21 Best Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises & Routines (Free PDF)

Dynamic warm-up, especially dynamic stretching exercises, is an excellent way to improve joint range of motion (ROM), decrease muscle stiffness, and promote flexibility and joint mobility.¹ Iwata, Masahiro et al. “Dynamic Stretching Has Sustained Effects on Range of Motion and Passive Stiffness of the Hamstring Muscles.” Journal of sports science & medicine vol. 18,1 13-20. 11 Feb. 2019, ²Sople D, Wilcox RB 3rd. Dynamic Warm-ups Play a Pivotal Role in Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2024 Oct 10;7(2):101023. doi: 10.1016/j.asmr.2024.101023. PMID: 40297071; PMCID: PMC12034053.

It involves active, controlled movements that take your joints and muscles through their full (or near-full) range of motion.

Unlike staying in a fixed position (static stretch), dynamic stretching involves continuous movement, for example, leg swings, arm circles, or walking lunges.

Doing the dynamic stretching before resistance training enhances performance and reduces the risk of injuries.³ Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD, McHugh M. Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Jan;41(1):1-11. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0235. Epub 2015 Dec 8. PMID: 26642915, ⁴Li FY, Guo CG, Li HS, Xu HR, Sun P. A systematic review and net meta-analysis of the effects of different warm-up methods on the acute effects of lower limb explosive strength. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2023 Aug 29;15(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s13102-023-00703-6. PMID: 37644585; PMCID: PMC10463540, ⁵Warneke, K., Thomas, E., Blazevich, A. J., Afonso, J., Behm, D. G., Marchetti, P. H., Trajano, G. S., Nakamura, M., Ayala, F., Longo, S., Babault, N., Freitas, S. R., Costa, P. B., Konrad, A., Nordez, A., Nelson, A., Zech, A., Kay, A. D., Donti, O., . . . Wilke, J. (2025). Practical recommendations on stretching exercise: A Delphi consensus statement of international research experts. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 14, 101067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2025.101067

In this article, I’ll show you the following stretching exercises you can do before weight lifting (excluding cardio warm-up exercises):

1. Kneeling Chest Opener Stretch
2. Standing Chest Stretch
3. Arms Out Stretch
4. Superman Raise
5. Cat-Cow
6. Dive Bomber Push-up
7. Bird Dog
8. World’s Greatest Stretch
9. Inchworm
10. Standing Arm Swings
11. Shoulder Pass Through
12. Bent-over Reverse Fly
13. Shoulder Rotation
14. Leg Swings
15. Lying Hip Rotation
16. Single-leg Deadlift
17. Glute Kickbacks
18. Gute Bridge
19. Deep Squat
20. Bear Crawl
21. Nordic Curl

21 Best Dynamic Stretching Exercises for Warm-up

From the chest, back, and shoulders to the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, I’ve shared dynamic stretching exercises for every muscle group in this blog. Depending on your fitness level and the muscle you want to train, you can select those exercises.

1. Kneeling Chest Opener Stretch

About Exercise

• Focused Muscles: Chest, Delts, and Back
• Difficulty Level: Beginner
• Equipment Required: Bench/Box

Exercise Benefits

It simultaneously stretches the chest, shoulders, and upper back, making the upper body more flexible.

How-to Guide

1. Sit on your knees against a bench and extend your arms to place your hands on it.
2. Keep your arms straight, lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor, then stretch your chest as far out as possible.
3. Hold for five seconds. Repeat as many times as you like.
4. Avoid rounding your lower back too much.

2. Standing Chest Stretch

About Exercise

• Focused Muscles: Pectoral Muscles
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Equipment Required: None

Exercise Benefits

It’s an easy way to stimulate your chest muscles before starting resistance exercises.

How-to Guide

1. Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Take your arms back and hold your hands together.
3. Open your chest out and look upward.
4. Feel the stretch for five seconds.
5. Perform five to six times.

3. Arms Out Stretch

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Chest and Upper Back
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Equipment Required: None

Exercise Benefits

It quickly increases blood circulation, alleviates muscle stiffness, and prepares your pectoral muscles before doing chest-focused exercises.

How-to Guide

1. Stand straight in the shoulder-width stance.
2. Raise your arms up and straight until they are parallel to the floor.
3. Take your arms out until you feel the stretch in your pecs.
4. Perform for 15 seconds, five times.

4. Superman Raise

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Back and Shoulder
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Equipment Required: Yoga Mat

Exercise Benefits

The Superman raise helps warm up the upper and lower back, reduces muscle stiffness, and strengthens the spine. You can do it before hammering your back with weights.⁶ Got Back Pain? How the Superman Exercise Can Help – Cleveland Clinic

How-to Guide

1. Lie on the mat with your face down.
2. Extend your arms against your head with your palms facing down.
3. Lift your arms up, then pull them toward your body.
4. Return to the start and do it eight to ten times.
5. Aim for three to four sets with 15 seconds of rest between them.

5. Cat-Cow

About Exercise

• Focused Muscles: Back, Chest, and Abs
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Equipment Required: Mat

Exercise Benefits

The cat-cow gently flexes and extends the spine, alleviates tension in the back, and activates the lats and traps for resistance exercises.

You can also make it more intense by lifting your knees slightly off the floor.⁷ Cat/cow is a basic spinal movement that’s useful for gently limbering up your back – Reddit’s Bodyweight Fitness Community

The Cat-Cow Stretch Involves The Following Steps:

1. Sit on all fours with your knees below your hips and hands beneath your shoulders.
2. Bring your chest out and pause for a moment.
3. Lift your spine up by pulling your stomach in and holding for a few seconds.
4. Repeat these steps 10-15 times.

6. Dive Bomber Push-up

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Chest, Shoulder, and Lower Back
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Equipment Required: None

Exercise Benefits

The dive bomber push-up is a total body dynamic exercise that engages several muscle groups simultaneously, including the back, chest, and shoulders.

It also makes your torso and spine flexible, which are critical during the various compound movements.

How-to Guide

1. Get into an inverted V position by pushing your hips up and engaging your abs.
2. Maintain a neutral spine and lower your head and chest towards the ground while arching your back.
3. Continue moving forward until your chest is pointing forward, your spine is arched, and your arms are fully straight.
4. Reverse the movement and perform as many reps as possible before doing back or chest exercises.

7. Bird Dog

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Lower Back, Abs, and Shoulders
• Difficulty Level: Medium
• Equipment Required: Yoga Mat

Exercise Benefits

The bird dog engages several muscles at once, primarily the abdominals, lower back, and shoulders. It also improves balance and hip mobility and makes the posterior chain flexible.

If you are an experienced person, you can also do the standing bird dog to strengthen the hip and lumbar extensor muscles, besides the above benefits.⁸ Losavio R, Contemori S, Bartoli S, Dieni CV, Panichi R, Biscarini A. Electromyographic and Stabilometric Analysis of the Static and Dynamic “Standing Bird Dog” Exercise. Sports (Basel). 2023 Jun 16;11(6):119. doi: 10.3390/sports11060119. PMID: 37368569; PMCID: PMC10305076.

How-to Guide

1. Sit on all fours with your arms beneath your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Brace your abdominal muscles, maintain a neutral spine, and look downward. That’s the start.
3. Lift your right arm in front of you and your left leg behind until they are parallel to the floor.
4. Hold for a couple of seconds, then repeat on the opposite side.

8. World’s Greatest Stretch

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Total Body
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Equipment Required: None

Exercise Benefits

The World’s Greatest Stretch is one of the world’s best dynamic warm-up exercises. It reduces muscle stiffness throughout the body, stretches the hip flexors for better mobility, and helps elevate balance and flexibility.

How-to Guide

1. Begin in a lunge stance, right foot forward, left foot back.
2. Bring both hands inside the right foot, framing it.
3. Rotate the right arm upwards, opening the chest.
4. Straighten the left leg while keeping the right knee bent.
5. Hold for a few seconds, feeling the stretch in the hip flexors and hamstrings.
6. Lower the left knee back to the ground, returning to the lunge position.
7. Repeat on the other side, alternating between sides for a dynamic stretch.

9. Inchworm

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Full Body
• Difficulty Level: Medium
• Equipment Required: None

Exercise Benefits

The Inchworm is a simple yet effective exercise that warms up the entire body and promotes strength and flexibility by engaging the core, shoulders, and legs simultaneously.

How-to Guide

1. Begin by standing with feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend forward at the hips, reaching hands to the floor.
3. Walk hands forward until in a plank position, keeping legs straight.
4. Maintain a plank briefly, engaging core muscles.
5. Walk hands back toward feet, keeping legs straight.
6. Return to the starting position by standing tall.

10. Standing Arm Swings

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Shoulders
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Equipment Required: None

Exercise Benefits

The arm swings provide a quick warm-up exercise. The swinging motion activates shoulder muscles, enhances flexibility, and prepares you for lifting exercises, such as presses, pull-ups, and rowing.

It also burns calories, enhances cardiovascular fitness, and gets you ready.⁹ Whaikid P, Piaseu N. Effectiveness of Arm Swing Exercise on Comprehensive Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Sep 19;13(18):2357. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13182357. PMID: 41008487; PMCID: PMC12469779.

How-to Guide

1. Stand upright with your arms straight by your sides, palms facing in.
2. Roll your arms back and forth (360-degree) at a low to moderate pace.
3. Perform for 10 seconds, then swing your arms in the opposite direction.

11. Shoulder Pass Through

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Shoulder, Chest, and Back
• Difficulty Level: Medium
• Equipment Required: Resistance Band

Exercise Benefits

The shoulder pass-through provides a decent stretch to the upper body muscles, especially to the deltoids, pecs, and upper back.

Doing it before hitting the shoulders will help you perform push and pull exercises effectively.

How-to Guide

1. Grab the ends of the loop band, stand upright, and keep your arms straight against your thigh, palms facing your body.
2. Keeping your arms straight, move them all the way from your front hips to the rear hips.
3. Reverse the movement and repeat for the desired number of times.

12. Reverse Fly

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Posterior Delts and Upper Back
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Equipment Required: Resistance Band

Exercise Benefits

The reverse fly is a great way to stimulate the traps and shoulders. It activates posterior delts and trapezius muscles, improve upped body flexibility, and enhances posture. It’s a must-do exercise before upper body exercises if you want to lift safely.¹⁰ Bergquist, Ronny & Iversen, Vegard & Mork, Paul & Fimland, Marius. (2018). Muscle Activity in Upper-Body Single-Joint Resistance Exercises with Elastic Resistance Bands vs. Free Weights. Journal of Human Kinetics. 61. 10.1515/hukin-2017-0137.

How-to Guide

1. Stand in the hip-width position and place the band under your feet.
2. Grasp the band’s ends with a neutral grip and lean your torso forward.
3. Brace your core and maintain a neutral spine.
4. Fly your arms out until your upper back is engaged.
5. Return to the start and repeat for the desired number of times.

13. Shoulder Rotation

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Shoulders
• Difficulty Level: Medium
• Equipment Required: Cable

Exercise Benefits

Internal and external shoulder rotation help improve rotator cuff health, increase shoulder mobility and flexibility, and minimize the risk of strain or injuries during deltoid exercises.¹¹ Häberle, Ramona & Schellenberg, Florian & List, Renate & Plüss, Michael & Taylor, William & Lorenzetti, Silvio. (2018). Comparison of the kinematics and kinetics of shoulder exercises performed with constant and elastic resistance. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. 10. 10.1186/s13102-018-0111-7., ¹²Peltonen H, Arokoski J, Kallinen M, Pullinen T. Muscle loading and activation of the shoulder joint during humeral external rotation by pulley and variable resistance. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2012 Jun;22(3):424-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2012.02.002. Epub 2012 Mar 7. PMID: 22406014.

How-to Guide

1. Stand to the right side of a cable pulley machine.
2. Bend your left elbow and grab the handle.
3. Keep your elbow against your side and rotate your forearm inward toward your abdomen, then return to the starting position.
4. For external rotation, maintain the same position but rotate your forearm outward away from your body.
5. Perform an equal number of reps and sets on each side.

14. Leg Swings

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Legs and Glutes
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Equipment Required: A Standing Object for Support

Exercise Benefits

The leg swings activate the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, and provide a quick warm-up to the lower body muscles. It can enhance your running, squatting, and jumping performance while minimizing the risk of injuries.¹³ Li R, Sun P, Zhan Y, Xie X, Yan W, Luo C. Efficacy of leg swing versus quadriceps strengthening exercise among patients with knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2022 Apr 18;23(1):323. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06282-0. PMID: 35436968; PMCID: PMC9014577.

How-to Guide

1. Stand to the side of the wall or an upright object, place your one hand on it, and swing your leg back and forth. Perform for 10 seconds, then repeat on the opposite side.
2. Once you complete the forward leg swing, try the lateral one.

15. Lying Hip Rotation

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Lower Back, Abs, and Hips
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Equipment Required: Mat

Exercise Benefits

The hip rotation helps relieve the midsection and hip immobility and prepares your lower body for various athletic and lifting performances.

How-to Guide

1. Lie on the mat with your face up and arms straight by your sides.
2. Slightly bend your knees and rotate your hips from the right to the left and vice versa.
3. Make sure your lower back stays grounded throughout the movement.

16. Single-leg Deadlift

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Legs, Glutes, and Abs
• Difficulty Level: Medium
• Equipment Required: Dumbbells or Band (You can also do it with bodyweight only)

Exercise Benefits

The unilateral deadlift helps build a strong and flexible lower body as well as improve your ability to hold your body in an unstable position. You can do it before the glutes and hamstrings workout to activate your posterior chain.¹⁴ Diamant W, Geisler S, Havers T, Knicker A. Comparison of EMG Activity between Single-Leg Deadlift and Conventional Bilateral Deadlift in Trained Amateur Athletes – An Empirical Analysis. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021 Apr 1;14(1):187-201. doi: 10.70252/MVFY4610. PMID: 34055137; PMCID: PMC8136577.

How-to Guide

1. Stand upright with your arms straight by your sides. You can also hold dumbbells or grab an elastic band for additional resistance.
2. Lift your right leg behind and bend your hips simultaneously until your torso is parallel to the floor.
3. Pause for a few seconds, then return to the start.
4. Perform an equal number of reps and sets on each side.

17. Glute Kickbacks

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Glutes, Lower Back, and Abs
• Difficulty Level: Medium
• Equipment Required: Mat

Exercise Benefits

The glute kickback makes the backside strong and defined. It improves hip extension, stabilizes the pelvis, and prepares your muscles for lower-body compound exercises, such as hip thrusts and deadlifts.¹⁵ Krause Neto, W., Krause, T. L., & Gama, E. F. (2025). The impact of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 16, 1542334. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1542334, ¹⁶Ekechukwu, Echezona & Okoh, Augustine. (2020). Effects of Six Weeks of Donkey Kick and Squat Resistance Exercises on Gluteal Adiposity, Muscle Strength, and Muscle Bulk of Young Nigerian Female Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Medicine and Health Development. 25. 10.4103/ijmh.IJMH_36_19.

How-to Guide

1. Sit on all fours in a tabletop position.
2. Hold your abs tight and maintain a neutral spine.
3. Raise one leg off the floor and kick it toward the ceiling.
4. Squeeze the glutes at the top, feel the contraction for two seconds, then lower the leg with control.
5. Perform a couple of sets of 10-12 reps on each side.

18. Gute Bridge

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Gluteal and Core
• Difficulty Level: Beginner
• Equipment Required: Mat

Exercise Benefits

The glute bridge is an excellent dynamic movement for activating the glutes, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles.

It also improves hip stability, promotes lower back health, and can be used as a warm-up exercise for the lower body workout.

How-to Guide

1. Lie on the mat with your face up, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground.
2. Keep your arms straight by your sides and maintain a tight core.
3. Lift your hips up until your knee, hip, and shoulder form a straight line.
4. Perform ten to 12 reps and repeat three times.

19. Deep Squat

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Lower Body
• Difficulty Level: Beginner
• Equipment Required: None

Exercise Benefits

The deep squat provides excellent stretch and activation in the entire lower body, preparing you for the weighted back squat by warming up the quads and glutes.¹⁷ Wei W, Zhu J, Ren S, Jan YK, Zhang W, Su R, He L. Effects of progressive body-weight versus barbell back squat training on strength, hypertrophy and body fat among sedentary young women. Sci Rep. 2023 Aug 19;13(1):13505. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-40319-x. PMID: 37598268; PMCID: PMC10439966.

How-to Guide

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing out.
2. Lower into a squat, as close to the floor as possible.
3. Pause for a few seconds, then return to the standing position.

20. Bear Crawl

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Full Body
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Equipment Required: None

Exercise Benefits

The bear crawl is a full-body exercise that engages the core, shoulders, and hips simultaneously and helps improve stability, coordination, and balance.¹⁸ Bear Crawl Exercise: Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

You can do this to increase temperature and oxygen flow throughout the body before hitting any muscle group.

How-to Guide

1. Sit on all fours with your wrists underneath your shoulders and your toes firmly on the ground.
2. Slightly lift your hips up, raise your knees a few inches off the floor, and make sure your body weight is balanced on the hands and toes.
3. Crawl forward like a bear for as long as you can.

21. Nordic Curl

About Exercise

• Target Muscles: Hamstrings & Glutes
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Equipment Required: Mat

Exercise Benefits

The Nordic curl is a bodyweight hamstring exercise that involves sitting upright on the knees and leaning forward. It engages the entire posterior chain and makes the rear leg flexible so you can run and lift effectively without injuring your hamstrings.¹⁹ Sople, D., & Wilcox, R. B. (2025). Dynamic Warm-ups Play a Pivotal Role in Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, 7(2), 101023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asmr.2024.101023

Steps to Perform Nordic Curl

1. Kneel (knees hip-width apart) on a mat with ankles secured under a sturdy object (or you can ask your partner to hold your feet).
2. Body straight from knees to shoulders, abs tight, and maintain a tall posture.
3. Slowly lean forward, lowering torso toward the floor using hamstrings only. Control descent for a few seconds. Avoid rounding of your back.
4. Catch yourself with your hands when you can’t hold, push back to start (explosively if possible). That’s one rep. 10-15 reps are enough to warm up your hamstrings.

5 Best Dynamic Stretching Warm-up Routines to do Before Weight

Upper Body Warm-up

Warm-up 1	Warm-up 2	Warm-up 3
Arm Swings (2 sets x 20 reps)	Inchworm (2 x 5 reps)	Cat-Cow (10 each)
Chest Stretch (5 reps with 3-second hold)	20 Bent-over Reverse Flies	Child’s Reach to Cobra (10 reps)
20 Shoulder Pass Through	10 Superman Raises	Bird Dog Lifts (10 each)
World’s Greatest Stretch (2 x 10/side)	20 Pull-Aparts	Arm Swings (2 sets x 20 reps)
Dive Bomber Push-up (2 sets x 8 reps)	World’s Greatest Stretch (10/side)	Shoulder Rotation (20 per side

Lower Body Warm-up

Warm-up 4	Warm-up 5
Leg Swings (1 set x 20 per leg)	Lunges to Kick (1 set x 10 per leg)
Standing Quad Stretch (10-second/side)	Side Squats (10 reps per leg)
20 Bodyweight Squats	Single-leg Deadlift (10 per leg)
Side Squats (10 per side)	Lying Hip Rotation (10 per side)
20 Glute Bridges	Glute Kickbacks (10 per side)

Let’s Wrap It

Here’s the summary of the best dynamic stretches you can do before a workout.

Chest	Back	Shoulders
Kneeling Chest Opener	Superman Raise	Dive Bomber Push-up
Standing Chest Stretch	Cat-Cow	Inchworm
Arms Out Stretch	Bird Dog	Standing Arm Swings
Dive Bomber Push-up	World’s Greatest Stretch	Shoulder Pass Through
Pass-Through	Bent-over Reverse Fly	Shoulder Rotation

Quads	Hamstrings	Glutes
World’s Greatest Stretch	Bird Dog	Lying Hip Rotation
Leg Swings	Inchworm	One-leg DL
Deep Squat	Leg Swings	Glute Kickbacks
Bear Crawl	1-leg Deadlift	Glute Bridge
Standing Quad Stretch	Gute Bridge	Low Sumo Squat

These exercises reduce muscle stiffness, improve blood flow to specific muscles, increase body temperature, and prepare your muscles for resistance exercises.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Free Dynamic Stretching Exercises PDF

References

• 1
  Iwata, Masahiro et al. “Dynamic Stretching Has Sustained Effects on Range of Motion and Passive Stiffness of the Hamstring Muscles.” Journal of sports science & medicine vol. 18,1 13-20. 11 Feb. 2019
• 2
  Sople D, Wilcox RB 3rd. Dynamic Warm-ups Play a Pivotal Role in Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2024 Oct 10;7(2):101023. doi: 10.1016/j.asmr.2024.101023. PMID: 40297071; PMCID: PMC12034053.
• 3
  Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD, McHugh M. Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Jan;41(1):1-11. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0235. Epub 2015 Dec 8. PMID: 26642915
• 4
  Li FY, Guo CG, Li HS, Xu HR, Sun P. A systematic review and net meta-analysis of the effects of different warm-up methods on the acute effects of lower limb explosive strength. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2023 Aug 29;15(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s13102-023-00703-6. PMID: 37644585; PMCID: PMC10463540
• 5
  Warneke, K., Thomas, E., Blazevich, A. J., Afonso, J., Behm, D. G., Marchetti, P. H., Trajano, G. S., Nakamura, M., Ayala, F., Longo, S., Babault, N., Freitas, S. R., Costa, P. B., Konrad, A., Nordez, A., Nelson, A., Zech, A., Kay, A. D., Donti, O., . . . Wilke, J. (2025). Practical recommendations on stretching exercise: A Delphi consensus statement of international research experts. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 14, 101067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2025.101067
• 6
  Got Back Pain? How the Superman Exercise Can Help – Cleveland Clinic
• 7
  Cat/cow is a basic spinal movement that’s useful for gently limbering up your back – Reddit’s Bodyweight Fitness Community
• 8
  Losavio R, Contemori S, Bartoli S, Dieni CV, Panichi R, Biscarini A. Electromyographic and Stabilometric Analysis of the Static and Dynamic “Standing Bird Dog” Exercise. Sports (Basel). 2023 Jun 16;11(6):119. doi: 10.3390/sports11060119. PMID: 37368569; PMCID: PMC10305076.
• 9
  Whaikid P, Piaseu N. Effectiveness of Arm Swing Exercise on Comprehensive Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Sep 19;13(18):2357. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13182357. PMID: 41008487; PMCID: PMC12469779.
• 10
  Bergquist, Ronny & Iversen, Vegard & Mork, Paul & Fimland, Marius. (2018). Muscle Activity in Upper-Body Single-Joint Resistance Exercises with Elastic Resistance Bands vs. Free Weights. Journal of Human Kinetics. 61. 10.1515/hukin-2017-0137.
• 11
  Häberle, Ramona & Schellenberg, Florian & List, Renate & Plüss, Michael & Taylor, William & Lorenzetti, Silvio. (2018). Comparison of the kinematics and kinetics of shoulder exercises performed with constant and elastic resistance. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. 10. 10.1186/s13102-018-0111-7.
• 12
  Peltonen H, Arokoski J, Kallinen M, Pullinen T. Muscle loading and activation of the shoulder joint during humeral external rotation by pulley and variable resistance. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2012 Jun;22(3):424-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2012.02.002. Epub 2012 Mar 7. PMID: 22406014.
• 13
  Li R, Sun P, Zhan Y, Xie X, Yan W, Luo C. Efficacy of leg swing versus quadriceps strengthening exercise among patients with knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2022 Apr 18;23(1):323. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06282-0. PMID: 35436968; PMCID: PMC9014577.
• 14
  Diamant W, Geisler S, Havers T, Knicker A. Comparison of EMG Activity between Single-Leg Deadlift and Conventional Bilateral Deadlift in Trained Amateur Athletes – An Empirical Analysis. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021 Apr 1;14(1):187-201. doi: 10.70252/MVFY4610. PMID: 34055137; PMCID: PMC8136577.
• 15
  Krause Neto, W., Krause, T. L., & Gama, E. F. (2025). The impact of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 16, 1542334. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1542334
• 16
  Ekechukwu, Echezona & Okoh, Augustine. (2020). Effects of Six Weeks of Donkey Kick and Squat Resistance Exercises on Gluteal Adiposity, Muscle Strength, and Muscle Bulk of Young Nigerian Female Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Medicine and Health Development. 25. 10.4103/ijmh.IJMH_36_19.
• 17
  Wei W, Zhu J, Ren S, Jan YK, Zhang W, Su R, He L. Effects of progressive body-weight versus barbell back squat training on strength, hypertrophy and body fat among sedentary young women. Sci Rep. 2023 Aug 19;13(1):13505. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-40319-x. PMID: 37598268; PMCID: PMC10439966.
• 18
  Bear Crawl Exercise: Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
• 19
  Sople, D., & Wilcox, R. B. (2025). Dynamic Warm-ups Play a Pivotal Role in Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, 7(2), 101023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asmr.2024.101023