If there is one thing I never imagined doing consistently, it was stretching before training. For years it came at the end—if it came at all. Today, those first five minutes are one of the most important parts of every session.

From outside to inside

The routine is not long or complicated. Its value is that it marks the transition from the rest of the day into the training itself. At first I did it out of discipline; then I began to understand it.

I often begin with what I used to call the book: a controlled thoracic rotation similar to an open book. Lying down with bent knees dropped to one side, I rotate the torso in the opposite direction while keeping the shoulders connected to the floor and breathing slowly. It gives the upper spine movement before the entire chain has to stay organised in the plank.

Spine and shoulders

Next comes spinal mobility through slow cat-cow movements, matching flexion and extension to the breath. The purpose is not to force range but to remove stiffness and make the spine responsive rather than rigid.

Then I move to the shoulders—the centre of everything. I use controlled scapular rotations, chest opening and shoulder movement in every direction. I am not chasing a maximal stretch; I am preparing active range, the ability to control movement.

Simple scapular activation follows, either in a light plank position or against a wall. I push and release through the shoulder blades without moving the rest of the body, rehearsing the stability I will later need with straight arms.

Wrists and neck

With the transition to straight arms, the wrists became fundamental. I use slow circles without load, then gentle flexion and extension with the hands on the floor, progressively shifting a small amount of weight. The goal is to introduce the joint to the position rather than shock it.

I finish with the neck: slow controlled rotations and gentle lateral stretches. Nothing is forced. The neck needs to remain free because tension travels through the entire plank position.

A five-minute diagnostic

These five minutes became a ritual I do not skip. Their role goes beyond physical preparation: they are a moment of listening. I can already feel whether my shoulders are loaded, my wrists are sensitive or another signal deserves respect.

After the first shoulder discomfort, the routine became even more valuable. I am not only preparing; I am checking. Slow movement and natural breathing also lower the mental noise I carry into training.

Already inside

The plank requires presence. Stretching is the bridge. By the time I take the position and start the timer, I am not really beginning—I am already inside the session.

Stretching is no longer an introduction. It is the first block, and over the long term it may become one of the most important parts of the entire journey: the practice that helps me arrive ready, available and aligned with the work ahead.

THE TAKEAWAYPreparation is not what happens before the session. Preparation is where the session begins.