Wushu Warm Up Guide

To increase efficiency and to avoid injury, you should always warm up and stretch before a wushu training session. Plus, in order to get rid of harmful substances like lactic acid and to avoid soreness, you should also cool down after training. Find more wushu related topics at wushu main.

Description

  • Nutrition: You last meal before training should be taken about one and a half hour before your wushu training.
  • Start off warming up your joints a few minutes. I don't recommend joint circling. Joint circling is not really up to date and can actually harm your joints. Personally I prefer doing squats and calf raises rather than squeezing my ankle into the floor. And if you want to circle your ankles, circle in the air (without pressure).
  • Cardio Warm Up: About 10 minutes - Running, rope skipping etc.
    Your pulse in this stage should be between 135 and 160 beats/min.
  • Stretching 5 to 15 minutes. Static and dynamic.
  • Sport specific warm-up. Wushu exercises etc.

Cool Down

  • Power-Out: About 10 minutes of very intensive cardio: 100m sprints, frog jumps etc. Pulse frequency up to 180. Not everybody like powering out at the end of the workout. Actually that's more a Chinese/russian thing.
  • Stretching: 5 minutes - Static Stretches.
    No isometric stretches, no dynamic stretches
  • Massage: 5 minutes - Partner exercises.
  • Hot-Cold Showers: 5 minutes. Cold can help prevent inflammations. Hot is to increase blood flow and get rid of waste products lactic acid etc. Begin with warm water and change to hot after a minute. 10 seconds cold and then 50 hot again... etc.
  • Nutrition: Don't eat immediately after workout. Wait at least 20 minutes and then eat something light: Rich in protein and carbs.