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Muscle activation exercises are short, isolated exercises that target specific muscles to prepare them for physical activity. They are similar to stretching in that they increase blood flow to the muscles and optimise workout results. Activation exercises can be easily incorporated into your warm-up routine and take only a few minutes to complete. They can be performed with or without resistance bands to increase difficulty and muscle activation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of exercise | Short, isolation exercises |
| Purpose | To "wake up" specific muscles and prepare them for physical activity |
| Benefits | Increased blood flow to the muscles, improved workout results, encourages mobility, joint stability, and safe, injury-free training |
| Examples | Walking lunges, superman holds, push-ups, hip rotations |
| Equipment | Resistance band |
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What You'll Learn
Walking lunges to activate your quads
Muscle activation exercises are short, isolated exercises that target specific muscles to "wake them up" and prepare them for physical activity. They increase blood flow to the muscles and optimise workout results.
Walking lunges are a great way to activate your quads, glutes, and adductors. They also train the stabilisers of the hips and hamstrings.
To perform a walking lunge, start with your feet together and then step forward into a lunge. Take a big step forward with your right foot, ensuring your core is engaged as you lower your back knee toward the floor. Rise to a standing position and repeat with the other leg. Perform each exercise at a slow tempo, focusing on the moving body part and engaging the targeted muscle group. To advance the exercise, contract the muscles at the peak of the exercise.
You can change how much you're working different muscles by changing how you're loading the exercise and how you're performing reps. For example, if you want to focus on your quads, try using weightlifting shoes. Their heel elevation can help support the mechanics without changing too much.
Walking lunges can be performed with or without a resistance band to increase difficulty and muscle activation.
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Superman holds to activate your back
Muscle activation exercises are short, isolated exercises that target specific muscles to "wake them up" and prepare them for physical activity. They increase blood flow to the muscles and optimise workout results.
The Superman hold is a static floor-based movement that challenges your core, lower back, shoulders and glutes. To perform the exercise, lie on your stomach and lift your arms, legs and head off the floor. Focus on squeezing your glutes to prevent you from overusing your spinal extensors to drive your lower half off the ground. Hold for at least two counts, or five seconds, and repeat for three sets.
You can also target the multifidus, a group of low back muscles that help stabilise the spine, by lifting your arms and legs just a couple of inches off the ground and focusing on lengthening through your back.
The Superman hold is a great way to develop back strength in your mid and upper back, and can be used as a warm-up to activate your back muscles.
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Push-ups to activate your chest
Muscle activation exercises are short, isolated exercises that target specific muscles to "wake them up" and prepare them for physical activity. They increase blood flow to the muscles and optimise workout results.
Push-ups are a staple exercise in any chest workout. They target the chest, shoulders and triceps and work your core, back and legs. To perform a standard push-up, get into a plank position with your arms fully extended, hands, elbows and shoulders in line, and your feet no more than 12 inches apart. The closer your feet are together, the more difficult the push-up, as it requires more core activation for stability.
To activate your chest, begin on all fours and engage your core. Lower yourself down until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then push back up. Do 5-10 push-ups and repeat for 3 sets.
If you want to challenge yourself, you can try crucifix push-ups, where you place your arms as wide as they will go, with a slight bend to allow the pushing movement. These will work your explosive strength and muscle endurance.
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Using a resistance band to increase difficulty and muscle activation
Resistance bands are a great way to increase the difficulty of your muscle activation exercises and further optimise your workout results.
Muscle activation exercises are short, isolation exercises that target specific muscles to prepare them for physical activity. They increase blood flow to the muscles and optimise workout results.
Resistance bands can be used to increase the difficulty of these exercises and further activate your muscles. To do this, choose a resistance band strength that allows you to get through the exercise while maintaining good form.
For example, you can stand tall with good posture and your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the resistance band with an overhand grip at shoulder height with your arms extended out in front of your body. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart while maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.
You can also incorporate resistance bands into walking lunges to activate your quads. Take a big step forward with your right foot, ensuring your core is engaged as you lower your back knee toward the floor. Rise to a standing position and repeat with the other leg. Perform each exercise at a slow tempo, focusing on the moving body part and engaging the targeted muscle group.
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Warm-ups to prepare your body for movement
Warm-ups are a crucial component of exercise to prepare your body for movement. By including muscle activation exercises in your warm-up, you can specifically target the muscles you'll be working.
Muscle activation exercises are short, isolation exercises that target specific muscles to "wake them up" and prepare them for physical activities. Just like stretching, activation exercises increase blood flow to the muscles and optimise workout results.
- Walking Lunges to Activate Your Quads: Take a big step forward with your right foot, ensuring your core is engaged as you lower your back knee toward the floor. Rise to a standing position and repeat with the other leg. Perform each exercise at a slow tempo, focusing on the moving body part and engaging the targeted muscle group.
- Superman Holds to Activate Your Back: Lie on your stomach and lift your arms, legs, and head off the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat for 3 sets.
- Push-Ups to Activate Your Chest: Begin on all fours and engage your core. Lower yourself down until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then push back up. Do 5-10 push-ups and repeat for 3 sets.
- From standing with both knees slightly bent, extend one leg behind you and hinge at the hips so your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Rotate your hips in the direction of your standing leg. Return to the centre. Rotate your hips to open out to the side, in the direction of your extended leg. Return to the centre. Repeat several times before switching sides.
For some exercises, a resistance band can be used to increase difficulty and muscle activation. Choose a resistance band strength that allows you to get through the exercise while maintaining good form. Stand tall with good posture and your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the resistance band with an overhand grip at shoulder height with your arms extended out in front of your body. Hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart while maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscle activation exercises are short, isolation exercises that target specific muscles to "wake them up" and prepare them for physical activities.
Lie on your stomach and lift your arms, legs, and head off the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat for 3 sets. This is known as a Superman Hold.
Begin on all fours and engage your core. Lower yourself down until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then push back up. Do 5-10 push-ups and repeat for 3 sets.
Take a big step forward with your right foot, ensuring your core is engaged as you lower your back knee toward the floor. Rise to a standing position and repeat with the other leg.
Stand with both knees slightly bent, extend one leg behind you and hinge at the hips so your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Rotate your hips in the direction of your standing leg. Return to the centre, then rotate your hips to open out to the side, in the direction of your extended leg. Repeat several times before switching sides.
