The Warm Up

One of the most underrated parts of a training and racing is warming up.

It is something that I used to struggle with too. I would go to the gym and immediately jump into a training session whether it was a strength or cardio workout. I used that same process for all of my races as well. I would pull up to the start line, wait for the gate/flag drop, and go from 0 to 100.

When you do not warm up your muscles, you are immediately putting tension on dormant parts of your body. This is similar to pulling your bike out of the garage, starting it up, and then immediately going 100 mph. The engine is not made to withstand that level of intensity without warming up. Just like your body is not designed for that.

Not warming up can lead you to injuries that can be avoided. For example, torn ligaments, pulled muscles, and/or strained muscles. To last an entire season, you need to show up every round and perform at your best ability. Performing at your best ability starts with making sure your body is able to withstand the load you are about to endure. A simple warm up of 10-15 minutes to activate all the muscles you are about to use is perfect. Here is a simple warm up you can use before your next intense training session and/or race:

Part 1: Dynamic Mobility (Minutes 0-4)

• Leg Swings (Linear and Lateral): 10 reps per leg, per direction. Focus on a relaxed, pendulum-like motion to open the hip capsule.

• Walking Lunges with Rotation: 10 reps total. Step into a deep lunge and rotate the torso over the lead knee to mobilize the spine and stretch the hip flexors.

• Inchworms to Downward Dog: 5 reps. Walk the hands out to a plank, push the hips back to stretch the posterior chain, and walk the feet to the hands.

Part 2: Targeted Activation (Minutes 4-8)

Goal: Turn on the primary stabilizers and power-generators before demanding high torque from them.

• Glute Bridge Holds: 2 sets of 20 seconds. Drive through the heels. Squeeze the glutes to neutralize the pelvis and prevent lower back compensation during the race.

• Lateral Walks: 15 steps per direction. Maintain a quarter-squat position to activate the gluteus medius, a critical muscle for pelvic stability during running and riding.

• Active Plank with Shoulder Taps: 20 taps total. Maintain rigid hips. This primes the anti-rotational core muscles necessary for transferring power from the upper body to the lower body.

Part 3: Nervous System Priming (Minutes 8-12)

Goal: Spike heart rate, prepare the nervous system for rapid force production, and mimic race-specific mechanics.

• Pogo Hops: 2 sets of 15 seconds. Keep the legs straight and bounce quickly off the balls of the feet. This prepares the Achilles tendon for explosive loading.

• A-Skips: 2 sets of 15 seconds. Focus on aggressive knee drive and rapid foot strikes. Emphasize rhythm and ground reaction time.

• Progressive Strides: 3 reps of 50 meters. Start at 50% effort and build to 90% by the end of the stride. Walk back for recovery. This signals to the brain that the system is shifting into high gear.

Deploy this system for you to perform better at your next race or workout session. This is not the only gap that you may have that is preventing you from reaching a new level. Click the link below to find your own training gaps

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