What's the best warm-up routine? That depends on your workout.
There's little point jogging on a treadmill if you're about to train your upper body. Likewise, a set of shoulder rolls and push-ups would be no use if you're about to run a 5K.
A good warm-up should mirror the movements in your session, while activating and mobilizing the muscles and joints you’ll be using.
It should also gradually increase in intensity and elevate your heart rate, increasing blood flow and oxygen to the muscles that are about to work hard.
Sometimes it’s handy to have a full-body warm-up routine in your back pocket—one you can do on autopilot, knowing it'll tick most boxes.
After years of training clients, working out in CrossFit boxes and doing my own training, I've refined a simple yet effective routine I think you should try.
How to do my eight-move warm-up routine
This low-impact warm-up covers all the major movement patterns that your body can perform: pressing, pulling, side-to-side motion, rotation, unilateral (one-sided) work and static holds.
It gradually raises my heart rate and doubles as a mobility flow when I need to loosen up in the morning or during a work break.
Eight exercises might sound like a lot but it takes just a few minutes. All you need is a long-loop resistance band and your bodyweight.
One round is usually enough but if you’re feeling stiff, take your time and repeat it two or three times.
Shop resistance bands
All you need is a long resistance band. If you don't already own one, here are three options from trusted brands.
Shoulder dislocation
Reps: 5
- Hold a resistance band with an overhand grip and your hands resting in front of your thighs.
- Keeping the band taught and your arms straight, raise it overhead and behind your body to tap your buttocks.
- Reverse the movement to the starting position.
- With each repetition, your shoulders and chest should feel looser as your range of movement increases.
Underhand pull-apart
Reps: 5
- Hold a resistance band with an underhand grip, arms straight in front of you.
- Retract your shoulder blades by pulling them towards your spine, to engage your upper back muscles.
- Keeping the arms straight, pull the band apart by moving your hands out to the sides, then slowly return to the start with control.
Overhand pull-apart
Reps: 5
- Hold a resistance band with an overhand grip, arms straight in front of you.
- Retract your shoulder blades by moving them towards your spine, to engage your upper back muscles.
- Keeping the arms straight, pull the band apart by moving your hands out to the side, then slowly return to the start with control.
Walkout into push-up
Reps: 5
- Stand tall, reach up as high as you can then hinge at your hips to fold forward and touch the floor.
- Walk your hands forward into a push-up position.
- Optional: perform one to three slow and controlled push-ups.
- Walk your hands back to your feet, roll your body up and repeat.
World's greatest stretch
Reps: 5 on each side
- From the top of a push-up position, step your right leg forward to outside of your right hand.
- Keep your back leg straight and pelvis low to open up the right hip. I like to slowly circle my knee in this deep lunge position to mobilize my hips and pelvis further.
- Lower your right elbow toward the floor, then rotate and extend your arm upward.
- Complete the repetitions, then switch sides.
Reverse lunge with rotation
Reps: 5 on each side
- From a standing position, take a big step back with your left leg, lowering your back knee to gently tap the floor.
- Slowly rotate your torso to the right.
- Return to face forward, then return to standing.
- Alternate sides with each repetition.
Cossack squat or lateral lunge
Reps: 5 on each side
- For a Cossack squat, start in a wide stance, bending one knee and shifting your weight to that side, lowering into a deep side lunge.
- Aim to keep your chest facing forward and your other leg straight, allowing your toes to come off the floor if necessary but keeping your heel down.
- Drive through the bent leg to return to standing and repeat on the other side.
- If this is too challenging, swap for a lateral lunge.
- From standing, take a wide step to one side, bend your knee to lower into a deep side lunge, keeping the other leg straight, then drive through the bent leg to return to standing.
- Complete the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.
Single-leg hip thrust
Reps: 5 on each side
- Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor and heels close to your buttocks.
- Lift your hips into a bridge position and squeeze your glutes (the muscles in your buttocks).
- Extend one leg, keeping the hips level.
- Slowly lower your buttocks to tap the floor, then drive back up.
- Complete the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.
- Finish with five powerful hip thrusts with both feet on the floor to ensure everything is balanced.
