The Most Underrated Part of Any Training Session

Five minutes on the bike, a few static stretches, and straight to the working sets. Sound familiar? This is the warm-up most athletes do, and it's leaving serious performance and safety on the table.

Static stretching before training has been shown to temporarily reduce force production when done in excess before lifting. And a low-intensity cardio session doesn't adequately prepare the nervous system for explosive, high-demand athletic work. The warm-up isn't just a formality. Done right, it's an integral part of the training session itself.

What a performance warm-up actually does

A proper warm-up serves several critical functions. It raises core temperature and heart rate, which improves muscle elasticity and enzymatic function. It activates the nervous system, priming the motor units you'll need. And it prepares the specific movement patterns you're about to use, so your first working set is executed with quality rather than used as an extended warm-up.

The 4-phase warm-up framework

At Primed Performance, warm-ups follow a four-phase structure.

• General movement: low-intensity locomotion to elevate temperature and heart rate.
• Targeted mobility: joint preparation focused on the ranges of motion required in that day's session.
• Activation: glute, thoracic and scapular work that switches on the muscles most commonly inhibited in modern lifestyles.
• Neural preparation: plyometrics, short sprints or reactive drills that prime the system for high-velocity output.

Sport-specific considerations

The warm-up should reflect what's coming in the session. Basketball warm-ups should include ankle and hip mobility work and reactive lateral drills. AFL and soccer warm-ups should prioritise hip mobility and lateral bounding. Netball warm-ups should focus heavily on landing mechanics and change of direction preparation, given the ACL injury risk profile of the sport.

A generic warm-up doesn't cut it when the session that follows it is specific.