The RAMP warm-up

Warming up is a fundamental, but often overlooked, part of preparation for training and matches.

A successful warm-up will reduce injury risk, prepare the athletes mentally and physically, and aid in skill development.

The following acronym, RAMP, can assist you in structuring a successful warm-up...

• Raise: Increase body temperature and heart rate.
• Activate: Engage muscles you will use.
• Mobilise: Achieve range of movement.
• Potentiate: Prepare to play.

The phases of RAMP

1.The raise phase

This phase of the warm-up begins a player’s preparation, raising body temperature and heart rate, and increasing blood flow.

An ensemble of jogging, side-steps, cross-overs, high knees and low-level skipping are all good examples of activities for this phase. 

All of these movements can be incorporated into a game-based scenario.

2. Activation & mobilisation phases

These phases begin to engage the muscles, taking the body through the range of movement it will be undertaking.

Movements should be performed with purpose and sound technique, to aid long-term athlete development. Purposeful movement and exercise will prime the muscles and joints.

3. The potentiation phase

This phase of the warm-up is the rehearsal. There needs to be an element of urgency and purpose, with a gradual increase in intensity. 

This can be achieved with explosive jumping, vertical jumping in preparation for aerial competition, and horizontal or lateral jumping, priming the body to be explosive when initiating multidirectional movements.

This, combined with build-up sprints from different starting positions and different forms of braking and turning, will prepare the body for match play.

Start without the ball, then incorporate the ball, using passing and dribbling elements. This can help move into the first part of a session, or into small-sided games prior to matchplay.

an example warm-up using ’ramp’