This week on Strain on the Game, it’s officially Job Justification Day for fitness coach Adrian Lamb – as Stephen asks the question every player has had at some point: what’s the point of the warm-up… and why does it take so long?

Fresh from an overindulgent Thanksgiving and battling with his Whoop data, Adrian breaks down what an elite warm-up actually does at Premier League and MLS level. He explains:

• Why the warm-up is not just “a bit of running and stretching”
• How the RAMP protocol (Raise, Activate, Mobilise, Potentiate) really works
• How you can hide speed, agility and injury-prevention work inside every warm-up
• The role of chaos, instability and Franz Bosch-style movement in modern football
• Why subs, youth players and veterans all need different approaches to warming up

Stephen shares dressing room stories of warm-up saboteurs, leaders who set standards, and the awkward reality of trying to get ready on the touchline when you don’t know when you’re coming on.

If you’re a coach, player, parent, or just obsessed with what really goes on around training, this episode will change how you think about those 15–20 minutes before the “real” session starts.

👉 Follow Strain on the Game for more honest, behind-the-scenes conversations on performance, preparation and life inside elite football.