Jiri Prochazka and Eero do a quick explosive workout for CNS preparation and post-activation potentiation (PAP) to prime the body for the main workout.

Whenever you are attempting to do something with full power whether it's a gym workout (lifting heavy, or doing advanced skills), martial arts training or a sport, it's always a good idea to warm up.

Of course, a lot of people do some sort of warm up to warm up their joints whether it's arm circles or jumping jacks. This helps reduce the chance of injury first and foremost, but also boosts performance.

Warming up the joints and body is essential, but not many people take the time to properly prime their central nervous system (CNS) for maximal performance and output.

In this video, Eero performs a CNS preparation and potentiation workout with former UFC champion Jiri Prochazka, who is currently in training camp and scheduled to fight Khalil Rountree at UFC 320 on October 5, 2025.

CNS Preparation & Potentiation (PAP)

These muscle activation drills we did with Jiri in the previous video are good for general warm up and getting the muscles engaged.

In many martial arts, in order to produce the most power, people kick and punch almost as hard as they can. The same goes for sports, where you’re hitting with a bat or kicking a ball.

These actions demand high output from your CNS and from your body.

Most athletes understand the importance of “getting loose” before training, but few understand that central nervous system (CNS) plays a critical role in how much speed, force, and precision you can produce.

When your CNS is not properly activated, your movements can feel sluggish at first and your reaction time will be slower than it can be. Basically, you will be struggling to tap into your true strength and explosiveness.

With enough time of playing the sport or fighting the opponent, the CNS will be fully activated but in this scenario you wasted a lot of time warming up during the game/fight and not before it.

The thing is, when your CNS is primed correctly, your body is fully prepared for any demand: your body fires fast, your muscles contract hard, and your coordination is as sharp as it can get.

This is where Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) comes in. In simple terms, PAP is a method of performing short bursts of high-intensity, explosive exercises before your main workout, competition or game/spar.

In Jiri's case, he did a workout of explosive exercise before his pad training session and before his main strength workout.

The goal of PAP is to “wake up” your nervous system and muscle fibers, so they’re ready to fire at maximum capacity right from the get go.

For example, in this session Jiri Prochazka and Eero complete:

The result? When Jiri stepped into his technical pad training rounds, his body was already firing on all cylinders. He was faster, more precise, and was able to generate more force without having to “ramp up” during the session.

Since Jiri is an elite level athlete, his workout lasted for a lot longer and the sole purpose was not just CNS preparation. 

For an actual fight, he would do far less explosive work because you have to maintain freshness by not taxing the CNS too much.

In UFC fights, you often see fighters such as Jon Jones doing explosive tuck jumps the moment they step inside the octagon. This is exactly the reason why.

When me and Eero have a sparring session or hit the pads with our Muay Thai coach, we do similar explosive exercises during our warm ups to prime the CNS similar to this. 

Most of these best CNS preparation & potentiation exercises & drills can be found inside Phase 3 of Athlete 20XX Method. We have dedicated an entire phase of explosive exercises for this.

The more advanced you become, the more you appreciate the brilliance behind the three phases of the Athlete 20XX Method. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind program.

This approach is not just for elite fighters. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a competitive athlete, a martial artist, CNS priming will make a noticeable difference in how powerful and connected your movements feel.

It’s the difference between starting cold and starting ready to perform at your absolute peak.

Stay strong.