Doing dynamic warm up exercises prior to swimming, cycling, running or any other physical activity has been shown to increase power performance and reduce the risk of injury. Today we’re going to take you through 10 different movements we like to use as part of our programming for triathletes to help them perform better and train pain-free.

What Is a Dynamic Warm-Up?

A dynamic warm-up is a series of movements, stretches and exercises designed to prepare your body for physical activity or exercise. Unlike static stretching, where you hold a stretch for an extended period, dynamic warm-ups involve active movements that gradually increase your heart rate, circulation, and body temperature.

The nature of static stretching causes the targeted muscles to become relaxed and less-excitable. This is the opposite of what we want prior to exerting ourselves in a swim, bike or run. Dynamic warm-ups are far superior when it comes to preparing ourselves for physical activity; creating a routine that is balanced involves the inclusion of one or more of the following components:

• Joint mobilizations
• Muscle activation exercises
• Light cardiovascular exercise
• Sport-specific movements
• Dynamic stretches

As you’ll see below, the warm up routines we provide triathletes on our platform have a lot of these integrated into time-efficient, dynamic warm-ups that can be done in 5 minutes or less.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises for Triathletes

What follows is two different dynamic warm-up routines; one for biking and one for running. They each contain 5 different exercises to be done in sequential order for the prescribed amount of time or reps. This is just a taste of the comprehensive programming we offer here at Dynamic Triathlete.

Dynamic Triathlete is a world-leading training platform to help triathletes train and compete pain-free. We have hundreds of HD streamed follow-along routines, including stretching/mobility training, strength training, injury prevention routines and more. Try us out! Sign up for a 7-day free trial by clicking here, and join a community of thousands worldwide!

Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises for Cycling

These five exercises help to engage the hips, core and shoulders while at the same time opening up the lats and warming up the knees. This provides total body stimulation and helps account for some of what makes certain cycling positions so uncomfortable (elbows pulled in tight, shoulders, rounded forward, back rounded).

1. Step Jacks

Instructions

• Start from a standing position
• Step out to one side (for example with your right foot)
• At the same time, reach over your head with the same side’s arm (picture two; right arm/right foot)
• Bring your feet back together while simultaneously bringing your arm back down
• Step out to the other side and lift the other arm
• Repeat back and forth for 30-45 seconds
  
  

1. Lunge Twist

Instructions

• From a standing position, step backwards with one leg and drop into a reverse lunge (picture 1)
• In the lunge position, twist in the direction opposite of the leg that stepped backwards (picture 2; right leg steppe back, twist left)
• Twist back to center, and then push back up from the lunge to the starting position
• Repeat on the other side
• Continue back and forth for 30-45 seconds
  
  

1. Shoulder Warm Up

Instructions

• From a standing position, raise your arms straight up to shoulder height and face the palms together
• From here, pull your arms open to the sides as wide as you can, squeezing the shoulder blades together (picture 1)
• Bring your arms back in front of you, then, turn your palms down, and raise them up overhead as high as possible
• Bring arms back to center
• Repeat this sequence for 30-45 seconds
  
  

1. Narrow Stance Squat

Instructions

• Place your feet close together with your toes facing forward
• Squat down as low as your strength and mobility allows, keeping the back straight and the core engaged
• Hold your hands out in front as a counter-balance
• Press back up to standing
• Repeat for 30-45 seconds
  
  

1. Single Leg Deadlift

Instructions

• Start by balancing on one leg (use a pole or wall for balance if necessary and progress to doing the exercise without it)
• Maintain a slight bend in the knee of the balancing leg
• Hinge forward while straightening the back leg behind you and reaching towards the ground with your hands (picture 2)
• Go as low as your strength, mobility and balance allow
• Return to standing and tap the free leg’s heel in front of you
• Repeat on the same leg for 15-20 seconds
• Switch legs and repeat for 15-20 seconds

Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises for Running

These five exercises place heavy emphasis on the lower leg, quads, glutes and hip flexors while at the same time opening up the chest and shoulders. This will not only help your muscles produce and absorb force with more efficiency, it will also help you breathe better and with less effort throughout the duration of your run.

1.  Ankle Rocks

Instructions

• Start in a standing position with your feet approximately hip width apart
• Press up onto your toes to perform a calf raise (picture 1)
• Lower back down to standing, then transition into onto your heels, pulling your toes up towards your shins
• Use a pole or wall for balance if necessary
• Repeat back and forth for 30-45 seconds
  
  

  2. Kang Squats

Instructions

• Start in a standing position with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart
• Place your hands behind your ears
• With a soft bend in the knees, hinge forward at the hips while keeping your back flat (picture 1)
• From here, lower the hips down so you are now sitting in the bottom of a squat (picture 2)
• From this bottom squat position, press yourself back up to standing
• Repeat this sequence for 30-45 seconds
  
  

  3. Shoulder Openers

Instructions

• Start in a standing position with your hands together
• Pull your hands away from each other and behind you, making as big a circle backwards as possible and reaching up over head before returning down in front of you to the starting position
• Repeat this opening action for 30-45 seconds
  
  

  4. Dynamic Quad Stretch

Instructions

• From a standing position, lift one heel up towards your bum
• Grab the raised foot and pull it towards your bum, while at the same time reaching the other arm up towards the ceiling
• Reach your arm high while at the same time stretching the opposite quadriceps muscles
• Lower both your arm and the raised foot, switch sides and repeat
• Alternate back and forth for 30-45 seconds
  
  

  5. Reverse Lunge Knee Drive

Instructions

• From a standing position, step back with one leg and drop into a reverse lunge
• Then, push back up to standing and pull the lunging leg through and up into a knee drive
• Step back into another lunge using the same leg, and then again up into a knee drive
• Repeat for 20-30 seconds on one leg
• Switch legs and repeat

Dynamic Triathlete: Injury Prevention Specialists

Our Dynamic Triathlete platform is designed to help triathletes train and compete pain-free. We’ve put together comprehensive strength training, stretching/mobility, and injury prevention routines to help triathletes worldwide become stronger, faster, and more resilient out there on the course. Now, we’re inviting you to join us!

Take care of everything we’ve mentioned in today’s article through the help of one convenient, easy to access platform available 24/7 on your desktop or mobile device. The Dynamic Triathlete app is designed for simplicity - just pick your routine and follow along with a world class coach telling you your every move. Sign up for a 7-day free trial by CLICKING HERE!

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist