Lifting warm up

spraytanninghelens

Interested in people’s warm up routines on lifting days.
I usually do a few lighter sets beforehand but wondered if others do anything different.

I always seem to hurt myself and it sets me back.
I’m constantly trying to improve my form, as I have had a couple of pulled muscles and injuries and soreness maybe from poor form or over training. Interested in people’s thoughts please

Chieflrg

I just follow my rep scheme of my working sets of the lift/day. Empty barbell to working sets. If the weather is a bit cold, I might do a few extra at the lower intensity.

I'm lifter over 50 with a progressive joint disease so I have to warm up a bit more than a younger version of me to be able to perform the lift properly at depth. So keep that in mind. It's just an example.

My squats on a cold day of winter or cold wetdamp day in the fall would look something like...

Barbell × 8-10 reps × 2-5 sets
135.× 5 × 3
225 × 5 × 2
315 × 5
405 × 5 (belted)
430 × 1
450 × 1
475 × 1
405 × 5 × 5

There isn't any evidence that form of itself causes injury.

1. Not being warming up could.
2. Not using proper load management could.

Put the proper weight on the barbell and practice proper load management and things will be fine.

spraytanninghelens

That’s very insightful thank you.
I have recently been going heavier on the load so maybe I need to stick to a lighter weight for a few more weeks.
Just gets a bit frustrating as just when I think I’m progressing I seem to hurt myself.

sijomial

Warm up sets for me and then I progressively increase the weight until I get to my working sets.
My reps tend to decrease as the weight goes up but depends on the training goal that day and also depends on which exercises I'm doing that session.

I used to sometimes do 2k on an indoor rower or 10 mins on an arms & legs elliptical / cross trainer as a general warm up but as I've got older movement specific warmup seems to work better for me for avoidance of injury.

"I’m constantly trying to improve my form" - that sounds a little strange if you don't mind me saying. I'm wondering if you are adopting unnatural movement patterns in the pursuit of perfect form? If you have pre-existing injuries you normally work out fairly quickly what movements and loads aggravate things.

e.g. Over 200kg leg press one knee goes bone on bone (and squeaks!). Over 100kg vertical compression = lower back nerve impingement, incline bench press upsets the AC joint I injured last year but regular bench press doesn't.....

spraytanninghelens

I also lose reps on a heavier weight and typically warm up with about 75% of my heavy.

As for trying to improve my form, I’ve switched up my program from a push pull leg split to a five day split and I have some new exercises I don’t usually perform. Rear felt flys being one of them.
The following day I hurt all along my back shoulder to shoulder with a creaked neck 🤦‍♀️.

sijomial

spraytanninghelens wrote: »

I also lose reps on a heavier weight and typically warm up with about 75% of my heavy.

I'm warming up starting with 20 - 25% of my heavy lifts. Look where @Chiefrgb is starting.
Warmup is more movement than lifting. Suggest you try much lighter warmup sets - they don't add much time as there's no real need for muscle recovery between sets.

spraytanninghelens

Thank you I will take your advice and try this 👍

monkeystikx

To start, I am not a crazy heavy lifter as I almost never go for PRs, and hardly do less than 8 reps per set. I always warm up, with about 10 min or so on the eliptical to loosen up. Then about 15-20 reps with low weight with what ever I am doing.

Katmary71

I know it's not recommended but I do my cardio first, it especially warms my legs up. Ideally I'd do a small amount of time then finish up afterward but I like leaving the gym after weights.