Training tips by Ahmed Labban – Importance of stretching and warming-up

Ahmed Labban 23:40 18/09/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Lebanese kickboxer and Paco Rabanne Invictus competitor Ahmed Labban.

    When carrying out any form of exercise it is important to warm up and loosen your muscles in order to prevent injury.

    A good way of starting with the warm up is to use the skipping rope for five minutes in order to prepare the body for the movements that will be carried out during the training session.

    – #360fit: Why a lack of sleep could make you fat

    – #360fit: How does alcohol affect your training?
    – #360fit: How to motivate yourself to workout

    When I stretch, I always start with the upper body and that involves stretching my rotator cuffs and swinging my arms to loosen the muscles in my shoulders. Generally I stretch for 10-15 seconds on each arm. Stretching the upper and lower back is a big part of on each arm. Stretching the upper and lower back is a big part of the warm up too as you will spend most of the time on your feet during the training.

    Once I’ve loosened up my upper body, I move to my lower body. This involves various exercises, from hips to groins, calves to hamstrings.

    The hips and groin stretches are great exercises to loosen the muscles between your upper and lower body that assist the core – most thorough warm ups should last between 10-15 minutes.

    The warm-up is also a great opportunity to prepare for the class or training session and agradually ease into the activity. The most important reason for warming up is the prevention of injuries and for the individual to prepare themselves mentally. 

    As a kickboxer, one of the biggest things I’ve learnt is setting the tone for the competition ahead and this starts with my focus during the warm-up.

    Even when you’ve gone through your various routines at the beginning of the session, it is still recommended to continue to stretch at different points between exercises in order to keep the muscles running effectively.

    At the end of my training session, I warm-down and it is here that I hold my stretches for 20-30 seconds instead. The primary benefit of this is to increase recovery and look after the overall muscle health.

    For more info about Ahmed visit: pacorabanne.com/invictus

    Recommended