How to Lead and Count the La Sierra High School Warm-Up

Written by Gym Class Dad in Endurance,Strength

In the 1960s, the La Sierra High School students participated in a classical physical education program that focused on building and optimizing cardio, strength, endurance, power, flexibility, agility, and balance. The program was very structured and produced amazing results for the students who were part of the program. To begin every P.E. session the students and coach performed the strength and endurance routine. The routine, vigorous itself, was led by a coach with the students performing the exercises and counting along with the various cadences. The warm took 10-15 minutes and was performed with discipline and in unison. I created a full guide on the warm and specific exercises. To review it access it here:

How to do the La Sierra High School Warm-Up Routine

This guide reviews in-depth on how to lead and call out the queues throughout the routine so you and your kids stay on track and disciplined throughout the warmup.  

Exercises in the La Sierra High School warm-up routine

  • Side Straddle Hops – same as jumping jacks
  • Push-Ups – strict form pushups
  • Windmills – arms extended in line with should alternating touching toes with the opposite hand
  • Push-Ups
  • Full Bends – Touching Toes, hips, and reaching or the sky
  • Push-Ups
  • Straddle Hops – Jumping jacks without using the arms
  • Push-Ups
  • Stride Hops – alternating jumping feet forward and backward
  • Push-Ups
  • Toe Hops – Jumping up and down off the front of the foot
  • Push-Ups
  • Squat Thrusts – Similar to burpees without jumping or push-ups
  • Mountain Climbers – Alternating feet up towards the chest while in the plank position
  • Push-Ups
  • Agility Routine – Sprinting in place, dropping to plank, dropping to legs forward supporting on arms, rolling over, and back to sprinting.  

Sets, reps, and counts during the La Sierra High School warm-up

In the La Sierra High School warm-up routine, there are sets of exercises with reps and different counts. For items with 5 sets of 8 count, there is a count given to each movement in the exercise up to the count of 8 and then the count starts over again with the next set number to start. For example the count will sound like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exercise with this count is side straddle hops, windmills, full bends, squat thrusts, and mountain climbers. Push-ups are there with one down/up motion counting for 1 count. Some exercises have 50 reps. A count is given each time there is movement in the 50 count exercises. The count sounds like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 1, 2, 3 . . . . . . through 50. 50 count exercises include straddle hops, stride hops, and toe hops. Lastly is the agility routine at the end of the warm-up. For this one there isn’t any counting, but a set happens when the students go up and down three times for 4 sets.     

  • 5 sets of 8 count Side Straddle Hops
  • 5 Push-Ups
  • 5 sets of 8 count Windmills
  • 5 Push-Ups
  • 5 sets of 8 count Full Bends
  • 5 Push-Ups
  • 50 count Straddle Hops
  • 5 Push-Ups
  • 50 count Stride Hops
  • 5 Push-Ups
  • 50 count Toe Hops
  • 5 Push-Ups
  • 5 Sets of 8 count Squat Thrusts
  • 5 Sets of 8 count Mountain Climbers 
  • 5 Push-Ups
  • 4 rounds of the agility routine

How to start the La Sierra High School warm-up routine

The La Sierra High School warm-up routine starts with a couple of commands to grab the attention of the students and get them in position for the first exercise, side straddle hops.

  1. Command “parade position” students should stand with legs open and hands behind back.
  2. Command “ready position, place” students will then open feet a little more and place hands on hips

How to lead and count through each exercise

Side Straddle Hops

  1. Command “side straddle hops 5 sets start on ready”
  2. Command “ready” to begin the exercise
  3. Students count each time hands are down and up 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . . . . . 
  4. When you get to the 4th set start command “Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Pushups

  1. Starting with hands-on-hips. 
  2. Command “Push-ups ready Set 1 2.” At the count of 1, the students bend down and place hands on the ground, and at 2 jump the feet back into the plank position.  
  3. Command “Push Ups 5 sets start on ready.”
  4. Command “Ready” Students will then perform the push up calling out the number of each rep.
  5. Command “Ready” for each rep until you get to 5
  6. Command “Recover on Up” on the last rep
  7. get to the 4th set start command “Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Windmills

  1. Command “Windmills, ready set” students should be cued to have feet apart and arms extended
  2. Command “Windmills, 5 sets start on ready”
  3. Command “ready” to begin the exercise
  4. Students count each time fingers touch toes and in the up position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . . . . . 
  5. When you get to the 4th set start command “Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Full Bends

  1. Command “full bends, ready set” students should be cued to have feet together and hands on hips
  2. Command “full bends, 5 sets start on ready”
  3. Command “ready” to begin the exercise
  4. Students count each time fingers touch toes, when hands return to hips, and when hands go above the head 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . . . . . 
  5. When you get to the 4th set start command “Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Straddle Hops

  1. Command “straddle hops, ready set” students should be cued to have feet together and hands on hips
  2. Command “straddle hops, 5 sets start on ready”
  3. Command “ready” to begin the exercise
  4. Students count each time feet move apart and when they return together 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 1, 2, 3 . . . . . . 
  5. When you get to the 4th set start command “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Stride Hops

  1. Command “stride hops, ready set” students should be cued to have feet together and hands on hips
  2. Command “stride hops, 5 sets start on ready”
  3. Command “ready” to begin the exercise
  4. Students count each time feet move apart 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 1, 2, 3 . . . . . . 
  5. When you get to the 4th set start command “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Toe Hops

  1. Command “toe hops, ready set” students should be cued to have feet together and hands on hips
  2. Command “toe hops, 5 sets start on ready”
  3. Command “ready” to begin the exercise
  4. Students count each hop 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 1, 2, 3 . . . . . . 
  5. When you get to the 4th set start command “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Squat Thrust

  1. Command “squat thrusts ready set” students should be cued to have feet together and hands on hips
  2. Command “squat thrusts, 5 sets start on ready”
  3. Command “ready” to begin the exercise
  4. Students count each time hands hit the floor, feet are jumped back into plank, feet are jumped in, and hands return to the hips in the starting position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . . . . . 
  5. When you get to the 4th set start command “Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Mountain Climbers

  1. Command “mountain climbers ready set” students should be cued to have feet together and hands on hips
  2. Command “mountain climbers, 5 sets start on ready”
  3. Command “ready” to begin the exercise
  4. Students count each time the feet are switched 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . . . . . 
  5. When you get to the 4th set start command “Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt” to stop the exercise

Agility Routine

  1. Command “Agility ready set” 
  2. Command “Agility, start on go”
  3. Command “go” to begin the exercise
  4. Command “go” to have students drop into the plank position
  5. Command “up” to have students return to the sprint in place position
  6. Continue commands “go and up” until 4 sets have been completed

Quick leader reference through the La Sierra High School Warm-Up

  • Parade position
  • Ready position, place
  • Side straddle hops 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt
  • Push-ups ready Set 1, 2
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Windmills, ready set
  • Windmills, 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt
  • Push-ups ready Set 1, 2
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Full bends, ready set
  • full bends, 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt
  • Push-ups ready Set 1, 2
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Straddle hops, ready set
  • Straddle hops, 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, class front halt
  • Push-ups ready Set 1, 2
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Stride hops, ready set
  • Stride hops, 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, class front halt
  • Push-ups ready Set 1, 2
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Toe hops, ready set
  • toe hops, 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, class front halt
  • Push-ups ready Set 1, 2
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Squat thrusts ready set
  • Squat thrusts, 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt
  • Push-ups ready Set 1, 2
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Push-ups ready Set 1, 2
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Mountain climbers ready set
  • Mountain climbers, 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Now, 2, 3, 4, 5, class front halt
  • Push-Ups 5 sets start on ready
  • Ready
  • Recover on Up
  • Up
  • Agility ready set 
  • Agility, start on go
  • Go (to drop students into plank and to roll over)
  • Up (to return students to sprint position)

Gym Class Dad

Hello, I'm Gym Class Dad. Thanks for checking out my site! Physical fitness has been a passion and part of my entire life. It's a goal of mine for my kids to have a strong foundation in physical fitness that they can rely on throughout their lives. I hope you enjoy the content and that it helps you and your kids have a physically fit life!

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