One of the biggest mistakes athletes make is neglecting a proper warm-up. Whether you're lifting heavy, running, or preparing for combat sports, how you warm up can make or break your performance. At Dark Horse Athlete, one commonality across every program we design and every athlete we coach is the use of the RAMP Warm-Up Protocol—a structured and effective method to prepare the body for high-level performance while reducing injury risk.
The Importance of Warming Up
Yes, we all miss the days when we were young and could get away with a half-assed warm-up, bad sleep, and still crush it in the gym. Unfortunately, for most of us, those days are long gone. As we progress in our training journey, we need to be more intentional with our preparation. A well-structured warm-up is no longer optional—it’s essential. A proper warm-up sets the foundation for better movement, improved mechanics, and heightened neurological readiness. The key benefits of warming up include:
Increased Blood Flow & Oxygen Delivery – Warms up muscles and primes them for performance. Proper circulation reduces stiffness and enhances muscular efficiency.
Improved Range of Motion & Mobility – Reduces joint restrictions and prepares muscles for dynamic movement, ensuring better mechanics during training.
Enhanced Neuromuscular Activation – Prepares the nervous system for explosive and coordinated movements, reducing the risk of improper firing patterns that can lead to compensation injuries.
Injury Prevention – By gradually increasing intensity, the warm-up prepares tissues for higher loads and reduces the risk of strains, tears, and overuse injuries.
Mental Readiness – A structured warm-up helps focus the mind, creating a mental transition from daily life to training. This focus enhances movement efficiency and overall athletic performance.
Skipping your warm-up can lead to stiffness, underperformance, and an increased risk of injury. Instead of random stretches and light jogging, the RAMP protocol provides a systematic approach that ensures your warm-up is specific and effective.
What is the RAMP Warm-Up Protocol?
The RAMP protocol, developed by Dr. Ian Jeffreys, is an evidence-based approach designed to systematically prepare the body for training or competition. It consists of four phases:
Raise – Elevate body temperature, heart rate, and blood flow.
Activate – Engage key muscle groups relevant to the activity.
Mobilize – Improve joint range of motion and movement efficiency.
Potentiate – Prime the body for peak performance by increasing intensity.
Phase 1: Raise
The first step of the RAMP protocol is Raise, which aims to increase body temperature, heart rate, and blood flow to working muscles. This phase also helps stimulate the nervous system and prepare the body for movement.
Examples:
Heavy Squat Workout – Light cycling or sled pushes.
Run Conditioning – Brisk walking progressing to light jogging.
BJJ Training – Light positional drilling or flow rolling, light jogging.
The key is to perform general movements that also have some specificity to the upcoming workout.
Phase 2: Activate
The Activate phase focuses on engaging the key muscle groups that will be used in the workout. This phase helps improve neuromuscular control and muscle recruitment, ensuring muscles fire properly under load.
Examples:
Heavy Squat Workout – Glute bridges, banded lateral walks.
Run Conditioning – Calf raises, ankle stability drills, heel walks, toe walks, A skips, B skips.
BJJ Training – Scapular push-ups, core activation drills.
This step ensures that the muscles required for peak performance are fully switched on and prepared for more intense movement.
Phase 3: Mobilize
The Mobilize phase emphasizes improving joint mobility and dynamic flexibility. This helps increase movement efficiency and prevents compensations that could lead to injury.
Examples:
Heavy Squat Workout – Deep bodyweight squats, hip openers.
Run Conditioning – Leg swings, dynamic hamstring stretches.
BJJ Training – Spinal rotations, arm circles.
Phase 4: Potentiate
The final phase, Potentiate, is where the intensity starts to ramp up. The goal is to prime the body for high-performance movements by introducing exercises that closely mimic the demands of the workout at a higher intensity.
Examples:
Heavy Squat Workout – Progressive warm-up sets with increasing load, Plyometrics (broad jumps, vert jumps).
Run Conditioning – Strides or short accelerations, single leg plyometrics.
BJJ Training – Explosive takedown entries or high-intensity drilling.
This phase uses Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP)—where the nervous system is stimulated to perform at a higher level than if the body were unprepared.
RAMP vs. Traditional Warm-Ups
Many athletes still rely on outdated warm-up methods that are not only ineffective but can actually hinder performance.
Static Stretching Before Training – While static stretching has its place post-training, doing it before a workout can temporarily reduce power output and neuromuscular efficiency. Instead of priming the body for explosive movement, it can create a dampening effect that limits strength and speed.
Random Jogging & Light Stretches – A casual jog followed by some light static stretching may feel like a warm-up, but it doesn’t target the specific movement patterns or intensity required for performance. It lacks the structured progression needed to properly prepare muscles, joints, and the nervous system.
No Warm-Up At All – Some athletes believe they can just walk into a gym or onto a field and immediately start training at full intensity. This approach significantly increases the risk of strains, sprains, and suboptimal movement mechanics, ultimately leading to setbacks in progress.
The RAMP protocol is designed to avoid these pitfalls by systematically raising body temperature, activating key muscles, mobilizing necessary joints, and potentiating performance with sport- or workout-specific movements. Unlike traditional warm-ups, RAMP ensures that every step has a purpose, allowing athletes to move efficiently, perform better, and reduce the risk of injury.
Sample RAMP Warm-Up Routine for a Heavy Squat Day
Raise:
3-5 minute AMRAP @easy/moderate effort
-20 meter sled push
-8 calorie Assault Bike
Activate:
2-3 sets
-Glute bridge march x10 per leg
-banded lateral walks x10 steps per direction
-Dead bug x14 alternating reps
Mobilize:
2-3 sets
-Deep bodyweight squats x8 reps
-90/90 hip rotations x8 per side
-T-spine rotations x5 per side
Potentiate:
2-3 sets
Rest 30-45 seconds between sets
-Speed squats, progressively loaded warm-up sets
OR
-5 goblet squats @moderate load
-3 jump squats increasing effort each rep per set
A proper warm-up is the foundation of performance and injury prevention. The RAMP protocol ensures you systematically prepare your body for training or competition, maximizing performance while reducing the risk of injury. Whether you’re squatting heavy, running sprints, or rolling in BJJ, RAMP will get you ready to perform at your best.
Want to Train Like an Athlete?
If you want to experience RAMP warm-ups and structured programming designed for hybrid athletes, tactical athletes, and serious lifters, join the 7-Day Free Trial of DHA Hybrid Athlete—only on TrainHeroic.
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