Struggling for mobility? Prepare your muscles for the main event with these 3 great banded warm-up drills

A proper warm-up is a vital part of any workout, because strength means nothing if your body isn’t in the correct position to maximise its energy output. Enter banded warm-up drills.

Equally, efficient movements ensure good endurance by limiting the effect they have on your cardiovascular system. Sure, the more you do a move the better you’ll get at it, but you can save yourself a lot of time and energy by working on your body’s mobility and flexibility to increase your overall range of motion.

So grab a light resistance band and try these banded warm-up drills and mimic the motions you’ll be doing with a heavier load.

BAND PULL-APART

  • Stand holding a resistance band in front of you with your hands at shoulder height.
  • Slowly stretch the band apart, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together rather than using your arms.
  • Hold for a few seconds in the widest position before returning to the start under control.

BAND DISLOCATE

  • Hold the band in both hands below your waist.
  • Lift your arms upwards and outwards until the band is above your head, then roll your shoulders back so your arms come behind your back.
  • Lower as far as comfortable.
  • Hold for a few seconds, then return to the start under control.

BAND HIGH-PULL

  • Stand with one end of the band under your toes, holding the other end in front of you in both hands at waist height. B
  • Slowly pull the band towards your chin so your elbows flare out to the sides.
  • Hold for a few seconds before lowering back to the start under control.