Ep. 72 - How to Warm Up Clients for Accurate VO2 Max & Metabolic Testing

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Should every client do a warm-up before a VO2 max test? In this episode of Metabolic Mastery, Dr. Marc Humbert and Dr. Cameron Garber tackle a question that's surprisingly underexplored in the exercise science literature: how to properly warm up a client before metabolic testing.

They break down the three main purposes of a warm-up — transition, familiarization, and priming — and introduce their practical R.E.A.D.Y. framework to help practitioners decide exactly how much (or how little) warm-up a given client needs. From elite athletes to deconditioned beginners, from ramp protocols to fat max testing, Marc and Cameron walk through real-world scenarios, mask familiarization tips, and how to use heart rate as a readiness indicator before you ever hit "start" on the test.

You Will Learn:

• The three primary purposes of a warm-up: transition, familiarization, and priming
• Why "it depends" is the right answer for whether a client needs a warm-up
• The R.E.A.D.Y. framework: Reason, Estimate, Acclimate, Dose, and confirming they're ready
• How to use heart rate stability as a signal that a client is ready to begin testing
• Why building the warm-up into the protocol can save time without sacrificing data quality
• Tips for helping clients get comfortable with the mask and equipment before testing starts
• How to document warm-up protocols in Cardio Coach software for consistent repeat testing
• When elite athletes need a separate warm-up vs. when to skip it for deconditioned clients