Best pre-push up exercise

Awful Scut Mk2

Started a new martial arts class last week and we started off doing push ups after an insufficient warm up. Though I did do my best to warm down afterwards, I was stiff for days afterwards.

Can anyone recommend the most thorough warm-up that I can go through before the class this week?

A link with diagrams would be ideal to illustrate rather than just the names of the stretches.

Thanks.

Canis Lupus

You new to exercise? I only get stiff when I've slacked and haven't done a specific exercise in a couple of weeks.

If you're new to exercise the stiffness should leave you after a few sessions otherwise I'm sure others have warm up exercises. Personally I just run for 5 minutes before doing weights (along with quick light stretching before lifting).

dv6

Try doing a few push ups on your knees first as warm up as they dont apply as much pressure.

Transform

Awful Scut Mk2 wrote: »

Started a new martial arts class last week and we started off doing push ups after an insufficient warm up. Though I did do my best to warm down afterwards, I was stiff for days afterwards.

Can anyone recommend the most thorough warm-up that I can go through before the class this week?

A link with diagrams would be ideal to illustrate rather than just the names of the stretches.

Thanks.

Your just not used to it and need to develop better upper body condidtioning.

The warm up had feck all to do with the stiffness.

Clive

Awful Scut Mk2 wrote: »

Started a new martial arts class last week and we started off doing push ups after an insufficient warm up....
Can anyone recommend the most thorough warm-up that I can go through before the class this week?

Why are you going back if you feel that there was an insufficient warm-up? It's one of the most basic parts of an exercise session - surely it sets alarm bells ringing about the rest of what goes on?

celestial

Clive wrote: »

Why are you going back if you feel that there was an insufficient warm-up? It's one of the most basic parts of an exercise session - surely it sets alarm bells ringing about the rest of what goes on?

Push ups ARE a warm up!! Insufficient for whom anyway. If he was stiff for days afterwards he just needs to get used to the exercise and keep it up.

Clive

celestial wrote: »

Push ups ARE a warm up!! Insufficient for whom anyway. If he was stiff for days afterwards he just needs to get used to the exercise and keep it up.

Perhaps if you actually read what I posted, you might find it easier to form a reply.

Why are you going back if you feel that there was an insufficient warm-up?

You see, I asked a question of the OP. Why would they go back if they felt there was an insufficient warmup. I didn't say anything about pushups, I didn't say anything about whether the warmup was sufficient or not.

The OP made a clear statement - "we started off doing push ups after an insufficient warm up". People came on and offered their opinions that probably the warm-up was fine and it will just take the OP some time to adjust to the training.

However (since nobody was there except the OP, and nobody has asked what the warmup was, never mind what level etc the class was), in my experience of martial arts, many places have fairly awful warm-ups, so I asked what I felt was a more important question - why would you go back if you felt the warm was insufficient?

I think my question will do more for the OP than your

celestial wrote: »

Push ups ARE a warm up!!

celestial

Clive wrote: »

Perhaps if you actually read what I posted, you might find it easier to form a reply.



You see, I asked a question of the OP. Why would they go back if they felt there was an insufficient warmup. I didn't say anything about pushups, I didn't say anything about whether the warmup was sufficient or not.

The OP made a clear statement - "we started off doing push ups after an insufficient warm up". People came on and offered their opinions that probably the warm-up was fine and it will just take the OP some time to adjust to the training.

However (since nobody was there except the OP, and nobody has asked what the warmup was, never mind what level etc the class was), in my experience of martial arts, many places have fairly awful warm-ups, so I asked what I felt was a more important question - why would you go back if you felt the warm was insufficient?

I think my question will do more for the OP than your

Re the bold part, I said the exact same thing.

I think your post is pretty pedantic. The general consensus is that the OP is stiff because he is not yet used to the type of exercise he undertook during the class. The point I was making (which I'm sure was clear to everyone else) was that it wasn't the push-ups that made him stiff, it was the class itself. If you do martial arts you'll know that push-ups are the warm up part, not the core part of the class itself. Next time he goes he will be that fitter and more able for the class, is all. If he feels the warm up part doesn't go on for long enough, then perhaps he could ask the trainer to do a slightly longer one - or maybe run for a spell immediately prior to the class.

Clive

celestial wrote: »

If he feels the warm up part doesn't go on for long enough, then perhaps he could ask the trainer to do a slightly longer one - or maybe run for a spell immediately prior to the class.

Which was exactly why I asked the question why he was going back. It would have come down to three possibilities

1) The warmup was fine, he just needs to get used to the class, maybe get in his own warmup session first.
2) The warmup was indeed insufficient - such as taking a class of sedentary beginners and having them try to do 50 pushups as a warmup (which I've seen).
3) He knows the warmup was insufficient, and that it's a problem, but he's locked into the "don't question sensei" attitude which can be found in some martial arts circles.

Most likely it's the first, but my question was designed to help the OP out, by prompting him into mulling over the whole situation. Your post, which was directed to me, not the the OP:

celestial wrote: »

Push ups ARE a warm up!! Insufficient for whom anyway. If he was stiff for days afterwards he just needs to get used to the exercise and keep it up.

Isn't really that helpful is it? So yes, maybe my post is pedantic, but this forum is about helping each other, so an aggressive post about someone could easily have been replaced with:

Hey OP, you're probably just not used to the level of exercise as yet - stick with it and it'll improve. Maybe try to get a jog in for ten minutes before class and get those arms pumping?

Naos

Out of curiosity what martial art was it?

What do you expect from a warm up - duration, type of exercises etc?

As mentioned previously, push-ups are a part of the warm up. Perhaps you're just not used to the training?

I remember when I started Jiujitsu I was doing a bit of weights and could do a fair few push ups. Did the class and was stiff for 2 days afterwards. Went back the next day and all was good.