Preparing for a PT Test Part 2: Thursday Night Workout

This has been adapted from Thursday Night Workout.

Background

It can be challenging and confusing to plan a workout. It becomes even more complicated when you try to develop one to prepare your body for a PT test the following morning. There are a few basic principles that you should keep in mind. The first is that you should always warm up before a workout. It will get your blood flowing and loosen up most muscle groups. The stages following the warm-up are the static and dynamic phase. Static stretches involve no movement, simply holding the stretch. Dynamic stretches are done by moving constantly.

Warm-up

A good warm-up should be long enough to increase your heart rate, while short enough to avoid hurting tomorrow’s performance.

1. 5 minute Jog
A quick jog is a great way to start a workout. If you are unable to jog, a stationary bike can be quite useful.

2. 15 Push-ups

3. 15 Sit-ups

Dynamic Phase

The following stretches should be done slowly, avoiding jerky motions. Be sure to widen your range of motion as much as you can. These stretches should be done in moderation.

1. 1 min of the arm and shoulder rotation

2. 1 minute of the neck rotation

3. 1 minute of the hips rotation

4. 1 minute of the bend and reach

Static Phase
You should finish with a small amount of key static stretches. The following stretches work best if they are performed in three, ten second sets, each set should be done by stretching further each time. Do not stretch for too long. This will only hurt you.

1. The upper back stretch

2. The chest stretch

3. The hamstring stretch standing

4. The quadriceps stretch and balance

5. The hip flexor stretch

Personal stretches
Do what other stretches you feel would help you, just make sure that they are not done in excess.

In Conclusion

This workout has worked for me in the past, but that’s not to say it will work for you. Adapt the workout as you see fit. Good Luck