I remember being 25 years old rolling straight up to the squat rack, loading the weight and knocking out my sets of squats. No warm-up. No prep. And honestly it was all good. 

Now that I am in my 40's, I think my body would break if I did that. I mean imagine the tin man knocking out a leg day. Anyone else feel me on this??? 

As with everything else in life, we mature and we better learn how to give our body what it needs. 

Prepping your joints for a workout will not only help mitigate joint pain and stiffness but you will also see increased performance during your training session. 

I polled a few friends (and made some observations at the gym) and the consensus is mostly that of a few leg swings and some body weight squats to warm-up before getting under the bar. 

But if we get a little more specific about the actual demands of squatting on a hip, we can do some precise movements to really prime the joint. 

I put together a short youtube video detailing my go-to hip warm-up for squatting. This is a routine that I use in rehab programs as well as fitness programming. It is quick (about 5 minutes) and VERY EFFECTIVE. 

And as always, shoot me an email at [email protected] if you have any questions or want to chat.

Yours in health, 

Jamie 'Doc Mraz'