle activated, not relaxed. Static stretching before a workout is like taking a sleeping pill before pulling an all-nighter. It doesn’t make sense. Instead you want to spend 3-7 minutes doing a dynamic warm up. Get your body moving. Pick from any of the warm ups below or make up your own.

The Warmup

#1) Perform each exercise for 30 seconds back to back

  • Jumping Jacks
  • Log Jump
  • Push up
  • High knees
  • Butt kicks
  • Rest 30 seconds and repeat for a total of 2 times

#2) Perform each exercise for 30 seconds back to back

  • Mountain climber
  • Bodyweight squat
  • Mountain climber
  • Push up
  • Mountain climber
  • Lunges
  • Rest 30 seconds and repeat for a total of 2 times

#3) Jump Rope

  • Jump rope for 2 minutes.
  • Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times

#4) Circle run push ups

  • Jog in a circle for 5 minutes.
  • Every 30 seconds, drop down and do 5 push ups.
  • Then get up and continue to jog.

#5) Circle run star jumps/updowns

  • Jog in a circle for 5 minutes, at 30 seconds do 5 star jumps, then after the next 30 seconds do 5 up downs. Keep switching between star jumps and up downs every 30 seconds for 5 minutes.

#6) Perform these exercises for reps back to back.

  • 30 Jumping Jacks
  • 20 push ups
  • 20 lunges
  • 20 bodyweight squats
  • 30 jumping jacks

#7)Perform these exercises back to back. You need a little space for this.

  • 50 ft bear crawl
  • 50 ft skipping
  • 50 ft two legged hops
  • 50 ft run
  • Repeat for a total of 3 times through.

#8) Perform these exercises back to back. You need a little space for this.

  • 50 ft high knees
  • 50 ft butt kickers
  • 50 ft lateral shuffle (one side)
  • 50 ft lateral shuffle (other side)
  • 50 ft two legged broad jumps
  • Repeat for a total of 3 times through.

When warming up, use common sense. Pick from these or make up your own. Get your heart rate up and get your body moving.

The Finisher

A finisher is a short, ultra intense mini workout performed at the end of your workout. As the name suggests, it should finish you. Use a finisher on occasion to make sure you have nothing left and you left it all at the workout. It is one last challenge when you are already tired.

Finishers are not always necessary. Use a finisher if you feel like you want to push it one last time or you have some extra energy at the end of your workout. If a super hard workout is a 10 on the scale in intensity, the finisher should be an 11. The intensity should be unsustainable for more than 5 minutes or so. I have included some examples below, feel free to pick from these or make up your own:

  1. 50 burpees as fast as possible
  2. 4 minutes of sprints.
  3. 20 burpees, then 100 rope turns with jump rope, then 20 burpees
  4. 10 sprints 50-100 yards with 10 seconds rest in between
  5. 10 bear crawl sprints with 10 seconds rest
  6. 5 minute bear crawl
  7. Knee Tucks 1-10. Do 10 sets, first set do 1 knee tuck, 2nd set do 2 knee tucks…10th set do 10 knee tucks.
  8. Plyo push ups 1-10. Do 10 sets, first set do 1 plyo push up, 2nd set do 2 plyo push ups…10th set do 10 plyo push ups.
  9. Burpees for 2 minutes. As fast as possible, aim for 20 burpees per minute.
  10. Run 400m as fast as possible
  11. Push ups/ Jump Squats 10-1. First set do 10 push ups, then 10 jump squats, second set do 9 push ups, then 9 jump squats…go all the way down to 1 pushup/1 jump squat ast fast as possible
  12. Tabata jump squats. 8 intervals of 20 seconds of jump squats with 10 seconds rest. 4 minutes total.
  13. 4 minutes of medicine ball slams. Go as fast and as hard as possible.
  14. 100 jump squats
  15. 100 sprawls
  16. 2 minutes of square jumps. Jump in a square like a frog. Touch the ground and jump forward, touch the ground and jump right, touch the ground and jump back, touch the ground and jump left. Jump like a frog in a square.
  17. Run a mile as fast as possible.
  18. 200 high knees
  19. 200 mountain climbers
  20. Tabata intervals with burpees and high knees. 20 seconds of exercise, then 10 seconds rest. Repeat 8 times for 4 minutes. Switch between burpees and high knees each interval.
  21. 400m run fast, then 400m sandbag carry run.

Try one of these at the end of one of my workouts! Good times!