This 3-Move Warmup Will Help You Get Ready for Bodyweight Workouts
WARMING UP FOR workouts is like brushing your teeth: You don’t want to take the extra time to do it, but if you skip out, there’s a good chance you’ll regret it. Still, you probably understand the need to get loose for your big-time workouts, like a leg day. But that still goes for the
WARMING UP FOR workouts is like brushing your teeth: You don’t want to take the extra time to do it, but if you skip out, there’s a good chance you’ll regret it.
Still, you probably understand the need to get loose for your big-time workouts, like a leg day. But that still goes for the days that you don’t use heavy weights, too. You should still take some dedicated time to get your muscles primed to perform if you’re going to push yourself—like you will for all the workouts in the new The Zero Gear Shred program, created by trainer David Pegram for MH MVP Premium. Every session in the series is designed to ramp up your effort enough to build strength and muscle without lifting a single weight.
Here, Pegram shows off a quick warmup series that will only add three minutes to your overall workout session.
The Zero-Gear Warmup Series
Perform each exercise for 6src seconds. If you feel like you need to keep moving, repeat the series a second time.
Jumping Jacks
“First things first: We’re going to get your heart rate up before we get into the work,” Pegram says.
How to Do It:
- Stand in an athletic stance, with your feet together and your hands at your sides. Keep your glutes and abs engaged.
- Jump both feet outward, landing just outside of shoulder-width.
- At the same time, raise your arms over your head, keeping your muscles tensed. You shouldn’t have much wasted movement here; keep your arms tight to your body.
- Quickly return to the starting position, then jump right into the next rep.
Alternating Reverse Lunge
Pegram says this exercise is to “prime the lower body for all the lower body work we’re going to do as we go through.”
How to Do It:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squeeze your glutes and shoulder blades, keeping your gaze neutral at a point straight ahead of you.
- You can perform lunges with only your bodyweight, or use a wide range of implements like dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells held in a number of positions. For simplicity’s sake, start by holding a pair of dumbbells, one in each hand at hip-level.
- Step one leg back and slightly out, landing with your toe first. Work to avoid slamming your knee into the ground. Keep your chest in an upright position, bending your knees to form right angles with both of your legs.
- Drive off the ground with your front foot and step your rear leg forward into the starting position. Keep your torso in a solid upright position by squeezing your core to stay balanced.
Plank
This core staple might not strike you as a warmup move, but Pegram says the plank will reinforce core stability. “We’re going to teach your body to brace,” he says. If you can’t hold the plank with perfect posture for the full minute, that’s okay.
How to Do It:
- Get down on the ground. Stack your elbows directly beneath your shoulders and extend your legs. Rest your weight on your elbows and your toes.
- Squeeze your glutes and core to create full-body tension. Think about pulling your belly button into your spine.
- Contract your low back, lats, and rhomboids. Your back should form a straight line; don’t let your pelvis dip down or your butt to rise up.
- Face your gaze face down, which keeps your neck in a neutral position.
Want to check out the full workouts from Pegram for more bodyweight training principles? The Zero Gear Shred program is now available for MH MVP Premium subscribers.
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