A look at warming up, cooling down, and stretching before performance.

2.  Prepares musculo-skeletal system for work:
◦ Training
◦ Competition
 Enhance:
◦ Injury Prevention Qualities
 Injuries are generally the Coach’s fault
◦ General Athleticism
 Can make the athlete more injury resistant
◦ Sports-Specific Skill Development
 Reinforces certain skills related to performance
 Dynamic Performance needs a Dynamic Warm-Up
 Very important for sprinters/jumpers
◦

3.  Increase the athlete’s internal temperature:
◦ Physical
 Core Temperature
 Makes connective tissues more supple
 Heart Rate/Blood Flow
◦ Neural
 Excites the nervous system
 PAP
◦ Mental
 Psychologically prepares the athlete - FOCUS

4. Common Sequence
 Slow to moderate jog in one direction for
several minutes, followed by...
 Several minutes of static stretching
◦ Generally done in a seated or lying position
 General Drills
 Event-Specific Drills
 Performance
◦ Training
◦ Competition

5.  Too general in nature
◦ Slow jogging is non-specific to any event
 Reinforces incorrect neuro-motor patterns re:
 Speed/Power
 Dynamic event mechanics
 ALL T&F events are dynamic
 Increased core temperature is quickly lost:
◦ Minimal body movement during static stretching
 The athlete is generally seated or lying on the ground
◦ Time Consuming
 Athlete must re-warm prior to training/competition
◦ Static stretching has a calming effect on the muscles
 However, this is the time to prime them for action!

6.  Studies have shown no relationship between
static stretching and dynamic performance
◦ Can make the muscles weaker
 Fowles & Sale; 1997
◦ Promote neural inhibition
 Moore; 1984
◦ Limits maximum strength output
 Kokonen; 1998
 Recent studies support a “hybrid” approach:
◦ Static Stretching Can Be Included – However…
 Should be Limited in Scope/Duration
 Should Precede Dynamic Movement/Stretching
 The focus should still be on Dynamic Movement

7.  Utilizes
◦ Variable-speed movements/calisthenics
◦ Can include some jogging, but should stress
 Multi-directional running, skipping, lunging, etc.
 Can do drills within the warm-up
◦ Sequence:
 Begin with General Movements
 The entire team can benefit/participate
 Progress to Specific Movements
 Start slowly and build up the intensity
 As the body warms, functional flexibility
increases

8.  This warm-up is faster
◦ Saving 15 to 30 minutes a day (or over an hour a
week) for use elsewhere
 Such as weights, skill development, etc.
◦ However, you must monitor the pace…
 Kids will slack off/socialize too much if you let them
 Uses movement to prepare for and improve
movement-based physical performance
 The literature does not support the theory
that static stretching prior to performance
reduces injury

9.  Slow to Fast
 General to Specific
 Program Varieties:
◦ Partner Relays
◦ Movement Chains
 Partner Relays/Movement Chains are used
as the General Warm-Up
◦ Prior to strength training
◦ Preparation for Team Practices
◦ BEFORE event-specific warm-ups/drills

10.  Coach or Group Leader combines various:
◦ Speed/Running Drills
◦ Balance Drills
◦ Calisthenics, etc.
 “You Go, I Go” sequence
◦ After completion, jog across “no man’s land”
◦ Switch exercises with your partner
 The only limitation is creativity
◦ Implements can be used
 Medicine Balls or Weights (tossing, throwing, etc.)
 Resistance Bands (pulling, pushing, etc.)
 Body Weight (Push-ups, Burpies, etc)

11.  A combination of movements
◦ Similar form agility or running drill
◦ A short jog between sets
 Continuous Chain of Movements
◦ Each is performed for a specific distance
◦ Each is completed one after another
 WITHOUT STOPPING
 Until ALL 3 or 4 movements in the chain are done
 Example:
 Heel-to-Toe Walk
 High Knee Walk
 “A”-Skip
 Build-up Strides

12.  No set “formula” for exercises
◦ You are limited only by your imagination
◦ Be creative – use crawling, rolling, lunging, etc.
 Make the exercises “athletic”
◦ They should match the day’s theme
 Don’t do slow movements to prepare for a speed day!
◦ Slow-to-Fast; Inside-Out; Big-to-Small
 The Core of the Body is the Key – start there!
 Always be cognizant of the “firing order” of muscles
 Variety is the Spice of Life!
◦ Challenges the basic bio-motor abilities
 Speed, Strength, Flexibility, Coordination, Endurance

13.  What it IS (or at least should be…)
◦ Increases functional mobility
 Demands of gymnast are different from a shot putter
 Dynamic Stretching is for:
◦ Loosening muscles enough for efficient movement…
◦ Within the useable dynamic range
 NOT necessarily the maximum possible range
 Be conscious of micro-tearing
 Aforementioned strength/stability losses
 Need to Develop
◦ Stability and Strength (Functional Stiffness)
 At the extreme ranges of motion
 Easier said than done…

14.  Stretching is NOT a warm-up
 Muscles need to be warm prior to extensive
stretching**
 Static stretching is best suited for the end of the training
session
 **Some recent research is showing that one CAN stretch
a cold muscle (per Michael Boyle)
 Dynamic movements:
◦ Should NOT to be confused with high-intensity,
ballistic stretching of a “cold” muscle
 Hopefully we know better…

15.  Important to remember:
◦ “Performance is not a stretching contest”
 (Vern Gambetta)
 Dynamic Flexibility is:
◦ Combination of Motion and Stability
◦ “Mostability” (Gambetta)
◦ As opposed to Instability
 It IS possible to over-stretch before a session
 Especially as it relates to speed & power
 A certain amount of muscle rigidity is beneficial to
certain aspects of performance
 A good example is postural integrity
 Stretch-shortening movements

16.  How does it work?
◦ Reciprocal Inhibition
 Takes advantage of natural relaxation after contraction
 Is not under conscious control
 Allow Rest & Recovery
◦ At least 20-30 seconds per body part between reps
 Examples:
◦ Hold-Relax
◦ Hold-Relax-Contract
◦ CRAC (using agonist & antagonist muscles)

17.  Not age appropriate for pre-teen athletes
 Most appropriate early in the training
session
◦ One of the faster methods known for developing
functional mobility
◦ These mobility gains are intended for the session
at hand
 Not intended for long-term flexibility gains
 That is where static stretching is useful
 However, some studies have shown it to be
beneficial in the same manner as static
stretching

18.  Common methods
◦ A position is achieved and held at the end of the
range of motion
 No isometric contractions (agonist or antagonist)
 No bouncing
 Maintain correct skeletal alignment
◦ Great for long-term flexibility gains
◦ Body (muscles) should be WARM!
◦ Consider subsequent sessions, recovery, etc.
 The literature supports 20–30 second holds
◦ Most of the stress relaxation occurs in the first 15 -
20 seconds of the stretch

19.  Best done at the end of the training session
during the cool-down period
 Tends to have a calming effect on the athlete
 Helps the athlete restore their regular heart
rate and body temperature
 Helps the athlete recover from the workout
and eliminate waste products (lactic acid)
 Consistent (daily) stretching is more effective
than one large dose in a session

20.  A greater range of motion can be achieved
using a rope:
◦ Able to more effectively move a limb or body part
to its limit by applying external force through
pulling on the rope.
◦ Nearly any static stretch can be performed with a
rope (or belt)
 Demo
◦ Rope Stretch – Hamstring
◦ Rope Stretch – Hip/Torso

21.  Transitions the athlete from high-intensity
training back to “normal” – can include:
◦ Moderate mobility exercises
◦ Restorative massage/foam rolling
 Don’t forget about the fascia!
 Consider jogging/shuffling/walking
◦ Bare feet on a soft surface such as grass and soft sand
 Strengthen the athletes’ feet
◦ Consider various directions/types of movement
 This is the time for static stretching
◦ Develop significant tissue flexibility adaptations
◦ Make this the last part of the cool-down

22. Questions?
Comments?
A good joke?

23. Speed, Strength & Jump Coach
USATF Level 2 Certified
Jumps
Sprints, Hurdles, Relays
CTG Development
PO Box 211498
Chula Vista, CA
619-895-4699
www.ctgdevelopment.net
jumpmaster@ctgdevelopment.net