Strength and Conditioning

Preparation Course
Matt Casturo, CSCS
Topic: Warm-up Overview:

and Flexibility -
-
Warm-up effects
Warm-up benefits
- Ramp
- Flexibility
- PNF
Warm-up
Temperature-Related Effects:

- Increase muscle and core temperature

- Enhance neural function
- Disrupt transient connective tissue bonds

Non Temperature-Related Effects:

- Increase blood flow to muscles

- Elevate baseline oxygen consumption
- Post-activation potentiation
Warm-up
Benefits of Active Warm-up:

- Faster muscle contraction and relaxation

- Increased rate of force development
- Increased strength and power
- Increased O2 delivery
- Hemoglobin & myoglobin work better at higher
temperature
- Enhanced metabolic reactions
- Increased psychological preparedness
Warm-up
10-15 min:

General Warm-up:

- 5 minutes of slow aerobic activity

Specific Warm-up:

- Including movements of the sport

- Rehearsal of skills to be performed
Warm-up
Should be specific to task that will be performed

Warm-ups should end no more than 15 minutes before

the start of activity
Warm-up RAMP

R - Raise
- general warm-up
- simulate movement patterns of activity

A / M - Activate and Mobilize

- Mobility, range of motion, motor control,
stability
- Movement goal in mind

P - Potentiation
- Sport specific activities
- Progress to training intensity
- Ex. speed and agility
- Power skips, jumps
Warm-up Flexibility

Improved motor control needs to

accompany increased ranges of motion

Should be aimed at improving ability to achieve

technical positions required for sport

● Ball and Socket joints have the greatest ROM

● Older adults undergo fibrosis

● Connective tissue replaces degenerating
muscle fibers
● Leads to decreased ROM

● Resistance Training may increase flexibility

● Heavy training may decrease ROM
Warm-up Flexibility

Stretching effects are transient and

decrease after the session (3min - 24hrs)
2x/week for 5 weeks may improve flexibility

● Evidence suggests ~30sec stretch is effective

but with diminishing returns beyond this
duration

● Performed 5-10min after practice or

competition or entirely on its own
Warm-up Flexibility

● Stretching quickly activates stretch reflex (muscle

spindle)
○ Should be avoided
○ Ballistic stretching can increase injury risk
although it is just as effective as static stretching
for increasing ROM

○ Reciprocal Inhibition
■ Contracting the opposite muscle
causes reflexive inhibition relaxing the
stretched muscle

● Golgi tendon organs (GTO) sense muscle tension

and facilitate relaxation of the SAME muscle
○ Autogenic Inhibition
■ Active contraction followed by passive
stretch
Warm-up Flexibility

PNF - Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation

○ Facilitates muscular inhibition
○ Requires a partner

Hold- Relax:
- Isometric hold
- Start with 10 sec pre-stretch
- Isometric against resistance for 6sec
- 30sec passive stretch

Contract-Relax:
- Concentric agonist contraction
- 10sec pre-stretch
- Actively contracting through full ROM
- Relax with 30sec passive stretch
Warm-up Flexibility

PNF

Hold- Relax WIth Agonist Contraction:

- Start with 10 sec pre-stretch
- Isometric against resistance for 6sec
- Athlete “helps” with stretch by contracting
agonist during passive stretch