How to Warm Up
Follow this method to make a proper warm up for any workout.
Why should you warm up?
Warming up before your workout can improve your exercise performance through a multitude of factors. By raising your body temperature and respiratory rate, activating your muscles, and mentally “getting in the zone”, you are setting yourself up for success.
Now, how should you warm up? You could walk, jog, lift light weights, stretch, use a massage gun, blast music in your ears, etc. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the abundance of options.
I recommend using the RAMP protocol:
R. “Raise”
A.M. “Activate and Mobilize”
P. “Potentiate”
All information for this publication is from the textbook, “Essentials of Strength and Conditioning”.
1. Raise
The aim of the first phase of your warmup is to raise your body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood flow, and joint fluid viscosity. You can achieve this via any form of low intensity exercise.
During this phase, it doesn’t matter too much what you do. If it makes you warm and it gets your heart rate up, then it’s likely a good option. You can spend anywhere from 1-15 minutes doing this, but I would stay on the lower end of that range.
2. Activate and Mobilize
This phase of your warm-up should mimic the movements and exercises that you will do in your workout.
Activate = Use the muscles you will use in the proceeding workout
Mobilize = Use those muscles to a full (or close to full) range of motion
If your workout has squats in it, it would be a good idea to activate and mobilize all of the muscles and joints used in a squat. Knowing this, you would want to activate your quads, glutes, and back and mobilize your ankles, knees, and hips through full range of motion. You could simply add some squats to your warm-up. Some other good options are glute bridges, lunges, and jumps.
A quick note on stretching: Static stretching (long duration stretching) is not recommended as a warmup tool. There is evidence that static stretching results in a decrease in exercise performance. Because of this, many choose to include dynamic stretching into their warm-up. Here is a quick example to explain the difference between the two:
Static stretch for hamstrings: Reach down, touch toes, hold for 45 seconds.
Dynamic stretch for hamstrings: 10 x straight leg swings.
Dynamic stretching includes very brief but repetitive periods of stretching the muscle.
3. Potentiate
This phase uses workout/activity specific movements that increase in intensity, getting close to maximal efforts, but for very short periods of time.
This phase can include things like explosive movements, plyometrics, and intense dynamic exercises. While there might be a significant amount of effort for this phase, it should never result in so much fatigue that it will be detrimental to the workout you are about to do.
Example: A warm-up for a full body workout.
I have taught hundreds of group exercise classes. For over a year, I have had the classes complete this exact warm-up before every workout.
Raise
Repeat twice: 15 seconds jumping jacks, 15 seconds run in place
Activate and Mobilize
5 x leg swings each side
10 x back slaps (swing hands out wide, then hug yourself and slap yourself on the shoulders)
15 x arm circles each direction
5 x squats as low as possible, 2 second pause at bottom
In a lunge position, stretch hip flexors and calf muscle for 2 seconds, 3 times for each muscle. Then, switch sides and repeat
Lay down on stomach. Without moving your head, do 5 Is Ys and Ts with your thumbs pointed toward the ceiling. (Look up “Is Ys and Ts if you are still confused)
Potentiate
Run in place, 5 seconds of fast feet, 5 seconds of slow feet, repeat twice
3 x high jumps OR 3 x squats as fast as possible
If you have any questions about this warm-up, leave a comment or reach out to me on any social media platform!
Is this a perfect warm up for anyone and everyone? No. But it requires no equipment, is sufficient for a wide range of fitness levels and workouts, and takes about 5 minutes. Feel free to copy and use it, change a few things, or start from scratch.