What ever you do, do not neglect your warm-up set! Here at Swimbikeruntriathloncoaching I stress the warm-up set within a planned session is crucial to setting your body up for a great workout but also just as important to me it is setting your mind up for what is to come.
Jumping straight into a main set without a warm-up will only put your body in a position of a greater chance to pick up an injury. By warming up you are increasing oxygen and blood flow to the targeted muscles ready for them to be activated to a higher level in the main set, along with all the ligaments and tendons surround the main areas. Muscles that are warmed up gradually, and not forced, will make for a greater range of movement and enable your joints to reach their full potential motion range during a hard workout. Also holding onto muscle glycogen levels during your warm-up could be the difference between you making it to the end of your main set workout and not crashing just before the end. Again this comes down to a good slow / steady warm-up making sure you do not release large amounts of the limited glycogen into your body. Protect that muscle glycogen for as long as possible and your chances of a greater performance within your main set will improve. The increase in body temperature generated by the warm-up allows for superior muscle flexibility and therefore your chances of reaching faster speeds and better endurance.
Besides the physiological enhancements you are making within your body, the psychological benefits also come into play and are often never considered by athletes during the warm-up. Whether you are training for a triathlon or a marathon, by going through a warm-up process you are readying your mind with the familiarity of what is to come in the main session from your triathlon training plan and or your marathon training plan. The mind will pickup on the fact the range of motions you are putting your body through within the warm up are all recognisable which mentally prepares you for the level of effort you are about to place it under within the main session. Higher levels of performance can then be achieved with enhanced coordination, ingrained skill and an ability to work through more discomfort.
Be sure to do your warm-up and give your body the platform for a well-executed main set leading you along the path to an improved performance within your Goal A Race. Good Luck!
For all coaching inquiries either email jonshawironmancoach@outlook.com or DM through my instagram page @swimbikeruntriathloncoaching
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