Any ideas?

[bookworm_cn317]

OK, I've been told that next week I'M going to be in charge of the warm-ups and stretching. The only problem is I've got nothing for the stretching part.

So, does anyone have ANY suggestions?


And: yes, I already know I'm clueless.

 

[Drac]

OK, I've been told that next week I'M going to be in charge of the warm-ups and stretching. The only problem is I've got nothing for the stretching part.

So, does anyone have ANY suggestions?


And: yes, I already know I'm clueless.

Do you do any stretching prior to your class??? Use that...AS you can see I'm clueless too....

 

[bookworm_cn317]

Yes, but my mind goes blank and it's total 'Deer in the Headlights' time for me.

 

[Kacey]

I agree with Drac - watch what goes on in your class and use it as a guideline. Remember, too, that warm-ups are just that - for warming up - and IMHO should center on warming up joints (thus all the rotations) rather than primarily on stretching for increased flexibility, which is best done after class, when your muscles are warm and more flexible. Just in case that doesn't work, however, here's a rough guideline of what I do when I lead warm-ups (I vary it depending on what I'll be teaching, but this is a guide):

Start at the top and work down, rotating all major joints, in about this sequence (and make sure all rotations are done in both directions):

- fingers (wiggle)
- wrists (rotate)
- elbows (by rotating fists in circles, lubricating the elbow joints)
- shoulders (full arm rotations, starting small and getting bigger, palms down, then turn palms up and reduce the size of circles until you're back to arms extended out to both sides)
- neck, as follows:
drop ear to same side shoulder and hold 10-15 seconds; repeat (don't raise shoulders to ear)
with ear toward shoulder, look up and then down; hold each 10-15 seconds
slowly rotate head on neck, both directions - too fast can cause injury
- upper body rotation (trunk) - either with arms extended or not
- hips (think hula hoop)
- knees - feet together, hands on knees, look up (looking down reduces air flow)
- ankles - individually, stand on one foot, put other foot back 8-12 inches, on ball of foot, rotate heel in circles to lubricate ankle, bend toes forward and back, stretch footsword (outside) and reverse footsword (inside)

40-60 jumping jacks to warm up and loosen muscles

Now that everything's been rotated, move on to stretching (do all stretches on both sides) - again, I start at the top and move down; it makes it less likely I'll leave something major out, and it gives me an easy to remember sequence
- arm across body, place other arm above elbow, and pull - stretches shoulder and upper arm
- arm behind back (over head), push down with other arm on upper arm or pull from behind, if you can reach your hand
- touch toes
- spread feet 1 shoulder width, touch toes/floor in center; repeat with wider spread 2-3 times until class is at full stretch; add stretching to the front of each leg
- sit down with legs spread as in previous stretch, stretch to center and over each foot
- bring one foot in, stretch over front foot, center (between knees), over bent knee; switch feet and repeat

Rising stretch kicks - 10 on each leg, from walking/front stance
Punches - 10, alternating hands, from sitting/horse stance - this last is just to let whoever is teaching know that warm-ups are over.

The whole thing usually takes about 20 minutes.

We usually count in Korean for most static stretches - it encourages people to breathe while stretching, and enforces the stretch; breathing aids relaxation and people who breathe will slowly relax and drop into a better stretch.

Have fun! And don't worry if you leave something out... happens all the time. That's why I start at the top and rotate everything down to the feet, and then start again at the top with the stretching - it's easier to remember.

 

[Drac]

Kacey beat me too it but EVERYTHING she posted is EXCELLENT...

 

[14 Kempo]

I agree, what Kacey said ... excellent routine.

A lot of schools go directly to stretching, which is NOT good on cold muscles. Warm up the joints and muscles first!

 

[Drac]

I agree, what Kacey said ... excellent routine.

A lot of schools go directly to stretching, which is NOT good on cold muscles. Warm up the joints and muscles first!

The jumping jacks as Kacey posted is an excellent way to warm up the body prior to stretching..

 

[Miles]

I agree, Kacey's comments were excellent....except for the jumping jacks.

Tom Kurz who writes a column in TKD Times and has published numerous books on strength/conditioning/flexibility rails against jumping jacks. He says your warm up should be "sport specific" and jumping jacks don't support the motions in any sport. Here's a link to his website and a number of columns he's written:
http://www.stadion.com/column.html

Miles

 

[Kacey]

I agree, Kacey's comments were excellent....except for the jumping jacks.

Tom Kurz who writes a column in TKD Times and has published numerous books on strength/conditioning/flexibility rails against jumping jacks. He says your warm up should be "sport specific" and jumping jacks don't support the motions in any sport. Here's a link to his website and a number of columns he's written:
http://www.stadion.com/column.html

Miles

Yes, well, I don't like running in place, and there are limited numbers of ways to warm the muscles before stretching in a short period of time; for senior students, the warm up includes doing several patterns instead of jumping jacks, but the junior students have fewer, and shorter, patterns, and therefore are not able to get their muscles appropriately warmed up doing the few patterns they know - but they all know how to do jumping jacks - or learn how to do them fairly quickly.

And while I understand what you're saying - and even what he's saying - you can find articles to support nearly any viewpoint. Are jumping jacks perfect? No... but they serve several purposes, including teaching coordination (you'd be amazed how many teens and adults can't do jumping jacks - much less more complex large muscle coordination), teaching timing (both with oneself and with others, as they are performed and counted together), and, as I said previously, warming the muscles up before stretching.

It works for us... if it doesn't work for you, then how do you warm up your muscles prior to stretching?

 

[terryl965]

Kacey has made a great point on warm ups, the one thing we always do is run about 15-20 laps ariound our workout room, but then again we have enough space for this and then we do all of our strecthes.

 

[howard]

Tom Kurz who writes a column in TKD Times and has published numerous books on strength/conditioning/flexibility rails against jumping jacks. He says your warm up should be "sport specific" and jumping jacks don't support the motions in any sport...

Tom Kurz rails against a few things that lots of us have found beneficial over the years. Other examples besides jumping jacks are stretching machines and partner stretching.

I've used his stretching methods for years, with good results. I am convinced that, in general, he knows what he's talking about. In his own case, you certainly can't argue with his results. But, I think he can be dogmatic at times.

IMO, jumping jacks are a good way to warm up the entire body. Correct, they are not sport-specific. But, they are an aerobic exercise that engages several muscle groups, warms up the body and gets the blood flowing. Which is good before things like TKD classes.

 

[IcemanSK]

Yup, Kacey's spot on:asian:

 

[bluemtn]

I usually stick with what I know. Meaning, what stretches and warm- ups do you do- either on your own, or while you're in class? Not everything is written in stone (so to speak) for warm- ups, either. Mainly, working your joints- wrists, ankles, hips..., then stretching muscle groups- thighs, shoulders, arms, etc. What I've done, and my instructor does,- and I find helpful for class- are things like front leg stretches (like your doing a front kick, but the leg is straight the entire time). The same goes for the side stretches. We also do push- ups and crunches, hip, and shoulder rotations. Just some ideas...

 

[DArnold]

OK, I've been told that next week I'M going to be in charge of the warm-ups and stretching. The only problem is I've got nothing for the stretching part.
So, does anyone have ANY suggestions?
And: yes, I already know I'm clueless.

Ok, more specifics.

Are you talking about warm ups at the beginning of class that include some streatching.

Or warm ups at the beginning of class.
And power streatching at the end of class to increase flexibility
????????????????

 

[Em MacIntosh]

After a good warm up, get into a squat stance and push your knees out, rock slowly a little, side to side. Hanging on to your ankles, with feet shoulder-width apart, straighten your legs to stretch the hamstrings. Lean back with hands on the small of your back and lean forward and let your wrists hang and touch the ground. Sway lightly from left to right. Repeat a few times. Lunge left/right three times, hold on last rep. Lunge with back foot pointing 90 degrees from front foot, right/left, hold on last rep. With both feet forward, squat down to the right, staying low, shift to the left, repeat three times holding on last rep. Shake it out. Walk heel-toe into side splits, rise up on your heels and fingertips/palms/fists. Sink and support yourself with your hamstrings using your hands to balance. Without coming up, roll your hips into long splits, touch your chest to your knee (or the best you can do), repeat on other side. Repeat three times. Resume side splits with feet fully planted and touch your toes, come up taking a deep breath, exhale as you go back down. Hang your wrists and slowly sway left to right. Move on to partner stretching. Back to the wall, heel on partner's shoulder as high as you can go and then "push-axe-kick" down. Do the same with side kicks and back kicks with the instep on partner's shoulder instead of ankle. Then move to floorr stretches. One grabs the other's hands and puts heir feet on the inside oftheir calves and pulls them forward as far as they can go. Repeat three times holding on the last rep. Back to back, one does the splits while the other rises up and lays on the other's back, repeat three times... Shake it out and do another bit of running around the room. Line up. The most important things are to adequately warm up, don't bounce in your stretches and do it in an anatomically corrrect fashion. Play some haki-sack before class...

 

[Miles]

It works for us... if it doesn't work for you, then how do you warm up your muscles prior to stretching?

We go back and forth between ladder drills, knee-up progressions, and stepping drills.

Miles