CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE November/December ISSUE | Page 112

THE 
SECRET
WEAPON
The reason why a warm-up is so important is
because that time is an investment towards
improving your muscular coordination, blood
flow, mobility, stability, and mental state. Think
of the warm-up as the preparation required for
an incredible workout.I began to understand the
importance of warm ups in 2016 when I needed
a way to increase my performance in the gym.
Immediately, I saw an improvement in my
training and now I teach this to all my clients.
Two things that most people do not even think
of as significant in their fitness journey are the
importance of an effective warm up, and the
power that the central nervous system has when
it comes to our results. I had the privilege of
sitting down with Robin Strand to dig into his
brain about how to maximize these 2 factors
and how anybody out there reading this can
maximize their results. 
Juan: Thank you very much for sitting with us and
chatting Robin. I know we briefly chatted about how
important a warm up is to build a great physique
and be healthy. But please expand; tell me more
about the importance of a proper warm up for
gains and how it has made a difference for you.
Robin: The warm-up should be considered one
of the most important aspects of your training
and never overlooked.
Juan: I do remember that year and how great you
looked as Mr. Ontario. I know oftentimes we see the
person who goes right from the car and starts
loading up the barbell as they go into working sets.
Not warming up properly can be a way to invite
aches and pains into your life. What are some
common aches and pains your clients deal with
and how do you combat that?
Robin: The most common issues clients deal
with when people seek help are lower back pain,
knee pain and elbow pain.
There are multiple ways of dealing with these
issues. Using the example of an individual who
has chronic knee pain, I have them start working
on their feet first. The muscles in the foot are
comparable to the foundation of a building. The
bigger the building, the more important the
foundation. The next thing would be to
incorporate mobility and stability exercises into
the warm-up routine and have them perform
the particularly difficult ones more frequently.