How do you warm up?

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 10 Mar 2005 16:47

Personally, I think warming up before a session is a very important way to avoid injuries. Here are some things I recommend doing before starting a session.

1. Have water on hand. When you are exhausted in the middle of a good session, you`re more likely to drink water if it`s already on hand. Stay hydrated throughout your session. I recommend a combination of regular water and gatorade. Carbonated drinks, and dairy based drinks aren`t very good at replenishing water for you.

2. Warm up, then stretch. Stretching is good, but I find it is most effective after you have warmed up some. Try just running around a bit before stretching, or spending 5 minutes just kicking the bag and doing no tricks, then stretch.

3. Gradually build up to actual playing. I used to just jump into sessions playing guiltless, but I think its a better idea to slowly build up to your normal level of play. So start off by doing consecutive kicks, then alternating toe stalls, then alternating clippers, then tiltless, then guiltless. This has the advantage of skooling your fundamentals, and gives your muscles time to warm up and adjust to playing footbag.

4. Stretch between turns. When the next player is busting, it`s polite to watch them. But I find it helps me stay loose if I stretch a bit while watching them play. Sitting down and doing the butterfly stretch (soles of feet together when you sit, bend forward) between turns is a good one, or simply holding your foot behind your back (quad stretch) also allows you to watch people play, while helping you stretch out.

5. Do shin exercises. Lots of footbaggers suffer from shin splints. You can get rid of shin splints by pre-emptively doing shin exercises, like toe lifts, before your session. This is something you should do the day before you play, or a couple days before you play. Do this stretch on off-days. I will post a link later, and go into more detail.

6. Stay warm throughout your session. Sometimes I want to hit a particular move, and will spend a couple turns trying to hit it. If you repeatedly try the same move over and over, those muscles will get tired. I recommend trying a move a couple times, and if you can`t hit it, try just doing long combos for a couple turns, then trying the move a little later in your session. That way, the muscles involved in the move are fresher, and you will also probably be less frustrated. It will also ensure that your body stays warm.

7. Get good insoles for your shoes. This depends a little on what kind of shoe you play in, but I find that Rod Laver shoes do not provide enough support for serious freestyle. I recommend taking out the original insoles, and replacing them with better ones. I personally like Spenco insoles. Having good support in your shoes will reduce the likelihood of you developing shin splints. Also, keep in mind that if you are playing on your toes (most pros do), most of your weight will be in the toe area. Look at the soles of most pro players lavers: only the toe area of the sole is really worn down. Because of this, it may also be a good idea to get insoles specifically for the area around the ball of your foot. Metatarsal arch support insoles are particularly good.

SlashC · Post by **SlashC** » 10 Mar 2005 20:03

Prewarmup
I usually start my warmup by watching a short footbag vid (i.e dylan in australia). Typically i'll do some jumping jacks or something while watching. Then I'll pop in my fav cd and just kick for the first track or two. (Inside/outside/ and toe kicks) In the third track I like to start stretching. I try to stretch most of the main muscles I use for different sets and concepts (i.e pixie, stepping, ducking). By the 4th track I like to be doing my tiltless drills.

tiltess drills:
mirage > legover > rpt
alternating clippers
ducking toes
ss butterfly > far pickup > rpt
ect

Then as the fifth track starts I'm good to go go.

Jas · Post by **Jas** » 10 Mar 2005 21:44

If i can reallly be bothered, i skip for a couple of minutes heaps fast to warm up my legs to stretch, but most of the time im lazy and dont stretch, i just get straight into it.

max · Post by **max** » 11 Mar 2005 02:32

30+ inside kicks
20+ alternating clippers

then I go into easy guiltless (BOPS) + clippers for a couple of minutes
then I'm warmed up!

As Ken said: water is important.

Uranos · Post by **Uranos** » 11 Mar 2005 03:12

Do some alternating inside kicks, and thenmove on to toe stalls.

Then i do a couple of insides, then move on to clippers.

After that. I drill some easy 2's

Then when im warmed up, I stretch my leg muscles and arm muscles.
Then do some harder moves.

I think its still important to stretch upper body muscles too. Is this right?

Shredster · Post by **Shredster** » 11 Mar 2005 12:03

I don't

Honestly, I start off with butterflys, and if i'm feeling really crazy or pumped after a video, I try and hit something like frontside flurry with no stretching.

Call me crazy, but I feel fine!

ted · Post by **ted** » 11 Mar 2005 12:07

I have seen Pinkus hit Pandemonium (i think...something symp. eggbeater) on a first contact.

I just do a few general stretches, a few minutes of kicks, some stretches, link infinities, link osii, bust. If I am nursing an injury, I will pay extra attention to stretch the shins, rotate the ankles.

Edit:

Shredster wrote:I think pandemonium is pixie symp egg.

Right, I just don't remember if that was exactly what he hit

Shredster · Post by **Shredster** » 11 Mar 2005 12:10

ted wrote:I have seen Pinkus hit Pandemonium (i think...something symp. eggbeater) on a first contact.

I think pandemonium is pixie symp egg.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 11 Mar 2005 12:14

i like to stretch everything before i start, even if its excessive. like i crack my back, stretch my arms, crack my neck, and some leg stretching. and usually i start just kicking it around. i like to have a mountain dew before i start kicking, but usually nothing while im kicking, unless i get too hot.

lightningbolt · Post by **lightningbolt** » 11 Mar 2005 13:34

I start out kicking and once in a while go do easy 2's. Then I just slowly progress to harder tricks and longer strings. I never streach though. I think I should.....

FreeStylist · Post by **FreeStylist** » 11 Mar 2005 16:09

i normaly stretch first then i start kicking for a bit and then i start doing basic titless strings then about like 20 mins later im doing guiltless stuff.then i stretch after im done

pips · Post by **pips** » 11 Mar 2005 22:23

I only walk to my practice spot (about a ten minute walk) and then kick 50 to 100+ times consequetively. If I am still iffy, I do my easier-to-do combos.

King Monkey · Post by **King Monkey** » 13 Mar 2005 04:43

I normally start by stretching calves, quads, groin, torso and ANKLES
then some consecutive kicks for like 1-2min, then get into alternating and ss clippers for a few minutes, then some tiltless runs to loosen up and get breathing. Then i might do butterflies, osii etc
Then its on!

B_Man · Post by **B_Man** » 13 Mar 2005 11:24

When I play solo, I take Ian's approach (without the stretches) - a lot of consecutive kicking, stretching of the ankles, alternating/ss clippers, then gradually work into tiltless strings.

When I play with the crew I usually do some stretches aftering warming up / before jumping the gun into the circle.

A lot of water is important!

ptaku · Post by **ptaku** » 14 Mar 2005 00:45

About the watter:
1 litre in four doses (I meant four glasses of water) one hour before session one after 15 mins from other.
1 litre on every hour of session
And the drinkin' as much as you can but no one one time - it will be not good if you will drink 2 litres of water or something else at one gulp....

I do similar warm up to many of you -
5 minutes of toe, outside and inside kicking
5 minutes of toe and inside stalls
5 minutes of tiltless strings
And then move to butterflies, osis, whirls, and then harders stuff...

I usually don't stretch befor shredding, because I lost too much of coordination.

After session I stretch for something like 30 mins...

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 14 Mar 2005 09:31

you stole my warm up . . . I thought I was the only one who started hyrdrating well before I play, and also drinks lots of water in a session. Most of the people I see kick probably drink 12oz of water max over 2-3 hours. I'll drink 2 liters or as much as I can carry with me to the session.

I also never stretch because of the lack of coordination.

FootbagginBum · Post by **FootbagginBum** » 23 Mar 2005 10:18

Mini stretch of basic leg muscles. (20 seconds)

About a song of kicks, toe stalls, insides, atws and clippers.
(Here's where I'm different)
Then, right before I stretch a bit more, I'll do my most comfortable 4's and 5's for about 30 seconds (Rubberman stuff, pixie ducking) just to fully awaken all the muscles I will use the most. Then I stretch for about a minute or two (sometimes I skip it depending on the situation, but usually). Then mirage>legover and illusion>pickup, then one touch and butterfly to clip set mirage back and forth (one side) about 10 times on both sides, followed by some osis and spinning stuff. Then I'll start with blur>toe whirl and by the time thats done, I'm feeling pretty good, do some easy runs hitting as many funamentals and basic sets as I can think of, and then a great song comes on and I bust phat.