If you're not already doing a warm-up of some kind prior to your workouts, you should be. Warm-ups are an often overlooked aspect of a badass workout, but they can prime your body for the destruction to come.
We won't go into the nitty gritty details, but just know that warm-ups get blood flowing through your tissues, "unlock" stiff joints and prepare them for movement, and get your body comfortable with the movement patterns you'll be using in your workout. While skipping a warm-up might not break your workout, doing one may very well make it.
We get it, though: warm-ups are boring. Even though the fitness industry has shifted from static to dynamic, movement-based stretching, which is much more interesting by default, it's still easy to get stuck in a rut.
The easy fix? Stuff all of your warm-up exercises into a single combo movement.
This full body warm-up hits your entire body, and 5-8 reps should cover your warm-up needs. Of course, don't forget to supplement it with additional exercises to target weak spots.
Walkouts require upper body stability, core strength, and lower body mobility. They're well-rounded and that's what makes them such a powerful warm-up exercise.
Groiners stretch out most of your lower body, but they're especially effective at waking up your adductors and improving hip mobility.
This reach is perfect for people who find themselves stuck in a seated position for long periods of time. It targets your thoracic spine, an area that gets roughed up with prolonged sitting.
We tend to think of the bear crawl as a primarily lower body exercise, but when it's done with strict attention to detail, it can light up your entire body.
This one shouldn't need much explanation — it's a classic. Pushups get your chest, shoulders, and triceps ready for a tough session, and the high plank position turns on your core musculature.