Watching the best players in the world is a great way to accelerate your development as a player. Spencer Strider put up incredible numbers last year, despite it only being his rookie season. His warm-up was no doubt a part of his success!

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Should you do Spencer Strider’s warm-up?

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Here we highlight the 4 key elements of Strider’s routine and go through whether or not we think you should add them to your own warm-up. Spoiler alert: no routine is perfect. At the end of this article, we point out the limitations of this routine and what we’d change to address them.

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1. RPR

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Strider starts his routine with RPR: a system of breathing & soft tissue that resets your body from “survival” mode to “performance” mode. He uses RPR to activate his glutes, hamstrings, and abs.

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Should you add this? Yes, we’re big fans of RPR! It’s an easy way to activate certain body parts without creating muscular fatigue.

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Here are some RPR areas you can focus on:

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2. Spinal Segmentation

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The next thing Strider does to warm up is focus on spinal segmentation. Your spine is made of many vertebrae– they should each be able to move individually. This allows you to maintain fluidity throughout your upper body & stay loose during rotation. With the right exercises, you can train this. This is likely why Strider includes this in his warm-up every day.  

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Should you add this? Definitely. Spinal segmentation is a great way to open up your spine and create healthy mobility. Both of which will allow you to maximize your velocity.

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Pro-tip: Do this slowly! It takes a lot of focus. The more you practice the better you’ll get.

3. Iso Squat

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Strider then focuses on his lower body by performing a full ROM, bodyweight squat– which he holds for a couple of minutes. He says this helps warm up his quads & knees, and open his hips.

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Should you add this? Maybe– there are two problems:

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1. Holding this for a couple of minutes can be too intense for beginners 
2. Some people aren’t able to get into a deep squat due to their hip/ankle structure

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If neither of these are problems for you, you can try it out.

4. CARS (controlled articular rotations)

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The last part of Strider’s warm-up, CARS takes a joint through its full active ROM using only the necessary muscles (no compensatory muscles). Strider uses CARS to mobilize his hips, knees, and ankles.

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Should you add this? Yes! CARS are underrated– they’re surprisingly challenging, and an effective way to activate a given joint.

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All things considered…

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All things considered, Strider has a great full-body warm-up that gets him ready for his throwing prep.

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However, we think it’s missing a couple of things.

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1. Dynamic Warm-up

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A dynamic warm-up increases your heart rate and circulation, and helps you feel fluid.

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2. Plyometrics & Sprints

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Doing plyometrics and sprinting can help activate fast-twitch muscle fibers and excite the CNS which increases performance.

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The Takeaway…

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Watching the best in the world can be a great way to learn. If you don’t have a routine that you currently like doing, Spencer Strider’s routine is a great starting point. Regardless, it’s important to remember that your warm-up should be tailored to fit YOUR needs to perform at your best.

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Try new things out, see how your body responds, and keep what you like.

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If you’re a baseball player looking to make the most out of your career and give yourself every competitive edge you can on the field, you’ve come to the right place. It’s our mission to empower elite athletes, like you, to take ownership of their development and careers.

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Feel free to send us any questions at tech@4appsports.com — we’re happy to help.