Warm ups. What exactly are they?

[flamenco]

I have been rowing for some years. 62 yrs old, male, with atrial fibrillation and knees affected by arthritis but still keen to "do something" to try to stay fit. I have been to a couple of BIRCs - PB of 7:26 for 2k back in 2006, so not a complete beginner but have let my routine become rather humdrum. So, have changed gyms to one with model D ergs with PM5. Have become interested in renewing my routines, but have been a little disheartened by the suggested warm/cool down timings (my 3 times a week piece of 3k in 14 mins is, I know pretty pathetic, but the idea of doing a 20 min warm up, a routine and 20 mins cool down is guaranteed to stop me doing it.)

But I cannot find a detailed outline of warm ups apart from length of time. I know I can make up my own, but what is it that other people understand by "warm up?" I would love to have a routine that didn't mean I had to do separate warming up - i.e. It was part of the overall routine. Is there one?
Or do I just make it up?

I can see me looking forward to a 40 minute period in the gym alone - mostly on the rower (which is a step up from an hour - which was 30 mins rowing/cycling and then included jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and a shower/shave).

Also, I have seen something where a warm up should mean doubling your resting heart rate. That would take it up to my "pushing quite hard" HR. Is that really just a warm up?

[Cyclist2]

The warm up varies with the workout you are planning. If you go to the Indoor Sports Interactive Program - https://indoorsportservices.co.uk/training/interactive, you can find a workout plan that suits your goals, with heart rates, warm ups, explanations, etc. In general, for longer, easier rows less warm up is needed. For shorter intense workouts, more warm up and cool down are necessary.

Double your resting heart rate should not really be your pushing quite hard rate. For example, my resting HR is about 50, so that would only be 100 for a warmup. My aerobic threshold rate is around 150. 160+ is pushing pretty hard for me.

[Edward4492]

I don't warm up at all for endurance work. Why bother? Just sit down and get to work. For a race 2k I do about 2000m at a very slow pace ( 9-10 min). Take a break, then closer to the race do another 2k with three 50m bursts at race pace and that's it. If I have a hard interval work out planned I do 500m very easy, then another 500m with one 50m burst. I sometimes joke that I erg so much that rowing is my "normal state". My body seems to always be ready.

[bisqeet]

warmup is just a term used for the pre-excersize time.

target is to bring your muscle core temperature up 2-3°C, making the muscles more more maleable (stretching/flexing) - a correlation to less injuries caused has been theorized
blood flow is increased to the muscle area - more oxygen to the muscles
the partial "blood pressure" in the muscle area is increased allowing the flow of oxygen to those muscle to flow more efficiently
plus the muscle memory effect - warmups should mirror the excersize to be done


with those factors in mind - just choose your own warmup.
theoretically, fangopacking your body would count as a warmup (although I would reccomend doing some excerzises that mirror your target excersize)
....

Personally - for SS stuff, I don't warmup.
- SS for me is typically HM distance R18, 2:05/500 pace, strapless.

for TT (5k and under) I rather like the Eddie Fletcher warmup.
(Might be posted somewhere in the forum - indoorsports / freespirits website)

its a little long ~20Minutes / 5k-ish, but you get a good warmup.
can be also done as an excersize session

- I do a variation of this as a HalfMarathon

[Gammmmo]

It's a lower level effort to transition from a lower RHR to the session you want to do. It aims to prime your body. How useful is it? As said, for easier endurance sessions I think it's not THAT essential but for HIT I do do it...if I don't after the main set I am more likely to get sore lungs/throat I've noticed. Don't overdo or overthink warmup either - some say you should work towards several efforts at the intensity you hope to do the main set at (thus reducing the "shock" or perceived exertion at the start) but TBH I've not found that useful on the erg.

[hjs]

A warm up is certainly not just thinking about our heart, its the whole body. It takes time for the joints, muscle, aerobic system to get from rest to fully functioning.
The harder the effort if the main workout, the more time you need.
The earlier in the day, the more warm up you need.
Certainly the first hour after waking up, the body is not ready to work fully, and the back is at its most vunarable, the discs are very hydrated, due to not having had pressure on them during sleeping. They need pressure on them to press the fluids out again. Walking is a good way to make this happen.

[Carl Watts]

Personally I do not warm up for steady state training pace rows as I don't find it necessary.

More important are the Cool Downs, this helps keep the blood moving and reduces muscle soreness the following day.

[jackarabit]

Try an all-in-one (aio) workout--say in your case 2.5 minutes of gradually-increasing rate and applied handle force transitioning to your habitual/typical 3k and then to 2.5' of gradually decreasing rate and handle force. Not ideal but a start on revising your attitude toward proper exercise. No degree in thermodynamics or sports science required. Simply remember not to start the fire with petrol nor put it out with ice water.

[Rowan McSheen]

There's no set procedure for warmups and cooldowns, it's what works for the individual. I think the only principle is that the harder the workout, the longer the warmup. You wouldn't turn the ignition key in your car and immediately floor the accelerator from cold, you'd let the engine turn over a little to warm up and get the oil etc circulating: same with the body.

For a steady row I'll warm up for 500 metres or so, just to get the stroke going. For intervals I'll do 2000 metres or sometimes more, with several bursts at planned pace to make sure I break sweat. I don't bother with stretches, cooldowns tend to be just a walk to the *** DELETE - SPAM *** to put the kettle on.

Edit: the word that the forum software has deleted accusing me of spamming is a room in the house in which people prepare and cook food and beverages, and sometimes consume them as well.

[mudgeg]

Stu -- either the forum police don't like canned luncheon meat or they object to the kind of rough talk you get in Caversham! Doesn't happen out west in the Shires!

Like most here, I don't warm up for the long rows. In fact on the beginner/intermediate Pete Plan on the long rows the advice is to start a couple of seconds slower than target pace and gradually increase, so effectively combining the warm-up and the piece.

I probably don't do enough warm up on intervals because invariably I find the second interval of any session better/faster/easier than the first. Might be because the first properly warms me up, might also be because the first becomes a pace marker or possibly a combination of the two.

[aussieluke]

Stu -- either the forum police don't like canned luncheon meat or they object to the kind of rough talk you get in Caversham! Doesn't happen out west in the Shires!

Like most here, I don't warm up for the long rows. In fact on the beginner/intermediate Pete Plan on the long rows the advice is to start a couple of seconds slower than target pace and gradually increase, so effectively combining the warm-up and the piece.

I probably don't do enough warm up on intervals because invariably I find the second interval of any session better/faster/easier than the first. Might be because the first properly warms me up, might also be because the first becomes a pace marker or possibly a combination of the two.

Sorry to hijack the thread temporarily but what shires you be from then Gordon?

Back on track, my 'warmup' for any sort of easy piece is a couple of minutes stretching my hip flexors and sometimes sitting in a deep squat position to stretch everything else.

For any sort of intervals I'll just do between 1000 and 2000m at a very easy pace with a few hard pulls here and there to get a feel for things.

Similarly when I go for a run I'll walk the first hundred yards or so and then be off.

[jackarabit]

kit chen?

[mudgeg]

@Aussieluke - the Wilt Shires

[jackarabit]

Good un Gor Don.

[Rowan McSheen]

kit chen

Wash your mouth out with soap Sir

Gordon: I know, and Caversham is supposed to be the posh end of Reading!

I can see the reason for it though. Another forum I visit has been plagued with spammers flogging fitted units for the room whose name may not be spoken. This forum is mercifully free of it.