Preventing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

We've talked about what DOMS is, then looked at ways to manage DOMS when it strikes.  What about prevention?  Is it possible to work out hard without feeling extreme soreness later?

Well, there's never a guarantee, but there is a best practice to minimize the risk of DOMS: active dynamic warm-up.

Now don't panic when you read over the protocol below for active dynamic warm-up.  Yes, it is long.  (It can take up to 30 minutes.)  But the exercises are organized in a ramping fashion, meaning that they challenge your muscles, mobility, and flexibility to an ever-increasing degree.  Not a cakewalk!  Depending on your level of fitness, the active dynamic warm-up may be just that: a warm-up, or it may be a full workout for a beginner.

Active Dynamic Warm-Up includes:

Movement Prep:
The first step is to prepare your body for movement, by way of self myofascial release.  Use The Stick or foam roller for about 10 minutes to prime your muscles for exercise.  The most important muscles to focus on are: calves, hamstrings, inner thighs, quadriceps, hip flexors, mid-back, upper traps, lats, and pecs.

Mobility Exercises: 
These activities are used to increase blood flow, take joints through ranges of motion, and further prepare the body for movement. Mobility exercises are executed at a low exertion level.

After sticking-out or foam rolling, jog forward and backwards for 30 seconds to 1 minute, to increase your core temperature.

After the 1 minute run, complete 5-10 reps of:
big, medium, and small shoulder circles moving clockwise and counterclockwise,
wrist circles,
standing trunk twist,
arm hugs with hamstring stretch,
bent trunk twist,
hip circles,
half squat,
ankle circles,
heel to toe raises

Muscle Activation: 
After the core body temperature is elevated, target muscles that are important to posture, stability, and force application during training.

Exercise examples:
plank or bridge 30 seconds,
side planks 15 seconds each side,
glute bridges 10x,
Y, T, I, W, and L for your mid-back and posterior shoulders 10x,
chin tucks 10x

Transit Mobility: 
These activities take joints through a specific range of motion, while traveling over a prescribed distance (10 yds). These movements are designed to reinforce athletic movement, increase dynamic flexibility, while also increasing the intensity of physical exertion.

Exercises include:
forward/backward skips,
lateral skips,
half speed or 75% sprint speed,
walking knee hug to elbow to instep,
straight leg march to inverted toe touch,
side slides,
carioca,
lunges,
skips and scoops

Dynamic Mobility: 
These activities take joints through an explosive or rapid range of motion. While similar to transit mobility, dynamic mobility activities generally do not travel over a distance, but offer a final increase in intensity of physical exertion.

Try the following exercises, either for 5-10 reps, or for 20-30 seconds:
thrust and/or frog thrust,
mountain climbers,
crawling jacks,
standing frontal and sagittal leg swings,
rockers
100% sprint speed 2x (sprint full court, walk back)


And with that, your active dynamic warm-up is concluded.  If you've got anything left, go hit some iron!