Hey kiddies. I've been at this game going on 13 years now, and I've learned a few things in my time (mostly by trial and error [and mostly error]). One of the most recent things that has become salient to me is the profound importance of getting properly warmed up before training, ESPECIALLY if you're doing something high-intensity like DC Training. Here are a few things I've learned that help me out, hopefully they will aid you as well:
1) Spend AT LEAST 10 minutes warming up.
If you're not spending at least 10 minutes, WHATEVER it is you do, it's probably not enough. It takes time to get the body ready to physically perform, and even as little as 10 minutes can be pushing the low end.
2) It's almost impossible to warm up too much.
Trust me, I've tried. One of the best squat sessions I've ever had have been after I squatted 20 reps with bodyweight, then 95#, then 135#, then 225#, then #275. Getting blood in your muscles, getting them loosened up, getting your CNS primes, and getting your heart rate up are PHENOMENALLY important to athletic performance. Training in the gym is no different than preparing for a competitive sports game -- you are preparing to perform as best you can, so do everything in your power to prepare.
3) NEVER neglect the mental aspect.
If your mind isn't in the game, you've already lost. This, above all, is the thing that takes YEARS of practice to perfect. Focus and concentration can be almost impossible to teach, but when you learn them for yourself, the results can be phenomenal. There are a jillion articles on this on a jillion websites, but it all boils down to learning it for yourself. But trust me -- once you learn it, it's like unlocking your secret power.
I welcome other EXPERIENCED people's additions to this thread.
1) Spend AT LEAST 10 minutes warming up.
If you're not spending at least 10 minutes, WHATEVER it is you do, it's probably not enough. It takes time to get the body ready to physically perform, and even as little as 10 minutes can be pushing the low end.
2) It's almost impossible to warm up too much.
Trust me, I've tried. One of the best squat sessions I've ever had have been after I squatted 20 reps with bodyweight, then 95#, then 135#, then 225#, then #275. Getting blood in your muscles, getting them loosened up, getting your CNS primes, and getting your heart rate up are PHENOMENALLY important to athletic performance. Training in the gym is no different than preparing for a competitive sports game -- you are preparing to perform as best you can, so do everything in your power to prepare.
3) NEVER neglect the mental aspect.
If your mind isn't in the game, you've already lost. This, above all, is the thing that takes YEARS of practice to perfect. Focus and concentration can be almost impossible to teach, but when you learn them for yourself, the results can be phenomenal. There are a jillion articles on this on a jillion websites, but it all boils down to learning it for yourself. But trust me -- once you learn it, it's like unlocking your secret power.
I welcome other EXPERIENCED people's additions to this thread.
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