The Ultimate Guide to Warming Up for CrossFit Cleans
Getting ready for a CrossFit workout is super important, especially when you’re doing heavy lifts like cleans. Cleans, whether they’re power cleans or squat cleans, can be tough on your body if you jump in without warming up properly. A good warm-up gets your body and mind ready, helps prevent injuries, and lets you lift heavier weights. If you’re new to CrossFit or just want to make sure you’re warming up right, this guide is for you. Let’s dive into why warming up is important and how you can do it effectively.
This article focuses on Clean Warm-ups. If you are interested in Warm-ups in general, see out out Warm-Up Guide Here!
Shoulder Warm-Up Routine
Here’s how to get your shoulders ready for exercises like strict presses, handstand push-ups, devil presses and similar.
Aerobic Warm-Up (2,5-5 minutes)
- Jogging, Rowing, Cycling on the Assault Bike or Bike Erg: Start with a minimum of 2,5 minutes of aerobic exercise to get your heart and lungs into working pace. You will also get your muscles going.
Mobility Warm-Up (5-10 minutes)
Banded Pull Aparts – 10 repetitions
Hold a resistance band with both hands at shoulder width. Keeping your arms straight, pull the band apart until your arms are fully extended to your sides, then slowly return to the starting position, maintaining tension in the band.Dynamic Squats – 10 repetitions.
Get down into a deep squat position. Grab the toes with your hands and then perform squats with your legs while holding onto your feet.Lat Stretch – 45 seconds.
Place your hands on a wall at shoulder height, then step back and lean your upper body down and forward, keeping your arms straight and your head between your arms, to stretch your latissimus dorsi muscles.- Squat Rotation – 10 repetitions.
Get down in to a deep squat position. Rotate your torso to one side, extending your arm in the direction of the rotation. Alternate sides. - Inch Worm – 5 repetitions.
Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart. Bend at your hips to place your hands on the floor, then walk your hands forward into a plank position, perform a push-up, and walk your feet towards your hands, repeating the movement.
Muscle Activation and Skills Training Warm-up (5-10 minutes)
Two rounds of barbell warm-up. Start with an empty bar and do 8 reps of all the barbell movements. Then add a little bit of weight for a second round of 8 reps per movement.
- Clean Grip Deadlift – 8 + 8 repetitions.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with the same grips as your Clean. Bend at your hips and knees, keeping your back straight, then pull the barbell towards your lower chest by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower the barbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner. - Hang Cleans High Pulls – 8 + 8 repetitions.
Start with the barbell at mid-thigh level, standing with a clean grip and feet hip-width apart. This exercise involves explosively extending your hips while pulling the barbell upward with your elbows high, ensuring the barbell stays close to your body throughout the movement. Lower the barbell back down to the hang position and repeat for several repetitions. - Tall Squat Clean – 8 + 8 reptitions.
Begin in a standing position with the barbell resting on your thighs, maintaining a clean grip. Swiftly drop into a full squat position while simultaneously pulling the barbell up to shoulder height, keeping your torso upright. Let the barbell land on your shoulders and return to the standing position and repeat this movement for several repetitions. - Squat Clean – 8 + 8 repetitions.
Start with the barbell on the floor, using a clean grip with hands just outside shoulder-width apart, and feet positioned hip-width apart. Initiate the movement with a clean grip deadlift, bringing the barbell to mid-thigh height. From here, explosively pull yourself under the bar, catching it in a full squat position. Stand up with the barbell in the front rack position and repeat this movement pattern for several repetitions. - Front Squat – 8 + 8 repetitions.
Starting with the barbell in the front rack position, utilizing a clean grip with elbows positioned high and chest up. Lower yourself into a squatting position by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Drive through your heels to stand back up, maintaining control throughout the movement, and repeat for several repetitions.
By this time your should be feeling warm and ready for the Clean workout. Be sure however not to jump straight in to full power. Even though you are warm you should start with an easy weight and build up for a few sets before going full power.
What Equipment is needed
- Rower, Air Bike, Bike Erg or similar for Aerobic warm-up
- Resistance Bands for mobility warm-up
- Barbell and plates for the skills warm-up
Check out the Equipment subsite for more tools, tips, and inspiration.
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What Is a Warm-Up?
A warm-up is a set of exercises you do before your main workout. The goal is to get your heart rate up, increase blood flow to your muscles, improve joint movement, and get your body and mind ready for the workout. A good warm-up usually includes light cardio, stretching, muscle activation, and practicing the skills you’ll use in your workout.
Benefits of Warming Up for CrossFit
Mental Preparation
Warming up isn’t just for your body; it’s for your mind too. CrossFit workouts can be intense and complicated, which can feel overwhelming. A structured warm-up helps you shift your focus from your daily routine to the workout, making you more mentally prepared and confident.
Preventing Injuries
A proper warm-up is one of the best ways to prevent injuries. Cold muscles and stiff joints are more likely to get hurt. By gradually increasing your body temperature and blood flow, a warm-up prepares your muscles and joints for the workout. Stretching and mobility exercises help your joints move smoothly and reduce the risk of strains and sprains.
Performing at Your Best
A good warm-up gets your body ready to perform at its best. Increased blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients for your muscles, helping them work better. Warmed-up muscles are more flexible and responsive, making it easier to do complex movements and lift heavier weights. Muscle activation exercises ensure the right muscles are ready to work hard.
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How to Build a CrossFit Warm-Up
A good CrossFit warm-up should cover all the bases. Here’s how to put together a great warm-up routine:
Aerobic Warm-Up
Start with some light cardio to get your heart rate up and blood flowing. This could be jogging, rowing, cycling, or jumping rope. Aim for 5-10 minutes of steady, moderate-intensity activity.
Mobility Warm-Up
Mobility exercises improve your range of motion and flexibility. Dynamic stretches, which involve moving parts of your body through their full range of motion, are great. Examples include leg swings, arm circles, hip openers, and spine rotations. Pick movements that mimic the exercises you’ll be doing in your workout.
Muscle Activation
Muscle activation exercises wake up the key muscle groups you’ll be using. These exercises can use resistance bands, light weights, or just your body weight. For example, if you’re doing squats, lunges, or deadlifts, try glute bridges or banded side steps to activate your glutes and hips. For upper-body workouts, do scapular push-ups or band pull-aparts to engage your shoulders and back.
Skills Training Warm-Up
Include some skill-specific drills to refine your technique and prepare your nervous system. This is important for complex movements like Olympic lifts or gymnastics exercises. Practice lighter sets of the key exercises in your workout, focusing on perfect form. This could be practicing cleans and jerks with an empty barbell, doing kipping pull-ups, or rehearsing double-unders.
Why Not Start Cold?
Starting a workout without warming up can lead to poor performance and injuries. Cold muscles are less elastic and more likely to tear. Stiff joints limit your range of motion, making it hard to do exercises correctly. Your heart and lungs also need time to adjust to the workout. Jumping in cold can make you feel sluggish, increase your risk of injury, and lower your overall performance.
Benefits of a Proper Warm-Up:
- Better Muscle Performance: Warm muscles work more efficiently and produce more power.
- Improved Coordination: A good warm-up gets your nervous system ready, improving your coordination.
- Increased Mental Focus: Warming up helps you focus better on your workout.
- Reduced Injury Risk: Warm muscles and joints are less likely to get hurt.
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See Amazons extensive range of workout gear here. (Affiliate Link)
Conclusion:
Warming up is super important, especially for CrossFit cleans. It helps prevent injuries, improves your performance, and gets you mentally ready for your workout. By including aerobic exercises, mobility work, muscle activation, and skill practice in your warm-up, you’ll be ready to tackle any workout that comes your way. Don’t skip your warm-up—it’s the key to a great workout and staying injury-free.
