How to warm up before training

What a warm-up does

The purpose of a warm-up is simple: raise body temperature and heart rate a little, loosen the joints you are about to use, and rehearse the movement path with a light weight before your first working weight. It does not need to be long or tiring; at the end you should feel "ready", not "already trained".

Part one: general activity

At the start of the session, do five to ten minutes of light whole-body activity: brisk walking, marching on the spot, or a rowing machine or bike at low resistance all work. In winter, after sitting for a long time, or when training in the morning, this part can be a little longer.

Then do a few unloaded sets for the body parts you will train that day, for example a few bodyweight squats and hip movements on a leg day, or shoulder circles and a few push-up-style presses on a pressing day. This part is not about stretching range; the movements are slow and controlled.

Part two: warm-up sets

Before the working sets, do a few sets of the same exercise with gradually increasing weight; these are the warm-up sets. Using the barbell back squat as an example:

1. Do one set with the empty bar, for a few more reps than a working set, to feel the movement path.
2. Add weight to about half the working weight and do one set of normal reps.
3. Add weight to about seventy or eighty percent of the working weight and do a few reps.
4. Then begin the first working set.

The heavier the working weight, the more warm-up steps you can use; for very light exercises, one or two sets are enough. Rest between warm-up sets is shorter than between working sets, just enough to change plates.

Log warm-up sets separately from working sets

In this site's training records, warm-up sets and working sets are two different set types. Warm-up sets are not counted in the day's training volume or in the weekly report, because their purpose is preparation, not stimulus. Mark warm-up sets as warm-up when logging, so that the weekly report is not inflated by them later.

If a warm-up set feels harder than expected, do not rush to the working weight. Do another set at the current weight, or drop the working weight by one step for the day.

A few common questions

• Should I do static stretching? Long static stretching before training is not necessary; it is more commonly placed after training or in a separate session.
• Do I need to warm up again when changing exercises? For an exercise using the same body part, one light warm-up set is usually enough; for a completely different body part, do one or two more.
• What if something feels wrong during the warm-up? Stop if there is clear pain, and do not force that exercise that day. Stop training if you feel unwell, and consult a doctor if needed.