Activation: Hype or Helpful? You've probably heard the buzzword...
Pat Basil@pbasilstrength
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Oct 06, 2025
~1 min read
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Activation: Hype or Helpful?
You've probably heard the buzzword "activation drills" and how they're built into warm-ups.
It's like this secret ritual people believe will transform workouts, but does they really make a difference?
Let's break it down:
Complex "activation" warm ups are not the ultimate key to peak performance.
Doing some reps of a mini-band exercise might help an athlete focus in or feel a little better for the next few minutes, but they're not the game-changers some claim them to be.
Why Not?
Training works when enough stress is applied, then recovered from, for the body to form and hold a long-term adaptation.
Doing a few banded clamshells to "activate the glutes" is not enough stress to force the body to change anything.
I'd even say that the more time you spend than needed on a warmup will count against the time, energy, and focus they'll put on the main training that actually matters.
We start to lose energy and focus after about 45 minutes.
Tapping deeper into that 45 minute bank with a warm up than we need to is counter-productive in my opinion.
So What Should You Do?
Warm-ups exist to prepare your body for what's coming next.
Whether it's your sport practice, heavy lifting, or sprinting, your warm-up should match your activity.
It's that simple.
For high school and college-aged athletes, think of them like Ford F-150 trucks.
You turn the key, and off they go.
5-7 minutes is all they need to get rolling. No need for those 20-minute warm-up marathons.
They won't fall apart I promise.
Now, if you're working with seasoned athletes or older adults, more warm-up time *might* be needed.
As always, adapt to the individuals you work with.
You've probably heard the buzzword "activation drills" and how they're built into warm-ups.
It's like this secret ritual people believe will transform workouts, but does they really make a difference?
Let's break it down:
Complex "activation" warm ups are not the ultimate key to peak performance.
Doing some reps of a mini-band exercise might help an athlete focus in or feel a little better for the next few minutes, but they're not the game-changers some claim them to be.
Why Not?
Training works when enough stress is applied, then recovered from, for the body to form and hold a long-term adaptation.
Doing a few banded clamshells to "activate the glutes" is not enough stress to force the body to change anything.
I'd even say that the more time you spend than needed on a warmup will count against the time, energy, and focus they'll put on the main training that actually matters.
We start to lose energy and focus after about 45 minutes.
Tapping deeper into that 45 minute bank with a warm up than we need to is counter-productive in my opinion.
So What Should You Do?
Warm-ups exist to prepare your body for what's coming next.
Whether it's your sport practice, heavy lifting, or sprinting, your warm-up should match your activity.
It's that simple.
For high school and college-aged athletes, think of them like Ford F-150 trucks.
You turn the key, and off they go.
5-7 minutes is all they need to get rolling. No need for those 20-minute warm-up marathons.
They won't fall apart I promise.
Now, if you're working with seasoned athletes or older adults, more warm-up time *might* be needed.
As always, adapt to the individuals you work with.