How do you warm up?

Loralrose

Hi everyone! I could use some advice on what makes a good warm-up. Right now I just cycle to the gym (about 15 minutes if I push the pace), then start lifting. I'm a beginner in the weight room, so most of what I do is with an unweighted barbell, but I'm slowly adding more.

Is that good enough to prevent injuries? If so will I need to do something else when I get up to heavier weights?

whitebalance

I just do light warmup sets. Might do something to get the blood flowing and muscles loose if I were starting straight out of bed. What you describe sounds about right.
ETA: If the empty bar is your work set, you can always warm up with body weight exercises. Body weight squats are great.

Loralrose

Thanks, I will try that!

ukgirly01

Foam roller to start - I can't recommend this enough!
Then

I do some shoulder activation stuff: wall angels, brazilians
Then x band walks
Hop and hold jumps
And a clean complex (Romanian dead lift, jump shrug, clean, front squat, all for 2x5 with just the bar)

My coach basically adapts this to meet my posture needs and the stuff in my program, wall angels kill me.

MrsG31

I usually just hop on the eliptical for 10 minutes and have't had any issues with injuries- so if you biking to the gym, I think you are probably doing pretty good!

karrielynn80

In the am's I do about what you do, in the afternoons I don't really warm up. I stretch as I feel the need per set but my body has been up and moving for half a day by that point...

PamHealthMission

Since starting Wendler 5/3/1 (lifting program), I start with cardio (5 mins), foam roller, light stretching, and 3 warm-up sets of my main lifts for that specific day. Main lifts are squats, bench, deadlift, press.

Leadfoot_Lewis

Very light stretching and warm up sets for the lift/s I'm going to do that day. I have never done any type of cardio as part of my warm up.

redheadmommy

I have 2 small kids, I consider running after them enough warmup, but I work out at 8 pm after they are in bed. If I worked out early morning right after getting up, I probably would do 10-15 minutes light cardio though.
I usually walk to the gym and do stretches and lunges on the way. I also do stretches between sets. Most importantly I do 2-3 warmup sets with lighter weight.

kelly_e_montana

I usually do foam roller first, followed by jump rope, some high knees/butt kickers/karaoke drills, garland pose with or without kettlebell for 2 minutes, down dogs, wrist stretches, and maybe a bit of rowing or bike. I then warm up with light front squats and overhead squats for any oly lifts and move on to snatches. If I'm doing any other kind of lifting, I just do lighter sets to warm up after the cardio/mobility bit.

meshashesha2012

i either do 2 rounds of a tumminello complex or cosgrove complex or warm up sets of my routine. after that i do some quick dynamic stretching/movements for my hip and shoulder joints

kr15t3n98

my warm up is cardio. i usually do 40 minutes of cardio, which can involve a combination of the rowing machine, stationary bike, elliptical, stair master and treadmill, and then i move into my strength training.