Appropriate warm ups for Deadlifts and Squats?

MzHornedOne
MzHornedOne Posts: 71 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am kind of at a loss...what do I do to warm up before I do these? It seems like I use everything (espcially back and legs) so how should I be warming up?

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I do KB swings- or rowing.

    Then I do 2 x 8 with the bar- always just the bar.

    between each set of 8 I do a Kelly Starlett Mobility WOD- to open the hip.

    Then I add light weight- and I do usually 2- 3 sets of warm up weight then up to my working weight.

    You want to do SOMETHING that uses those things- gotta get them warm- you just don't want to do a full blown workout.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Jo is right. You just do warm up sets. I always do warm up sets. I work up to my working weight, gradually, adding weight every set. I usually work up with three or four sets (and weights) to my eventual working weight.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Lighter weight deadlifts and squats to get things moving. I generally do 3 warmup sets for each at around 40% (x5), 50% (x5), and 60% (x3) respectively of my training 1 RM before I go into my working sets.
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
    I do about 15 minutes of yoga before I squat or deadlift and focus more on moves that stretch the hips, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and quads. Usually, before heavy deadlifts, I also do romanian deadlifts with lighter weights. The yoga is really helpful for stretching and helping me reach depth in squats.

    ETA: I also do warmup sets starting with just the bar after the yoga.
  • MzHornedOne
    MzHornedOne Posts: 71 Member
    Thanks so much everyone. I have been in a rush my last few workouts and I have just jumped right in. I knew I should be warming up but I knew that I shouldn't be making a habit of it. Especially when I was doing lunges after my deadlifts and had a pain I knew wasn't right! Thankfully it doesn't hurt today and I am resting up.

    :drinker:
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    Step ups
  • hnsaunde
    hnsaunde Posts: 757 Member
    I do warmup sets, but I also do this agility routine before I do any lower body heavy lifting. It helps my flexibility and mobility so I can hit depth, especially with squats.

    Joe DeFranco's Limber 11: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSDLDhbacc
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
    Download The Starting Strength warmup calculator here: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Tools_and_Downloads

    Just plug in the weight you're doing for your work sets and it will tell you what weight to use for your warmup sets.

    I also do five minutes of some form of cardio before my workout to get my heart rate up and lower body warmed up. If my adductors are feeling tight I do warm up sets on the hip abduction machine and hip flexor stretches.
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    I run for 5 minutes, and start with a light set - which for me is just the bar.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I do mobility work first (some foam rolling and a few of the drills from Agile-8) then I do really light squats before I actually squat =)
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    My o-lifting coaches (yes, I know it's a different kind of lifting, but I think the point translates well) have me warm up for about 10 minutes with dynamic stretches (butt kickers, high knees, unweighted lunges and squats, the karaoke track & field drill, etc. among other things I don't know the names of) before I start working with the barbell at all. Then I do warm up sets.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    I believe that you warm up thru the movement... In other words use light weight for DL's and Squats and ramp up weight until you get to your working weight. For example my working weight for DL's is 365 I would start with something light like 95 lbs do a dozen or so reps, move up to 135, do 6 or so reps, go to 185, do some more, ect until you get to your working weight. Same with squats. Why not mirror a movement pattern in warmups that is going to do what you want to game time. How does a baseball pitcher warmup... he pitches at slower speeds until he gets to working mode. Same concept here. That is how I like to look at how I warm up for anything physical. I try to mirror as close as possible to the movement that I am going to be doing under working conditions but under a lighter load.
  • 212019156
    212019156 Posts: 341 Member
    Look up Jame Defranco's Agile 8. It is a really great squat warmup.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I do warmup sets, but I also do this agility routine before I do any lower body heavy lifting. It helps my flexibility and mobility so I can hit depth, especially with squats.

    Joe DeFranco's Limber 11: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSDLDhbacc

    ^LOVE this! And his Simple 6 for the upper body.
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    Someone already said deadlifts and squats, right?

    I mean, warm up sets.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    Personally I do dynamic warmups and then a couple of sets of lighter weights to feel the movement.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    foam rolling, a jog on the treadmill, and some jumping jacks.
  • MzHornedOne
    MzHornedOne Posts: 71 Member
    I should mention I just started DL and Squats so my weight on them was super low. Especially the DL. I do usually do I warm up set of squats without any weights!
  • cliffshaw
    cliffshaw Posts: 14
    I do the same: 5 minutes on the treadmill at a healthy pace of get the legs warmed up.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    What I do:
    6 minutes on the treadmill, some active stretching/warmup work (mostly around my hips/back on DL and squat day), then start from 135# for deadlifts and w/ the empty bar for squats.

    For those for whom 135# is not light enough for DL, it's a bit of a challenge. I think a couple of boxes on which the ends of the bar will rest at proper height would be really helpful for this (and for the workout itself assuming you're still working up to 135# as a work weight). Should be fairly easy to build too.


    ETA: I start all of my lifts (except DL) every time with an empty bar. Always have. It's like a weird kind of tradition.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    ^^ 135# was my max DL... I warmed up with 10# bumper plates on the bar, for 65#. You only need one set of bumpers to get the bar to the right height at lower weights.

    Easing back into it from a mild injury, I put those bumpers on a 15# training bar so I could start with a "can't even feel that" 35#.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    ^^ 135# was my max DL... I warmed up with 10# bumper plates on the bar, for 65#. You only need one set of bumpers to get the bar to the right height at lower weights.

    Easing back into it from a mild injury, I put those bumpers on a 15# training bar so I could start with a "can't even feel that" 35#.

    Ah, yeah, I hadn't considered OP had access to bumper plates. If that is the case, then definitely use those for correct bar height. Problem solved.

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