The Warm-Up: Maximize Performance and Improve Long-Term Athletic Development

Athletes do not all train the same way, but it is rare to see any athlete—at any level—exercise or compete without warming up. Although the warm-up can take many forms, smart coaches and athletes know that the warm-up should be a part of any training session.

The Warm-Up is the first book to describe the science of the warm-up and provide guidelines to maximize its effectiveness through the process of constructing effective RAMP-based warm-ups. The RAMP system—Raise, Activate, Mobilize, and Potentiate—looks at the warm-up not only as preparation for the upcoming session, but also as tool for athletic development that can cultivate the skills and movement capacities needed to excel in sport. RAMP has become a standard warm-up system recommended by the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) and is included in professional resources developed by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

The Warm-Up provides a library of activities that can be used to maximize the effectiveness of warm-ups within the structure of the RAMP system. Coaches and athletes can incorporate activities to develop warm-ups that directly contribute to performance, or they can use one of five sample RAMP warm-up programs, which are appropriate for a variety of sports and athlete training levels. More than 160 diagrams and photos enhance the text and provide direction for the drills and exercises, and 17 video clips demonstrate movement patterns of the Raise phase. Plus, exercise and drill finders make it easy to find the exercises best suited for specific needs. 

It’s time to make the warm-up part of the long-term athlete development plan. The Warm-Up will help coaches and athletes use the RAMP system to make warm-ups a more effective part of training that contributes to better performance.

Ian Jeffreys, PhD, ASCC, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, RSCC*E, FUKSCA, FNSCA, has established himself as one of the most distinguished and qualified strength and conditioning coaches in the United Kingdom. He is a professor of strength and conditioning at University of South Wales and has been the strength and conditioning coach for the Welsh Schools national rugby team. He has worked with athletes, clubs, and sport organizations—from junior level to professional level—around the world.

Jeffreys is the proprietor of All-Pro Performance, a performance-enhancement company based in Brecon, Wales. He has been a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) since 1989 and was one of the first British strength and conditioning coaches to receive the Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach (ASCC) designation from the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA). Jeffreys is a senior assessor and senior tutor with the UKSCA and was an elected board member between 2004 and 2013. In 2015, he was awarded an honorary fellowship by the UKSCA in recognition of his impact on the profession in the United Kingdom.

Jeffreys was also one of the first 16 coaches worldwide to achieve the NSCA’s coveted Coach Practitioner award, which distinguishes superior practitioners. This has since been rebranded as a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) designation, and Jeffreys is recognized as an emeritus coach. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), recertified by the NSCA with distinction, and is a Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT), recertified with distinction. He is registered with the British Olympic Association as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

Jeffreys has authored numerous strength and conditioning articles that have been featured in leading international journals. He is the editor of the UKSCA journal Professional Strength and Conditioning and is on the editorial boards for Strength and Conditioning Journal and the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. He has authored five books, and he contributed the warm-up and stretching chapter for NSCA’s Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning.

Jeffreys is a sought-after presenter and has given keynote presentations and hosted high-performance workshops at major conferences around the world. His specialty is speed and agility development.