Warm-Up Sets
WHAT IS A WARM-UP SET?
A warm-up set is a lighter practice set that is done prior to “working sets”. Working sets refer to what is prescribed in your program (example: 3 sets of 10 squat reps). The idea is that you perform a few warm-up sets while working up to a challenging weight that you’d use for the 3 x 10.
Warmup sets work because of “progressive fiber recruitment,” which means acclimating your muscle fibers to increasingly heavy weight. You only need a sip of a heavy weight, not a chug! Pushing out too many reps can be overkill.
WHY DO WE NEED THEM?
Warm-up sets are an important part of your training routine. Properly executed, warmup sets effectively prepare you to perform your heavy work sets to the best of your ability.
HOW TO PERFORM THEM
The heavier the weight you are lifting, the more warm-up sets you will need. You might need to perform one to five warmups depending on how much weight your working set is.
Tips
Treat your warm-up sets just as intentionally as your working sets.
Increase each warm-up set by 5 to 30lbs. The heavier the movement, the larger jumps you can make.
Your last warm-up set should be at least 10-15lbs lighter than your first working set
Perform your warm-up sets for 2-4 fewer reps than your working sets.
Always warm up with your heaviest weight in mind
EXAMPLE:
Your first working set is set to be at 135 x 5
Your warm-up sets might look like this
45 x3
85 x3
105 x3
115 x3
And then your first set at 135 x5
Rest Time Considerations
Rest minimum of 1 minute between warm-up sets
Rest 1-2 minutes between your last warm-up set and your first working set if your working sets resting time is 1-2 minutes
Rest 2-3 minutes between your last warm-up set and your first working set if your working sets resting time is 2-3 minutes
