I like to start each workout at Pat’s Gym with a proper warm-up. Warm-up exercises prepare clients for the exercises they are going to do in their workout. For instance, if they are going to do overhead squats, I put them through shoulder flexibility movements, which loosen up the shoulders in preparation for holding weight over head, and wall squats, which open up the hips.

I always use dynamic movements (stretches that involve motion such as arm swings) as opposed to static stretches (stretches that involve no motion) because they increase heart rate, blood flow to the muscles and respiratory rate as well as enhance muscle elasticity.

Another great way to warm up is when the client completes a set of one to six reps of different exercises, known as a complex. Warming up like this is perfect for working a large amount of muscles in a short period of time. I use dumbbell, kettlebell and barbell complexes. You’ll find yourself gasping for air and dripping with sweat after just two or three rounds of a complex.

I use cooling down as another opportunity to challenge my clients mentally and physically. The cool down is typically less strenuous than the actual workout but challenging nonetheless because it is so focused. This format teaches clients to finish strong even when they are tired. After the “fake” cool down, we do a real cool down such as light cadence on a bike or rower, which flushes out the lactic acid to help prevent soreness.

Since I pack so much in during a client’s one-on-one session, I instruct them on how to properly stretch and they are expected to do so on recovery days. Dynamic and static stretching, massage, ice and exercise will help to ease pain and relax stiffness by increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation. The hardest part of a training program is not the actual workout but learning how to recover and go easy.

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