Warm-Up Before Lifting: General Prep and Ramp-Up Sets

Step by step

Raise your temperature. Spend about five minutes on a bike, rower, cross-trainer or brisk walk. Aim to feel warm and breathe a little faster, not to be out of breath.
Move the joints you will use. Do a few controlled moves for the session ahead. For lower-body days: bodyweight squats, lunges, hip hinges and leg swings. For upper-body days: arm circles, band pull-aparts, light push-ups and shoulder rotations. Ten or so reps each is plenty.
Prime key muscles if useful. If certain muscles tend to switch off, give them a light set: glute bridges before squats, band rows before bench press. Keep it short; this is preparation, not a workout.
Start ramp-up sets light. Begin your first exercise with the empty bar or a light weight for 5 to 10 easy reps. Use these reps to practise your setup and groove the movement.
Climb in steps, cutting reps. Add weight in jumps, roughly 40, 60, 75 and 90 percent of your working weight. Do fewer reps as the weight rises, for example 5, 3, 2 and 1. The final warm-up set should feel quick and crisp.
Rest briefly, then start work. Rest only as long as needed between light warm-up sets. Before your first working set, rest one to two minutes so you begin fresh.
Warm up later lifts briefly. Exercises later in the session need less warm-up, as you are already warm. One or two lighter sets are usually enough, especially if they use the same muscles.

Why warm up at all?

Warming up raises muscle temperature, gets blood moving, and lets your joints move through the range they are about to work in under load. It also gives you a few practice reps before the weight is heavy, which is when technique matters most.

Most coaches agree a warm-up helps you perform better in the session. It also gives you a chance to notice if something feels off before you load it heavily. If something hurts during the warm-up, that is a signal to stop, not to push on.

Example ramp-up for a squat

Say your working sets are 3 sets of 5 at 100 kg. A sensible ramp-up might look like this:

Empty bar (20 kg): 2 sets of 8 to 10, practising depth and bracing.
40 kg: 1 set of 5.
60 kg: 1 set of 3.
75 kg: 1 set of 2.
90 kg: 1 set of 1.
100 kg: working sets begin.

How many warm-up sets do you need?

It depends on how heavy your working weight is relative to the starting point. If you are squatting 40 kg, one or two warm-up sets may be enough. If you are squatting 180 kg, you might need six or more steps to get there smoothly.

Heavier, lower-rep work needs more ramp-up steps than lighter, higher-rep work. A set of 15 on a leg press may need only one lighter set before it. A heavy single on deadlifts may need five or six.

RepSensei's warm-up sets calculator at /tools/warm-up-calculator/ works out the steps and plate loading for you from your working weight. Pair it with the plate calculator so you are not doing maths mid-session.

Mistakes to avoid

Warming up is easy to overdo or underdo. These are the common traps.

Doing too many reps on warm-up sets, so you are tired before your working sets start.
Jumping straight from the empty bar to your working weight.
Long static stretches held for a minute or more right before heavy lifting. Short, light stretching is fine; long holds are better saved for after training or another time.
Skipping the warm-up because you are short of time. Cut an accessory exercise instead.
Making the warm-up into a separate workout of its own.

Cold days, early mornings and older lifters

If you train early in the morning, in a cold gym, or after sitting all day, give the general warm-up a few extra minutes. Many people also find they need a longer warm-up as they get older. Listen to how your body feels rather than sticking to a fixed timer.

If a joint consistently feels painful rather than just stiff, even after warming up, stop and see a doctor or physiotherapist.

Sample warm-ups by session

These are starting points. Adjust them to the exercises you are doing and how your body feels on the day.

Lower body: 5 minutes on a bike, 10 bodyweight squats, 10 walking lunges, 10 glute bridges, 10 leg swings each side, then ramp-up sets on your first lift.
Upper body: 5 minutes on a rower, 10 arm circles each way, 15 band pull-aparts, 10 press-ups from the knees or floor, then ramp-up sets on your first press or row.
Full body: 5 minutes of brisk walking or cycling, 10 bodyweight squats, 10 hip hinges, 10 press-ups, 15 band pull-aparts, then ramp-up sets.
Home bodyweight session: 2 to 3 minutes of marching or skipping on the spot, then one easy round of your planned exercises at half effort.

Questions

How long should a warm-up before lifting be?

Ten to fifteen minutes in total is typical: about five minutes of cardio, a few minutes of mobility, and then your ramp-up sets.

Should I stretch before lifting?

Light, moving stretches and mobility drills are a good idea. Long static holds right before heavy lifting are not needed for most people, so keep them short or do them afterwards.

Do warm-up sets count as working sets?

No. They prepare you for the working sets and should be easy enough that they do not tire you out.

Do I need to warm up for every exercise?

The first exercise for each body area needs a proper ramp-up. Later exercises usually need only one or two lighter sets.

Warm-Up Before Lifting