Most people are doing warm up sets ALL wrong and they’re costing themselves from an efficiency/effectiveness standpoint as a result
Warm ups are designed to....
A) guard against injury
B) prepare you for your working sets
Warm up sets should NEVER be taken in close proximity to failure…most should see you leaving 6, 7, 8+ reps in reserve (the lone exception to this = sets performed for 1-2 reps @ ~90+ of your intended working weight)
This is in STARK CONTRAST to working sets which should all end around 0-2 RIR
You probably need about ~2 warm up sets before your first exercise or two depending on the specifics of your programming Here is an example of a typical warm up protocol:
- a 5-10 minute brisk walk on the treadmill (OPTIONAL)
- 50% of your working weight on your first exercise for ~12 reps (MANDATORY)
- 75% of your working weight on your first exercise for ~6 reps (MANDATORY)
- 90% of your working weight on your first exercise for ~2 reps (OPTIONAL)
After you complete the warm up sets and working sets for your first exercise, you may want to repeat the last 3 steps prior to performing your next exercise IF it is an antagonist exercise (Ex: Lat Pull-Down after Seated Chest Press Press Machine OR Seated Leg Curls after Hack Squats)
After that, you probably don’t need any additional warm up sets unless you are just using them as “primers” (sets to make sure your movement pattern / the machine settings / etc. are on point)
- If doing a PUSH workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise only (assuming it’s a multi joint movement)
- If doing a PULL workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise only (assuming it’s a multi joint movement)
- If doing an UPPER workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise and 1-2 warm up sets before my second exercise (assuming they’re antagonist multi joint movements)
- If doing an LOWER workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise and 1-2 warm up sets before my second exercise (assuming they’re antagonist multi joint movements)
- If doing a FULL BODY workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise, 1-2 warm up sets before my second exercise, and may even 1-2 warm up sets before my third and fourth exercises as well (assuming they’re all multi joint movements — antagonist push/pull movements for both upper & lower)
(As you can see, the major downside of FULL BODY workouts is often the excess warm up time needed)
General rule of thumb: If your first set of an exercise is NOT your best set of that exercise in terms of performance (assuming we equate RIR), you are NOT warming up properly You should see a fall off in performance as sets transpire on a given exercise…this is a feature, not a bug of productive/effective resistance exercise WHEN WARMED UP PROPERLY
If you don't warm up properly you are at increased risk of injury AND you may compromise the effectiveness of your workout. TAKE YOUR WARM UPS SERIOUSLY!
For a visual on how my Warm Up Sets look compared to my first Working Set....CLICK HERE
Warm ups are designed to....
A) guard against injury
B) prepare you for your working sets
Warm up sets should NEVER be taken in close proximity to failure…most should see you leaving 6, 7, 8+ reps in reserve (the lone exception to this = sets performed for 1-2 reps @ ~90+ of your intended working weight)
This is in STARK CONTRAST to working sets which should all end around 0-2 RIR
You probably need about ~2 warm up sets before your first exercise or two depending on the specifics of your programming Here is an example of a typical warm up protocol:
- a 5-10 minute brisk walk on the treadmill (OPTIONAL)
- 50% of your working weight on your first exercise for ~12 reps (MANDATORY)
- 75% of your working weight on your first exercise for ~6 reps (MANDATORY)
- 90% of your working weight on your first exercise for ~2 reps (OPTIONAL)
After you complete the warm up sets and working sets for your first exercise, you may want to repeat the last 3 steps prior to performing your next exercise IF it is an antagonist exercise (Ex: Lat Pull-Down after Seated Chest Press Press Machine OR Seated Leg Curls after Hack Squats)
After that, you probably don’t need any additional warm up sets unless you are just using them as “primers” (sets to make sure your movement pattern / the machine settings / etc. are on point)
- If doing a PUSH workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise only (assuming it’s a multi joint movement)
- If doing a PULL workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise only (assuming it’s a multi joint movement)
- If doing an UPPER workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise and 1-2 warm up sets before my second exercise (assuming they’re antagonist multi joint movements)
- If doing an LOWER workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise and 1-2 warm up sets before my second exercise (assuming they’re antagonist multi joint movements)
- If doing a FULL BODY workout, I’m probably using 2-3 warm up sets before my first exercise, 1-2 warm up sets before my second exercise, and may even 1-2 warm up sets before my third and fourth exercises as well (assuming they’re all multi joint movements — antagonist push/pull movements for both upper & lower)
(As you can see, the major downside of FULL BODY workouts is often the excess warm up time needed)
General rule of thumb: If your first set of an exercise is NOT your best set of that exercise in terms of performance (assuming we equate RIR), you are NOT warming up properly You should see a fall off in performance as sets transpire on a given exercise…this is a feature, not a bug of productive/effective resistance exercise WHEN WARMED UP PROPERLY
If you don't warm up properly you are at increased risk of injury AND you may compromise the effectiveness of your workout. TAKE YOUR WARM UPS SERIOUSLY!
For a visual on how my Warm Up Sets look compared to my first Working Set....CLICK HERE
