A warm-up is meant to get you ready for the exercise. Some people turn it into half the workout.
They’ll spend 20 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the foam roller, then do five or six warm-up sets with a ton of reps. After all that, they wonder why the first proper set feels far heavier than it should.
You see it all the time in gyms. Someone is working up to a heavy press or squat and they’re doing 12 reps on every weight along the way.
By the time they reach the weight that counts, they’re already half-gassed.
What a Warm-Up Should Do
A warm-up should get your body ready for the heavier work.
It raises the temperature of the muscles, gets blood moving through the area and helps your joints feel less stiff. Moving the joint also helps circulate the fluid inside it, which helps explain why your knees, hips or shoulders can feel looser after a few lighter sets.
If a particular area feels stiff, a small amount of mobility work can help. Keep it specific to the exercise you’re about to do instead of spending 15 minutes doing random stretches for no real reason.
You’re also getting a feel for the movement, sorting your setup, checking your range and noticing anything that feels off before you load it properly.
By the end of it, you should feel more comfortable and prepared, not breathing out of your arse or needing five minutes before you can start the actual workout.
Don’t Empty the Tank Too Early
Say your first proper set on leg press is 200kg for eight reps.
You might start with the empty machine for 10 to 12 reps, then 100kg for six to eight, 150kg for four and 180kg for one or two. After that, rest properly before going into 200kg.
If you’re new to the exercise, a few extra light reps can help you get comfortable with the movement, but they still shouldn’t leave you tired.
Those numbers are only an example. Every leg press is different. The main thing is that the reps come down as the weight goes up.
You’re getting your legs used to the load without doing enough work to tire them out.
There’s no need to do 10 or 12 reps at every stage. If you do 12 reps at 100kg, another 10 at 150kg and then six at 180kg, you’ve already done plenty before the first set that counts.
People often assume extra warm-up sets will make them safer or better prepared, but once the movement feels good and the heavier load no longer comes as a shock, piling on more reps usually just adds fatigue.
Warm Up Where It Counts
Your first main exercise usually needs the most warm-up work.
That could be a heavy press, squat, row or any movement where you’re using a decent load.
By exercise three or four, you’re already warm. Your body temperature is up, the joints have been moving and the muscles have already done some work, so you probably don’t need another four warm-up sets before curls, lateral raises or pushdowns.
One lighter set is often enough here. Sometimes you won’t need one at all, especially if the muscle has already been trained earlier in the session.
A heavy squat needs more preparation than a cable curl, so treat them differently instead of running the same warm-up routine for both.
Keep Warm-Up Sets Easy
A warm-up set should feel easy.
If you’re grinding the final reps, pulling faces and getting close to failure, you’ve turned it into another working set and used energy you’ll need later.
Keep the reps smooth and leave plenty there. You don’t need to prove anything during a warm-up, and nobody cares how many reps you got with your second warm-up weight.
What About Cardio First?
Five or 10 minutes on a bike or treadmill can help if you feel cold, stiff or you’ve been sitting all day. It raises your body temperature and gets you moving before you lift.
It can help you get your head into the session too. If you’ve come straight from a full day at work, a few easy minutes give you time to switch off from that and settle into training instead of walking through the door and going straight under a heavy weight.
It still doesn’t replace warming up the exercise itself. Walking on a treadmill doesn’t prepare you properly for a heavy chest press, so you’ll still need a few lighter sets on the machine or with the dumbbells before the heavier work starts.
Know When You’re Ready
A good warm-up should leave you feeling ready to train. Your joints feel less stiff, the movement feels familiar and the working weight doesn’t come as a shock.
Once you feel ready, get on with the session.
The warm-up has done its job. Anything after that is probably just eating into the sets that matter.
