Really, really important. I know they are not exciting, they're not sexy, they're certainly not they topic that most people gravitate to when they're searching for work out information- which I believe is a disservice that our industry provides- but it's one of the essential components to a productive (and SAFE) work out.

Today's video lists out the main purposes of a warm-up.

Key points:

Warm-ups reduce the risk of injury by...

1. Increase core body temperature

2. Unglue "sticky" joints

3. Activates nervous system

4. Prepares body for physical activity

Conveniently, those are also the same factors that play into making your work out more effective. So, not only do warm-ups help reduce the risk of injury, but now your work out is more likely to bring you that much closer to superhero status (or Jedi status, depending on your nerd-level)

Most people just take a wild stab at what they should do to warm-up, that is if they warm-up at all. Therefore, dear readers, subsequent posts will offer ways to a) create a general warm-up, b) how to warm-up specifically for the Big Three (bench, squat, and my fave, deadlift), and c) how to actually warm-up once you're under the bar for the aforementioned lifts, a common area of muddled thinking.