Speed training warm-ups prevent injury and improve performance. Athletes often skip them because they think they’re boring and don’t see the benefits. But they’re important. Below I provide some options to mix things up a bit and train more effectively.

Speed training warm-ups are typically divided into two parts. The general warm-up increases your heart rate and body temperature and gets your muscles, ligaments and tendons ready for work. Think of it as the injury-prevention component. The specific warm-up gradually increases in speed, intensity and complexity. The focus and practice helps improve your performance.

Perform one general and one specific warm-up, then go into your speed workout. Alternate the warm-ups to keep things fresh and challenging!

General Warm-Up

The general warm-up boosts your heart rate, works up a light sweat and prepares your muscles and joints for speed training. Here are three different programs you can do for a general warm-up prior to your speed training workout.

General Warm-Up 1

• Slow Jog, 400 meters
• Leg Swings, forward/backward, 10x each leg
• Leg Swings, side-to-side, 10x each leg
• Eagles, 10x each leg
• Walking on Toes, 10 yards
• Walking on Heels, 10 yards
• Walking on Toes, toes pointed in, 10 yards
• Walking on Toes, toes pointed out, 10 yards
• Marches, 10 yards
• Inchworms, 10 yards
• Heel to Hip, 10 yards
• High Knee Walk, 10 yards

General Warm-Up 2

• Circuit: Kettlebell Swing 10x, Heavy Rope Slams 10x, Jumping Rope 20x; repeat 5 times
• Jumping Jacks, 10x
• 10-meter Jog
• Bodyweight Squats, 10x
• 10-meter Jog
• Lunges, 10 meters
• 10-meter Jog
• Inchworms, 10 meters
• 10-meter Jog
• Bear Crawls, 10 meters
• 10-meter Jog
• Stand on one foot, 30 seconds
• 10-meter Jog
• Stand on the other foot, 30 seconds
• 10-meter Jog
• Stand on one foot, Medicine Ball Chest Passes, 30 seconds
• 10-meter Jog
• Stand on the other foot, Medicine Ball Chest Passes, 30 seconds

General Warm-Up 3

• Slow jog, 200 meters
• Jump Rope, 10x
• Kettlebell Swing, 10x
• Leg Swings, forward/backward, 10x each leg
• Jump Rope, 10x
• Kettlebell Swing, 10x
• Eagles, 10x each leg
• Jump Rope, 10x
• Kettlebell swing, 10x
• Crab Walks, 10 meters
• Jump Rope, 10x
• Kettlebell Swing, 10x
• Lunges, 10 meters
• Jump Rope, 10x
• Kettlebell Swing, 10x
• High Knee Walk, 10 meters
• Jump Rope, 10x
• Kettlebell Swing, 10x
• Vertical Jump, stick landing, 10x

Specific warm-ups

In this phase, intensity and speed increase, and the exercises become more complex. The idea is at the end of your specific warm-up, you are ready to begin your full-speed sprinting workout.

Specific Warm-Up 1

• High Knee Skip, 2×10 meters
• A Walk, 2×10 meters
• B Walk, 2×10 meters
• Stride frequency drill, 3×10 meters each leg
• Stick drill, 3×10 meters

Specific Warm-Up 2

• High Knee Walk, 2×10 meters
• Straight Leg Bounds, 2×10 meters
• A Skip, 2×10 meters
• B Skip, 2×10 meters
• Falling Starts, 3×5 meters
• Standing Starts, 3×5 meters

Specific Warm-Up 3

• High Knee Walk: pull knee up, then move into lunge, 3×20 meters
• A Skip, 3×10 meters
• Straight Leg Bounds, 3×10 meters
• Falling Starts, 1×5 meters
• Standing Starts, 1×5 meters
• Push-Up Starts, 1×5 meters
• Starts Lying Prone, 1×5 meters 

• Denver Nuggets Speed Warm-up
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• Ryan Hall Demonstrates His Pre-Run Dynamic Warm-Up
• A Dynamic Warm-Up You Can Perform Anywhere 

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