Erin Stern is known for her detail-oriented training tips and techniques for enhancing workouts. Taking to a recent YouTube video, Stern walked fans through how to warm up properly before jumping into training.
“We have done a ton of workouts over the years but not talked a lot about how to warm up for those workouts and I think one of the reasons for that is because warming up can be kind of an individual thing right?”
Erin Stern has been an indomitable opponent since she stepped on the stage. After earning her pro card in 2008, Stern immediately took to bodybuilding’s biggest stage. Her debut at the 2009 Mr. Olympia was nothing short of extraordinary as she placed sixth but it was her performance in 2010 that was truly exceptional as she earned her first Figure Olympia crown. While the title slipped from her grasp in 2011, Erin Stern swiftly earned it back in 2012.
Erin Stern Shares Her Best Tips For Warming Up Before A Workout
After becoming a two-time Figure Olympia, Erin Stern moved on to Bikini where she was also successful. Stern has now marketed her knowledge of the fitness industry by becoming an author and social media influencer, sharing her tips and tricks with her fans. From tightening the inner thighs to improving mind-muscle connection, Stern has a vast knowledge of the body that she can break down in easy-to-understand guides.
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In a recent YouTube video, Erin Stern provides tips on how to properly warm up before jumping into a workout.
Erin Stern’s Warm Up Routine
- Increase Heart Rate
- Dynamic Stretching Instead of Static Stretching
- Body Weight Warm-Up On First Exercise
Erin Stern goes over the benefits of warming up before jumping into a workout session.
“Well, today I wanted to streamline things and share with you my current routine for how I warm up for lifting. It takes less than 10 minutes and the whole premise here is that you want to increase your circulation, you want to increase your heart rate, increase range of motion, fire up the central nervous system, and just generally get ready to lift” Stern said.
“So, not only are you mentally preparing as you’re going through the warm-up but you are also getting your body ready too so it’s not really a great idea to walk into the gym cold and get into your first working set because that first set is probably going to be garbage because your body is probably wondering what it did to deserve the beating it is about to take. I want to just make sure that that doesn’t happen and that we are fully prepared.”
Starting off simple, Erin Stern prefers to walk or jog to get the heart pumping.
“Now, step one you want to increase your heart rate slowly. This can easily be done by walking or jogging for three to five minutes. Now if you don’t have access to a treadmill, get on a bike, jump rope, you can jog in place, you can go outside, this is something easy and you want to just ramp up as you go through the few minutes.”
Stern explains that static stretching is pulling the muscle as far as it can go and holding it, and why it shouldn’t be used before lifting weights.
“Next, I wanna talk about stretching. this is really important for getting ready to workout. If you are doing static stretching currently, consider moving this to post workout. Now, the reason for this is static stretching creates micro tears in the muscle, which by itself isn’t an issue, but when you combine it with lifting weights, which also creates micro tears, this can increase your chance of injury. Something we are not looking to do.”
Instead of static stretching, Erin Stern recommends dynamic stretching which uses full range of motion and loosens the muscles.
“So just consider moving that static stretching to post workout and in its place add some dynamic stretching. This is simply stretching through an active range of motions. So you’ll do things like leg swings, arm swings, high knee to chest and each rep you go through I want you to think about just increasing that range of motion a little bit more so not only is this going to help increase your heart rate, further improve the warm-up feeling so you’ll feel a lot more loose when you get through it, but you are also going to improve your mobility.”
Lastly, Stern talks about a light warm-up on the first exercise and emphasizes listening to the body.
“Step three. You are going to start with a light or body weight warm-up set and this is simply to access how your body is feeling on that very specific first exercise. So for example, if I am doing a smith machine squat, I am just going to jump on the smith machine with just the bar, maybe a ten on each side, and I’m going to go nice and slow and I am going to feel how my muscles are working through that range of motion. Is there any soreness? Do I fell like I am tight any where? Is one side working harder than the other? Just listening to my body and getting feedback because at that point I can decide if I need to adjust my workout.”
In addition to properly warming up before lifting weights, Erin Stern discussed how heavy individuals should lift without causing injury. Stern outlined four steps which included warming up, tracking your weights each week, training close to failure, as well as identifying the two types of failure. Following these steps ensures the best possible outcome for making gains while never pushing past the body’s limits to risk injury.
Erin Stern’s years of personal experience are reflected in her easy-to-follow tips and tricks that she shares with her many followers on social media. Whether it’s sculpting a ‘Superhero’ body or creating a smaller waist, Erin Stern knows how to accomplish it all.
RELATED: Erin Stern Shares Her Proven Techniques For Mastering Mind-Muscle Connection
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