The 4-Block Warm-Up Template Is Now Available
Warm-ups happen before every session. Off-season. In-season. Win or lose.
When you add it all up, athletes spend dozens of hours each year warming up. In many cases, more time than they spend on speed development, plyometrics, or even in the weight room during certain phases of the season.
Yet warm-ups often receive the least planning. Same drills. Same order. Same routine.
Not because coaches do not care, but because attention is limited. Programming blocks, managing logistics, and dealing with daily constraints usually take priority.
So warm-ups become something you repeat, not something you develop.
Most coaches already know warm-ups could do more.
They know warm-ups can address movement literacy, progressive plyometric exposure, mobility work, and technical rehearsal. They know warm-ups can introduce upcoming movements at lower intensity before athletes hit them at full speed.
The issue is not awareness. It is execution.
A Different Way to Look at Warm-ups
Warm-ups sit on the same preparation spectrum as training. They are lower demand, but they still follow the same principles.
That also makes them easier to plan in advance.
When warm-ups are systemized and progressed, several things change:
- Movement patterns are reinforced consistently across the year
- Athletes stay engaged because the warm-up evolves instead of repeating
- Coaches reduce daily decision making
- Development continues even during dense competitive periods
Instead of being a placeholder, the warm-up becomes a bridge between inactivity and performance.
The Four-Block Structure
The 4-Block Warm-Up Template organizes warm-ups into four segments:
- Heat
- Mobility
- Activation
- Prime
Each segment has a clear purpose. Each builds into the next. By the time the warm-up ends, athletes should step straight into training at full speed without additional ramp-up.
The template is structured across three progressive blocks:
- Block 1: Foundational movement patterns and basic coordination/li>
- Block 2: Increased complexity and execution demands
- Block 3: Advanced variations and integrated movement tasks
Within the Activation and Prime segments, movements include multiple progression levels. Athletes are not repeating the same drills for months. Intensity, complexity, and integration increase as the year progresses.
Every movement includes video demonstrations, along with practical rep and distance guidelines. The structure remains flexible enough to adapt to different sports, seasons, and time constraints.
The goal is simple: handle the planning once, so you can focus on coaching.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Off-season
Warm-ups progress alongside training phases. Block 1 establishes foundational patterns, Block 2 adds complexity, and Block 3 integrates more advanced variations. Athletes build work capacity and movement literacy without weekly redesign.
In-season
When time is limited, warm-ups can be shortened without losing developmental value. Key technical elements remain in place, allowing athletes to maintain movement quality even when standalone sessions are reduced.
Introducing new stimuli
Upcoming movements are introduced at submaximal intensity during the warm-up before appearing later at full demand. This reduces learning curves and unnecessary fatigue when training loads increase.
From Framework to Tool
These principles are outlined in detail in the Systemizing and Planning the Warm-Up article, written by Scott Kuehn.
The 4-Block Warm-Up Template puts those ideas into practice through ready-to-use sequences, planned progressions, video demonstrations, and clear implementation guidance.
The template handles the structure. You handle the coaching.
The 4-Block Warm-Up Template is now available in our online shop.
The 4-Block Warm-Up Template is a structured system for planning and progressing warm-ups across the year.
What’s included:
- 3 complete warm-up block progressions
- 4 progression levels for every key movement
- Video demonstrations for all included movements
- Rep and distance implementation guidelines
- Flexible structure adaptable to your sport and season
Accessing the 4-Block Warm-Up Template
The 4-Block Warm-Up Template is available to Complementary Training members.
Premium members can download the template instantly and free of charge.
Standard members who have been part of the community for at least 2 months can also access the template instantly for free. If you’re a Standard member with less than 2 months of membership, the template will become available to you automatically once you reach the 2-month milestone.
You can find the 4-Block Warm-Up Template at the bottom of this article. Just make sure you’re logged in to your membership account.
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