A warm up is very important in terms of safety aspects and also to improve performance and to help prepare physiology. Most athletes do warm ups especially if they anticipate a strenuous start to their race or beginning high intensity interval training sessions. They also do this with the hope of avoiding stiffness to their muscles and to prevent muscle injury. A warm up increases muscle temperature; warm muscles both contract more forcefully and relax more quickly. Therefore speed and strength should be enhancing: thus the likelihood of muscle being forcefully overstretched and causing an injury, is reduced.
Increased blood temperature. The temperature of blood increases as it travels through the muscles. As blood temperature rises, the amount of oxygen it can hold becomes reduced. This means slightly greater volume of oxygen is made available to the working muscle, enhancing performance and endurance. Also synovial fluid is increased in the joints, which helps decrease the chance of injury when stretching. Static stretching is the safer option as ballistic stretching includes bouncing, which isn’t recommended, but dynamic stretching reduces stiffness and static stretching does not.
However the closer the warm up is to the event, the more beneficial it will be in terms of an effective performance. Research has shown that an adequate warm up prevents strains, muscle tears and soreness. Muscle elasticity depends on blood flow, so cold muscles, which have low blood saturation may be more susceptible to damage. A cool down is also important but it should be lighter then the warm up because we want to gently bring down the heart rate, which reduces recovery time necessary to move carbon dioxide and lactic acid out of the body, which is thought to aid recovery. If you stop exercise quickly the blood pools in these wide-open blood vessels especially in the legs. Not enough blood returns to the heart so the heart attempts to beat faster to increase the flow, dizziness or light-headedness results when not enough blood reaches the head. After a cool down stretching should be included which should improve flexibility as the muscle are still in a warm stage.
My warm up included a 10-minute jog jogging and more stretching the muscle groups I used in the workout. After I have completed the workout I will complete a cool down. My cool down consists of 5 minute gentle jogging, some deep breathing to oxygenate my system. Then I finish with some static stretching using the muscle groups that were used in the workout. The workout I felt was well balanced and I felt like I performed it without any major difficulties. The first full circuit I felt was more of a warm up, but the second I started to feel fatigue because I was increasing the intensity by trying to beat my previous repetitions, by the third circuit my amount of repetitions stayed the same as in the second circuit, as my muscles started to tighten and my body started to tire. Overload took place in the second circuit, as my muscles started to become more elastic and I started to push myself more. Extra effort during this circuit increased the intensity.
During the 10-metre shuttle run I had to take in certain safety considerations, as the surface I was running on wasn’t acceptable. When training motivation can change the way you perform; although I was hungry when performing my pep, I still felt motivated because it was my first workout and I wanted to make a good impression. My workout was enjoyable because I felt that I had completed one of my aims that I had set my self that I would beat my repetitions which gave me the motivation to try harder.
In my next session I will change my 10 metre shuttle run to a 120 metre sprint because what I lack in the 100 metres is the power and speed at the end of my race, by increasing my endurance so my muscles don’t fatigue in the last 20 metres of the race. I will not be able to complete this in college however because there isn’t enough space. My warm up included a 10-minute jog and further stretching of the muscle groups I used in the workout. After I have completed the workout I will then complete a cool down; my cool down consists of 5 minute gentle jogging, some deep breathing to oxygenate my system. Then I finish with some static stretching using the muscle groups that were used in the workout.
Because this was my last session of performing my pep I wanted to work at a higher intensity then my previous workouts, and managed to repeat my circuit 4 times which gave me a real feeling of self achievement, because I had not been able to achieve this goal before. There was overload as I managed to increase the intensity throughout my workout and overload took place in the third circuit and I really had to push myself to increase the level in circuit 4. I really enjoyed this workout because I managed to complete the workout and stayed motivated throughout.
Summative evaluation The aims of my pep were to mainly increase speed and power and general fitness to get back into competition. But I was also looking at other components including reaction time, strength, and flexibility. I feel fitter and can I tell that I am, because I can now do exercise for longer at a higher intensity level. Also speed and power have improved as when I start from the blocks I am now faster and my technique has become better which makes my start more effective; also I can now keep top speed for longer because I was sprinting over 100 metres. Also strength has improved, as my muscles take longer to fatigue so my 1 rep max may have improved. I said before that my start had improved and was more powerful so there is more proof that my reaction time has improved.