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[01]Hurdles Warm-Up

How to warm up for hurdles

General → activation → specific

Start broad, easy aerobic work to raise core temperature. Move to activation, glutes, hips, shoulders. Then phase-specific drills, takeoff drills if you're about to hurdles, approach drills if you're working on rhythm. Each layer builds.

Phase drills as the bridge

Most warm-up errors are skipping phase drills. The body doesn't know it's about to hurdles unless you show it the pattern first. Three to five reps of each phase, low intensity, sets the groove.

Priming reps before the real reps

Your first full hurdles of the day shouldn't be at competition intensity. Build up, 60% effort, 75%, 90%. AI tracks the reps and tells you when your form is ready for full effort.

Race-day ready

Use AI form check on your warm-up reps

Most athletes don't film warm-up. They should. The first two or three full-effort hurdles reps tell the AI a lot about how your form holds up under fatigue, way more than fresh reps from a rested practice.

Follow up in chat and ask questions. The AI remembers your analysis and speaks the language of hurdles coaching.

  • Free first analysis, no account required
  • Offline history cached on your device
  • Priority-tagged coaching notes
  • AI chat follow-up on every analysis
Hurdler clearing a barrier, lead leg extended, frame from Track & Field AI (warm-up checked)
Hurdles · Sample analysis “Trail leg is dropping below horizontal over barrier 4, costs you a full beat of rhythm into barrier 5.”
[05]Warm-up sequence

Hurdles warm-up, in order

The phases below are sequential, each layer primes the next. Skipping the event-specific block is the most common warm-up error and the most predictable source of cold-takeoff form on opening attempts.

01 Step
General8-10 min

Easy 600 m jog, dynamic mobility.

02 Step
Activation5-7 min

Glute bridges, hip openers, ankle pogos.

03 Step
Sprint drills5-8 min

A-skips, B-skips, build-ups.

04 Step
Lead-leg / trail-leg5-7 min

Wall drills, fence walks, 1-step over low hurdles.

05 Step
Build-up over hurdles5 min

2-3 reps over 3-5 hurdles at low height.

06 Step
Race pace primer5 min

1-2 reps from blocks to first hurdle at full effort.

[09]Methodology & sources

References

Primary sources behind the numbers and methods on this page.

  1. Kinematic Factors Associated with Hitting Hurdles During the Initial Phase of a 110-m Hurdle Race (PMC)
  2. The Biomechanics of Hurdling (Coaches Insider)
  3. LA84 Hurdles Training Manual
  4. From Start to Finish: The Women's 100m Hurdles (Track & Field News)
[10]Common questions

Hurdles Warm-Up FAQ

Five common questions about hurdles that come up in coaching.

How long should a hurdles warm-up take?
20-30 minutes typical. The full sequence: general, activation, phase-specific, priming.
Should I film warm-up reps?
Yes, first full-effort reps tell the AI more about how form holds up than fresh reps.
Is the warm-up the same for practice and meet day?
Mostly yes. Meet day adds more priming reps, less general work, tighter time window.
What if I'm short on time?
Cut general work first, keep activation and phase drills. They're the parts that prevent injury and prime the rep.
Can a bad warm-up cost performance?
Yes, cold takeoff mechanics are common. AI flags reps where form looks under-warmed.
[INDEX]More ways to dial in your hurdles

The full hurdles index

A directory of every hurdles page on the site, from broad analysis tools to specific phase deep-dives. Each entry points to a focused write-up.

Try it free

Track your hurdles warm-up on video.

Download the app. Film a rep. See what the AI sees. Free first analysis, no card, no account required.

60s
Time per analysis
Free first analysisNo card
Coaching languagePlain English
Hurdles modelsEvent-specific