Warming up is important. I usually use a washcloth that I run under hot water, then wrap that around my unit. It's important to heat up the skin and internal tendons/ligaments as best you can to make them more pliable when hanging... and also to prevent injury as much as possible. I also apply a heating pad that I place over the top of my Malehanger when hanging, just to provide a constant source of heat during my sessions.