Warm-up sets

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refugeefromkekistan
refugeefromkekistan Posts: 48 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
For those doing squats/bench/deadlift/rows/ohp (the stronglifts/starting strength/etc. core, if you will), how many and what weight are your warm-up sets? Does anyone not do any warm-ups and proceed to the target weight? (Not no stretching or few light minutes on a treadmill or whatever you fancy, but no warm-up sets of the lift.)

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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I calculate them going backward from the weight of my working sets:

    1. 1 x 90% of working set weight
    2. 3 x 80-85% of #1
    3. 5 x #2-difference between #1 and #2
    4. 5 x empty bar (usually twice but sometimes once)

    Here's a specific example:

    1. 5x45 (empty bar)
    2. 5x67.5
    3. 3x87.5
    4. 1x107.5
    5. working sets at 120

    Depending on the weight, there might be an additional 1 or 3 rep warm up set in there.

    Deadlifts are a little different both because I do them after squats so I'm already warmed up a bit and because they are heavier in general. I don't do an empty bar set with those. I start with 85# simply because my bar is 15# and my biggest plates are 35# each so that makes 85#. Then I'll do sets of 3 up to the 1 rep last warm up set.



  • LIBOR_cat
    LIBOR_cat Posts: 197 Member
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    My warmup is walking to the rack. Load and deadlift 405lbs. First set. Warm ups are not really needed there, I have discovered.

    However, I ramp it up for squats - 135 lbs to 405lbs.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Warmup sets autoregulated for my needs is always done. Without them my training would be suboptimal.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Warmup sets autoregulated for my needs is always done. Without them my training would be suboptimal.

    Exactly this. The only time my warm up sets always look the same is when I’m benching heavy singles. Warm ups help get my nervous system primed and ready to actually lift
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    I use the wendler 531 app and it gives me the warm up sets to do. 3 sets of 5 ramping up.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
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    I start at the bar weight for most everything - sometimes for squats I start at body weight then empty bar - then start adding weight - I go ATG on the lighter weights and will pause at the bottom. Right now I'm recovering from a surgery so my workouts are light, but when I was lifting heavy I found I did better with more warm up - it could be becuase some of my joints are old & cranky . Eastcoast Jim

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