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Ep. 33 - How Better Warm-Ups Create Better Athletes with Rett Larson
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What if the most important part of practice isn’t the drill…
but the first 10 minutes?
In this episode, Mariel sits down with Rett Larson, an elite international strength and conditioning coach and the creator of the No Zombies training philosophy.
Together, they challenge one of the most unquestioned traditions in youth and high-performance sport: the way athletes warm up.
Rett shares why traditional warm-ups often create boredom, disengagement, and burnout, and how replacing mindless repetition with creativity, competition, and problem-solving can dramatically improve both performance and joy.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why traditional warm-ups are a missed opportunity for athlete development
- How warm-ups can build speed, coordination, adaptability, and resilience
- Why fun and high performance are not opposites, they work together
- How exposing athletes to failure on purpose builds confidence and bounce-back ability
- The difference between necessary repetition and mindless repetition
- How gamification and unpredictability increase effort and buy-in
- Why practices that look “messy” often produce better long-term athletes
- How parents and coaches can protect an athlete’s love for the game
This episode is a must-listen for:
✔️ Coaches who want better energy, effort, and engagement
✔️ Parents concerned about burnout and loss of joy
✔️ Athletes who feel bored, over-coached, or mentally drained by training
Warm-ups aren’t just preparation for practice. They’re preparation for how athletes think, move, compete, and respond to adversity.
About Rett:
Rett Larson is in his 5th year as the strength coach for the German Women’s Volleyball Team. Before his time in Germany, he spent seven years in China, first as Project Manager for EXOS-China, working with several Chinese Olympic teams in their preparation for the 2012 London Games, and later with the Chinese National Women’s Volleyball Team, which won both the 2015 World Cup and Gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Following the Olympic gold medal, Rett worked for two years as the strength coach for the Netherlands Women’s Volleyball Team before joining Team Germany. Prior to his international work, Rett spent 10 years with Velocity Sports Performance, where he became the Director of Coaching at their headquarters in California.
Rett is the creator of the No Zombies training philosophy, which strives to make training more stimulating, engaging, and developmentally beneficial for athletes.
Join our free 'Forged Youth' Skool group for more parent support!
Check out Rett's NoZombies Warm-up Video Library
Follow Rett on:
Support the show
View all episodes
By Producer: Mariel NicholeSend a text
What if the most important part of practice isn’t the drill…
but the first 10 minutes?
In this episode, Mariel sits down with Rett Larson, an elite international strength and conditioning coach and the creator of the No Zombies training philosophy.
Together, they challenge one of the most unquestioned traditions in youth and high-performance sport: the way athletes warm up.
Rett shares why traditional warm-ups often create boredom, disengagement, and burnout, and how replacing mindless repetition with creativity, competition, and problem-solving can dramatically improve both performance and joy.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why traditional warm-ups are a missed opportunity for athlete development
- How warm-ups can build speed, coordination, adaptability, and resilience
- Why fun and high performance are not opposites, they work together
- How exposing athletes to failure on purpose builds confidence and bounce-back ability
- The difference between necessary repetition and mindless repetition
- How gamification and unpredictability increase effort and buy-in
- Why practices that look “messy” often produce better long-term athletes
- How parents and coaches can protect an athlete’s love for the game
This episode is a must-listen for:
✔️ Coaches who want better energy, effort, and engagement
✔️ Parents concerned about burnout and loss of joy
✔️ Athletes who feel bored, over-coached, or mentally drained by training
Warm-ups aren’t just preparation for practice. They’re preparation for how athletes think, move, compete, and respond to adversity.
About Rett:
Rett Larson is in his 5th year as the strength coach for the German Women’s Volleyball Team. Before his time in Germany, he spent seven years in China, first as Project Manager for EXOS-China, working with several Chinese Olympic teams in their preparation for the 2012 London Games, and later with the Chinese National Women’s Volleyball Team, which won both the 2015 World Cup and Gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Following the Olympic gold medal, Rett worked for two years as the strength coach for the Netherlands Women’s Volleyball Team before joining Team Germany. Prior to his international work, Rett spent 10 years with Velocity Sports Performance, where he became the Director of Coaching at their headquarters in California.
Rett is the creator of the No Zombies training philosophy, which strives to make training more stimulating, engaging, and developmentally beneficial for athletes.
Join our free 'Forged Youth' Skool group for more parent support!
Check out Rett's NoZombies Warm-up Video Library
Follow Rett on:
Support the show