What Are The Best Stretches Before Lifting Weights?

Prevent injury and limit fatigue by adding 5 to 10 minutes of stretching exercises before lifting weights to warm-up your muscles. Warm-up stretches raise your blood temperature and increase the blood flow to your muscles. This enables your muscles to burn calories to create energy for your weight lifting workout. Warm-up stretches also improve the range of motion in your joints and the elasticity of your muscles to increase the effects of the weights on your muscles.

Downward Dog

This yoga pose warms up all your muscles at once. Begin on all fours with your hands 6 inches in front of your shoulders with your fingers spread. Tuck your toes and raise your buttocks toward the ceiling to place your body in an inverted "V" position. Bend your knees and move your ribs and thighs closer together to stretch your shoulders and chest. Breathe deeply for a couple of breaths. Slowly straighten your legs and move your heels toward the floor, keeping your hips at the same height to lengthen your leg, torso and arm muscles. Distribute your body weight evenly on your hands and heels to stretch your body. Hold this pose for 10 to 15 breaths. Fold your knees back down to your starting position.

Glute Bridge

Lie on your back with arms at your side palms down, legs hip-width apart, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Pull your navel toward your spine to flatten your lower back. Exhale and contract your buttock muscles to lift your hips off the floor until your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Your body weight should be on your heels and shoulders. Avoid pushing your hips too high causing your back to over-arch. Inhale and slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. Repeat three times.

Smash Down

Stand with your legs hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms in front of you with hands holding a medicine ball with a wide grip in front of your thighs. Keep your shoulders down and tighten your abdominal muscles as you bend your elbows and lift the medicine ball over your head. Hold for a couple of seconds, then release your arms back down to the starting position. Repeat this movement 10 times. To increase the difficulty, raise your heels and stand on your tip-toes as you raise the ball over your head.