Part 1: Our Warm-Up Protocol
This is a multi-part blog series where we break down how we structure training at Pursuit Fitness.
1: Warm-Up Protocols
2: Strength & Conditioning
3: Cool Down & Recovery
Each phase plays a vital role in how we help our athletes move better, feel better, and ultimately live better lives.
The Warm-Up: Setting the ToNE
For years in my own training, I spent a lot of time warming up. I genuinely enjoyed being in the gym and taking time to get both my body and mindset for the work ahead. Over the years Ive understood that just like your training is mapped out its important that you have a warm up ready to go so you are not wasting time in the gym and you are preparing the body properly for the task at hand.
A proper warm-up is crucial. It sets the tone not only for you as an athlete, but for us as coaches. It allows you to feel how your body is moving that day and gives you an honest starting point for how you should approach the session.
From a coaching standpoint, the warm-up tells us everything before the real work begins. It’s where we ask:
- How are you feeling today?
- How did you sleep?
- Did you eat?
- Is anything bothering you physically or mentally?
With that being said, we train to live better lives, to feel better, and most importantly, to leave the gym as better humans than when we walked in and the Warm up plays a major part in that.
Why the Warm-Up Matters
At Pursuit Fitness, we implement efficient and intentional warm-ups in both our group classes and 1-on-1 training sessions. Simply put, a warm-up does not need to be longer than 10–15 minutes to be effective.
I remember when I first started CrossFit, a popular tagline was:
“Our warm-up is your workout.”
I always found that funny because, for many people, warming up meant 10–20 minutes of steady-state cardio. That’s exactly what I did when I first stepped into a commercial gym.
While this approach does increase heart rate and body temperature, it falls short of developing long-term fitness and resilience.
For a warm-up to truly improve performance, reduce injury risk, and build fitness, it must:
- Increase body temperature and heart rate
- Improve muscle elasticity and contractibility
- Take the body through full ranges of motion
- Reinforce fundamental movement patterns
- Stimulate the respiratory and cardiovascular systems
- Activate the nervous system (coordination, balance, reaction time)
- Prepare us physically, mentally, and emotionally for training
“Hopping on a bike or jogging on a treadmill only checks the first box. On the other hand, a long laundry list of mobility drills may hit more points, but it’s tedious, inefficient, and unrealistic to stick with” – Stephane Rochet
Our Approach: Simple and Intentional
At Pursuit Fitness, we keep it simple. Every warm-up has two parts:
- The General Warm-Up
- The Specific Warm-Up
The General Warm-Up
The general warm-up is built around:
- Raising heart rate
- Increasing blood flow
- Moving through ranges of motion that relate directly to the day’s training
See An Example: Heavy Lower Body Day
Main Lift:
Every 3 minutes x 4 working sets (building to heavy)
5 Front Squats (anterior-focused)
–Rest 30 seconds-
20–25 Banded Pull-Throughs (posterior-focused)
General Warm-Up Structure for a Strength Based Day
- Machine Work (90 seconds–2 minutes)
Light to moderate effort on a bike, rower, or ski erg to elevate heart rate and get blood moving through the tissues. - Dynamic Mobility
Biphasic Hip Flexor Stretch
- 30 seconds of dynamic pulses into 30 seconds static hold
- Activation & Movement Prep
2 Rounds:- 3 Bird Dogs per side
- 5 Glute Bridges with a 1-second pause at the top
- 10 Driver Squats to simulate the upright torso needed for the front squat
This phase allows us to gradually introduce the main movers of the day: our midline, anterior lower body, and posterior chain.
For Full Video on what this may look like click here:
Coming Up in Part 2
In the next blog, we’ll dive into how we transition from a general warm-up into our specific warm up. Emphasizing it’s importance in developing mechanics before no matter the movement.
If you train with us, this process should feel familiar. If you don’t, this is a glimpse into how we help athletes move with purpose every single day.
, Coach Paul
