Vincent Dizenzo’s Rant on Warming Up
Here we go…
If you don’t pay attention to my warmup, recovery, and cardio work – you’re stupid! I feel confident that I would not be hitting PRs into my 40′s without it. Here’s another news flash: I f’n hate doing it!
Seriously, if anyone thinks I like going from a piping hot relaxing shower to a freezing cold contrast, you’re out of your mind. That being said, I feel better after I do it. However, I go through a mental struggle every time. Just like with icing, rolling, warming up, etc.
I’m like a little kid being told to brush his teeth. I don’t know why I don’t want to do it, I just don’t. The above mentioned things don’t take a lot of time. There’s no excuse not to do them, so I do them.
If you’re not taking time to take care of the body you punish regularly lifting weights, then you’re an a$$. If you don’t have enough time, take some away from your training. I’m not telling you to make time. It’s time you are already using. Just cut down on training and start doing recovery work. You’ll feel better and more than likely, perform better.
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Vincent Dizenzo began competing as an amateur full meet lifter in the 220 pound class. Two ruptured discs caused him to focus on the bench press and he eventually become a top-ranked bencher. His best bench is 830 pounds in the 275 class and 850 in the 308 class. He has a raw bench of 605 pounds as a super heavyweight and 600 pounds in the 308 weight class. Vincent won Bench America and has competed in the Arnold Classic. He has also competed in strongman competitions. Vincent is the host of the Just Big radio show.
View Vincent’s Training Log 
I’m only 18, but I warmup for at least 10 minutes before anything, for 2 reasons:
1. My family has a history of joint issues. I’d like to keep my limbs attached as long as possible. Having arms and legs is conducive to powerlifting..
2. I know I personally get a better effect after warming up. I found this out in track. One day I was throwing shot, and as I kept throwing and warming up, I consistently threw further and further. I’ve also noticed in training, I set more PR’s after a good thorough warmup, as well as my joints feeling better..
That’s just my two cents though.
Vincent post a video of the bulldog! It’s the key to benching insane weights! (Also a highlight of the TPS seminar)
this rant is amazing. i am exactly like you – hate all that , but i do it. i feel like a schoolboy when i take a bath in epsom salt and contrast showers are a bitch but they make ya feel good when training starts taking its toll.
With my clients I like to have them do a general warm-up of at least 10 minutes; long enough to just break a sweat. How they do that is up to them but I tell them my perference for a general warm-up is to use the Concept II rower. I like it because it hits every joint you’re going to use in lifting and most of the muscles groups as well, it’s easy on the joints, and easy to control the intensity.
Once they have a general warm-up there’s a few sets of the lift at “light” weights, each warmup set progressing to heavier weights. What a “light” weight is depends on the client and the particular lift.
At 62 I follow this protocol for every workout; sometimes I’ll add foam rolling after the general warmup if I feel particularly tight or stiff in areas.
Contrast showers are nice—but in the winter that cold shower is hard to do, not so in the summer.
My 2 cents.
I agree, I don’t devote a lot of time to it and I’m not as religious with it as I should be. I hate it too!
For a warmup, I like some sort of light cardio untill I break a sweat, usually jump rope, then some dynamic warmup stuff, and then a few light sets. It all takes about 10-15 minutes, nothing overboard. I think just about everyone could benefit from something simple like that.
my lower warm up consists of rumble roller on back quads it bands adductors glutes hams and calves about 10-15 rolls each. then i perform the following-3 way jacksx30, bw squatx10, x-band walkx10 shoulder dislocatesx10, kb swingsx10, hip thrustx10,supine leg kickx10,iron crossx20, groin stretchx20 sec, ham stretchx20 secs, calf stretchx20 sec, hydrants(both directions)x10bird dogx10 sec, prone scopion x10, pigion posex20 sec, warrior stretchx20 sec,quad stretchx20 sec then on to box jumps. this warm up gets in soft tissue, activation, dynamic warm up and flexability then my first movement(jumps) helps activate my cns, however i do not consider that part of my warm up as i consider this mt first movement. if i did not i would use box jumps at a lower intensity to stimulate my cns. i have had no issuse with major injuries to the lower body since using this warm up and feel ready to train hard by the end of it approximate time is 15 min before i start jumping
my upper warm up is different. rumble rolle back, teres minor,it bands, glutes and adductors. lower rolling is done to improve tissue quality. 3-way jackx30, band pull apartsx10, shoulder dislocatesx10, next is 3×10 of pushups and recline rows. this is done to warm up and get scapula activation. where my routine is strange is i know stop warming up and startmy next movements which is a complex of med ball chest throw 3×5, med ball outlet throw 3×5 and lateral hops 3×4. this helps activate my cns and also get my upper body ready to stretch. then i do a kimura stretch(shoulder caps)x20,latstretch x20 secs,pec band stretchx20 secs and bicepstretch x20 secs. stretching biceps important to avoiding tears(especially due to my pulling volume/intensity) seperating the stretching is what ive adapted through trial and error. on lower days i ned to stretch before jumping to perform the best. on upper days streching does not improve my ability to throw but throwing improves my ability to stretch my shoulders which has led to great flexabilty improvements in my right shoulder.
Vincent, I completely agree with you and thank you for bringing this sentiment out into the open… I was worried I was about the only one who went through that “mental struggle” you mentioned, but I’m glad to know that others successfully push through that.
I agree with Vince, to an extent. Don’t be obsessive with warm ups! There is a reason there are “warm up sets” and working sets.
Do some pre-hab work that hits your troublesome areas and warms you up at the same time. Some rumble rolling can help too, but a 15 minute full body self massage session IS NOT necessary.
Your days off should be dedicated to performing full body foam rolling, stretching, etc. I am not diminishing the importance of warmups, but you don’t need to do some stupid 15 minute mobility, dynamic static super duper warm up routine to get your body ready for serious work. Its building up another unnecessary arm of weigh lifting and adding bullshit watered down, PC commercialism to a sport of purity.
Honestly, if you need to spend 10 minutes to warm up, PERFORM 10 LIGHT WEIGHT SETS before lifting! No drill, jump, stretch or roll will warm your body up enough to prepare it for a session of serious lifting. If you’re benching, BENCH! If you are squatting, SQUAT. Do many light sets until everything is loose. It ain’t rocket science.
I’m starting to see people spend 20 frickin minutes to get warm before lifting. If you TRULY need that much time to warm up, you really shouldn’t be lifting weights…
Fully agree with Vincent and also believe warm ups are individual, but NECESSARY!!!!
The cold shower gets alot better when you have a hot tub to switch into.
i disagree brian.the warm up serves as prehab as well, plus activates muscle groups that have trouble firing such as glutes. i personally dont understand people using excessive warm up sets( number of sets and reps) as this adds to the total tonage and can decrease the max weight used. i gererally use only 2-3 warm up sets(never more then 5 reps)before hitting my work sets.if you look at the parisi warm up or warm ups used at juggernaut they incorportate many elements so the athlete performs at their best. even defrancos agile 8 which is a excellent warm up, but admittingly does not incorporate all elements takes around 10 minutes. the warmup is so you perform your best that day and for training/competion to come
“Burgener Bar Warmup” is a good one for clean or snatch days….
2c
Brian K,
You might want to read Wendler’s log from 3/29/11: “Squat Training And How To Warm Up.” Here’s a hint of what’s in it: lots of warmup stuff. It’s basically the opposite of what you say. I guess Jim “really shouldn’t be lifting weights,” as you so rashly put it.
On my off days I choose to role around on my PVC Pipe for about 10 mins and get a good stretch in. Follow this up with an Ice bath, 50-55 degrees, for 3 mins. Nothing more, nothing less. Get out feelin refreshed, and feel even better the next day.
I know most people like to sit in there for 10-15 mins. I don’t feel its necessary, its a scientific procedure not a tough man challenge. Eugene Sandow said he would submerge his entire body in an ice bath for 15 seconds, and felt like it kept him feeling youthful. This was late 1800′s-early 1900′s.