Stretches/Cool down and lactic acid

Stretches

Aerobic Cardio stretches

Heres the breakdown:10 Exercises30 Seconds eachNo equipment needed; only bodyweight exercises are used5 minutes

Warm Up Exercises in this Routine

Lateral Steps + Pulls Step from side to side, tapping your foot behind the body of the leading leg. At the same time, wave both arms up in front of your body (in front of and above your head) and then pull them back downwards to your sides in a full sweeping range of motion.

Slow Rocking Butt Kickers A slower less intense of our regular butt kickers to get your lower body warmed up; add in upper body movements as well if you like, especially if you are about to jump into a routine that is heavy in upper body exercises.

High Knee Pulls Pull one knee upwards towards your core, while reaching up and then down with both hands so that your elbows and high knee are near your core at the same time.

Arm Swings + lateral Steps Similar to the first move, step from side to side while tapping the toe of the following foot behind the leading/supporting leg, all while swinging arms out and then in front of the body, crossing over one another.

4 Torso Twists + Knees Twist from side to side four times, and then bring one knee up to the opposite elbow. If you follow this same count (1, 2, 3, 4, knee), you should be bringing a different knee up each and every time.

Jog in Place Just like it sounds; get that heart rate up!

Bodyweight Squats If your legs arent feeling quite warmed up yet, keep the squats shallow. Keep your butt back and your weight in your heels.

Front Kicks Kick high and in front of the body, alternating which kick is doing the kicking. Keep your core tight for an added toning benefit.

Boxer Shuffle Hop from side to side, tapping the non-leading leg on the ground in the center of the distance that you are hopping back and forth.

Cross Toe Touches Reach down to touch the toes of your foot with the opposite hand, doing a very slight squat each time that you reach downward.

Stretches for any workout

Complete 10 reps of each exercise below for 1-2 rounds, and check out the video at the top for tips and demonstrations of each move.1) Lunge with a Twist

As the name implies, this is a combination of two different moves: a forward lunge and a horizontal twist. The forward lunge helps stretch the hip flexors and activates the legs, glutes, and hips, while the twist stretches out the upper and middle back and activates core rotation. As you do the lunge, step forward, then drop your hips. You shouldn't try to lunge too far forward so your front knee extends far beyond your toes. After you have lunged, slowly twist toward the side you are lunging for a more intense hip flexor stretch.2) Knee to ChestThis exercise mimics the top of a running stride as you bring your knee toward your chest before striking the foot toward the ground. You can alternate each leg while stationary or do it while walking forward. Focus on bringing the knee cap into the chest by hugging your shin while stepping onto your toes with your opposite foot, which will give you more leverage.3) High KicksHigh kicks help warm-up the hamstrings and improve range of motion. You can do them while alternating as you walk, or how I prefer, stationary while focusing on one side at a time. If starting with your right leg, extend your left arm straight out. Kick your leg up while keeping your leg and hand straight so that your toes hit your palm. Try to progressively kick higher, but complete this exercise while staying under control.

4) Hip Stretch With A Twist

This is an exceptional stretch, especially for working professionals who sit a lot during the day. It helps open up the hips and groin while stretching the core, upper, and middle back. Start in the push up position and bring your right foot up to your right hand while keeping your hips down and lower back flat. Take your left hand, twist to your left while extending your arm and reaching toward the sky. Come back to the starting push up position and repeat on the other side. A possible substitution for this exercise would be a side lunge to help work on your lateral movement.5) T-Push-UpsA T-Push Up is a great exercise to help warm-up your upper body, especially the shoulders, while also activating your entire core. Start out in the push-up position, and then lower yourself down towards the ground. As you push back up, extend your right arm toward the sky while keeping your left arm stable and your hips from moving down, or up. Bring your arm back to the starting position, do another push up, and then repeat with the left arm.6) Jump Squats (Advanced)Jump squats are a great plyometric exercise for warming up the lower body. Because the exercise is fast, it requires a greater degree of force production and power than the other exercises on this list, so it's a more advanced warm-up exercise. Stand up with your feet about shoulder width apart while holding your hands behind your head, or on your hips. Squat down until the hips are about parallel with the ground, then forcibly jump off the ground. Land softly and repeat the jump.7) Jump Lunges (Advanced)Jump lunges are another great plyometric exercise for warming up the lower body. This exercise also requires balance to help activate your stabilizer muscles in your legs and hips. With your hands at your sides or behind your head, start with one foot extended forward and one behind. Drop your hips downward and forcibly jump into the air. While you are in the air, switch your legs so that your forward leg is now behind you and your back leg is now in front of you.

Cool Downs

The Key Parts of an Effective Cool Down

1. Gentle exercise

2. Stretching

3. Re-fuel

Cool Down Routines Example 1: - For the Professional 10 to 15 minutes of easy exercise. Be sure that the easy exercise resembles the type of exercise that was done during your work out. For example, if your workout involved a lot of running, cool down with easy jogging or walking.

Include some deep breathing as part of your easy exercise to help oxygenate your system.

Follow with about 20 to 30 minutes of stretching. Static stretching and PNF stretching is usually best.

Re-fuel. Both fluid and food are important. Drink plenty of water, plus a good quality sports drink. The best type of food to eat straight after a work out is that which is easily digestible. Fruit is a good example.

Example 2: - For the Amateur 3 to 5 minutes of easy exercise. Be sure that the easy exercise resembles the type of exercise that was done during your work out. For example, if your workout involved a lot of running, cool down with easy jogging or walking.

Include some deep breathing as part of your easy exercise to help oxygenate your system.

Follow with about 5 to 10 minutes of stretching. Static stretching and PNF stretching is usually best.

Re-fuel. Both fluid and food are important. Drink plenty of water, plus a good quality sports drink. The best type of food to eat straight after a work out is that which is easily digestible. Fruit is a good example. Getting serious about your cool down and following the above examples will make sure you recover quicker from your work outs, and stay injury free.

Aerobic Cardio Warm Down

Workout Structure:- 4 30 Second intervals of light bodyweight cardio to bring the heart rate back down gradually- 5 Stretches held for 20 seconds on each side of the body

30 Seconds Each:Torso RotationsRocking Side KicksRocking Butt Kickers + Ventral PullsArm Crossover Swings + Lateral Steps

20 Seconds Each Stretch:Standing QuadricepsLeaning HamstringRocking Inside ThighWall Chest StretchRhomboid Pull

In general you must slow your running, slow your pace for 3 5 minutes.

Lactic Acid

What is it and what does it do?The primary function of the Glycolytic System is to break those carbohydrates down and produce ATP. The energy that it provides is primarily used for moderate to high intensity activities (30 sec up to 3 min). It does this by either the Fast or Slow method and the Fast Glycolysis is where the Amino Acid Pyruvate is converted to lactic acid. (NOTE: Lactic Acid is different than Lactate. Lactate is not believed to be fatigue-producing. It is converted from lactic acid and is the indicator of lactic acid production and clearance only because it is the only one that stays in the blood long enough to be checked.) The lactic acid produced during fast glycolysis creates a negative feedback (interferes) with the Calcium release from the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum. (I am presuming a lot with just hitting the high parts of the topic. I want to keep the information as "vanilla" as possible instead of going into great depth on each topic.) Lactic acid interferes with actomysosin formation (the complex when the actin and myosin bond) and Glycolytic enzyme activity which results in fatigue. That is a lot of information to just tell you that the carbohydrates that your body uses for fuel results in lactic acid which causes you to get sore. Through training, your body learns to better utilize this system, and/or you get use to the lactic acid build up and you stop being sore after doing the routine for some time.

How to reduce lactic acid

Exercise is the most effective means of relieving pain during DOMS, but the analgesic effect is temporary. If you have to train on a daily basis, then you should reduce the duration and intensity of exercise for 1-2 days following the exercise that caused the DOMS. You can also train less effected body parts to allow time for the body to recover. Another key is to train a hard day/light day after you start a new program or routine. Rest is often overlooked in the training regime and you should plan for it. I believe that we usually over train and never give our bodies the required "rest" that it needs to rebuild and repair itself. I know that the "burn" feels good after a workout but it isn't the best thing for you. Your body is designed to adapt to whatever stress is imposed upon it so if you want to grow, or get in better shape, you have to make changes periodically in your routine to stop from hitting a plateau and getting bored. Any significant change in your workout can increase the risk of DOMS. When it happens, use the suggestions provided above... and don't let your kids decide that today is "wrestling day".