Warming up before lifting advice needed.

Not sure if it's right but what I do is gentle jogging on the spot, windmill arms, twist side to side, leg raises...I do this for about ten minutes and it works for me.

hi there hope all is well with you now,Im no expert much the same as urself I started lifting about 4 months ago I use the machines in the gym Im a bit nervous of the free weights,Im just wondering if what you are lifting might be a bit too heavy i would warm up with about 15 minutes cardio also I can identify with what you say because I felt a slight twinge like that one morning so i brought the weights down a notch,I cant advise on technique I wouldnt know about that but your instructor will know,make sure you are well and rested before lifting again! best of luck!

Start with a few warm up sets with very light weight, add a little more weight for each set. Your last rep should be to failure. It can be a good idea to stretch between sets.

Make sure you are getting proper nutrition before, and after your workout.

When I'm on an upper body day I'll use a band to get my shoulders and upper back warmed up and then move into my warm-up sets which are never more than 3 to 5 reps. You want to warm-up, not exhaust yourself for the real work. Lower body day I use dynamic stretching like body weight squats to get those muscles going and really to get my hip flexors loose. I'll do a side-to-side stretch to help loosen up my hamstrings, hip flexors the rest of my leg. Some times I'll do a couple jumps. The only pre-workout static stretch I do is for my hip flexors. There's been some references that static stretching of the hip flexors is actually good before a workout. Again, lower body warm-up sets are never more than 3 to 5 reps.

I was advised by my PT to do 5-10 mins at 80% intensity on the rowing machine. Also, when doing weighted squats, I do a set of 20 at a modest weight before hitting shorter sets at heavier weights.

I row for 1000m, level 8 34/36 strokes per min. Works the whole body.

why are you doing such a high SPM?? i'm no expert but everything i've read on the concept2 site points to focusing more on high Watts, and less on SPM, keeping them between 22-28 SPM.

also, if you have a concept2 i'm wondering why you have the damper set to 8? for weight/fat loss they recommend keeping it between 3-5.

maybe you are doing something different than i have read.

I am strong and this is what my trainer recommends for my warmup. I know it's over the top but it isn't difficult and only takes 4min41sec or thereabouts. I then go into the weight area and lift heavy for an hour in circuits/supersets. Love it!

1) Active warmup is optional. But prob recommended. Here you do something simple like a jog for a few min, then put the body through full ROM movements covering all the ones that you plan on working that day. DO NOT STATIC STRETCH.

2) Proper lifting is you do WARMUP sets to start. The idea is you have warmup sets, and working sets. So when we say 3x8, thats the WORKING set. Before you do that 3x8, you do another 3x8 BEFORE that of much lighter weight, full rom, controlled, to work out any kinks and get the CNS ready for that movement pattern under full load.

3) Poor form can tweak just as easily even with low weight. for example, Benching with your elbows way out puts FAR more pressure on your shoulders and rotators than elbows in. And vast majority of noobs bench elbows out just as the default motion. Squats with knees behind toes will increase hip sheer force, squts with toes way far out so your back is almost perpendicular to the ground increases knee sheer force. etc etc. So this could just as easily be a form issue too.