04 Dec 10/20/Life Warm Up

By: Brian Carroll

As I cover in 10/20/Life and countless other pieces of content; a good warm-up is paramount for longevity and performance in both the short and the long term. I hammer home the McGill big 3 to the point of sounding insane, but the stuff really works, and has saved my career. In case you’ve missed it, the McGill Big 3 is the following: Birddog, Roll to side plank, and the McGill curl-up.

I am going to go into a few more warm-up exercises for you to consider after doing the big 3, and to get you as prepared as possible for the work to come on your specific training day.

Squat Day

Goblet squat. This is a great way to warm-up hips and to help get you ready for a big squat. Take your time and work your way down, and get a nice sweat going. Focus on the hip hinge.

Bench Day

Band fly. This is an awesome way to flush blood into old, injured, overly tight or beat-down shoulders, without wearing you down for your heavy bench work. Focus on the contraction.

Deadlift Day

Kettlebell Swings. These are a great way to open up your hips and flush some blood into your back to get you ready for the work to come. Much like the goblet, you are focusing on the hip hinge. Do not sit down, sit back.

Bonus Core Exercise

Stir the Pot. This is a bonus exercise for after your session, for your ‘fluff and buff day’, or for a recovery day. This is probably the most underrated core exercise ever. Want abs of steel? Work this movement often. Get creative, work North to South, and East to West. Big circles, small circles. You get it.