Weightlifting Advice: How To Warm-up Properly

By Author: Sean Nalewanyj
Total Articles: 53
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A huge mistake I see in the gym every week is that many lifters don't recognize the importance of a proper warm-up. Some lifters perform a wimpy, worthless warm-up that consists of 1 set of 20 reps using the weight of the bar and others neglect the warm-up process altogether.

You need a good warm-up for both short and long term benefits because...

1) A good warm-up helps increase how much weight you can lift during your actual workout, thereby maximizing your muscle growth.

2) Your chances of injury are decreased with a proper warm-up.

First, you will need 5 minutes of light cardiovascular activity. You can select from the recumbent bike, rowing machine, treadmill, or any other basic piece of cardio equipment to achieve this.

A simple cardio warm-up will up your body's core temperature, help in stimulating your heart and lungs, and lubricate your joints by increasing the secretion of synovial fluid. As you perform this 5-minute cardio warm-up, envision the workout that you will soon be performing.

Taking the time to mentally prepare yourself will help you with the battle that lies ahead. ...
... It's important that you prepare both your body and your mind for your workouts; don't underestimate the vital role that your mental attitude plays in muscle building success.

Once you've completed those 5 minutes, move onto the final part of your warm-up. You will do 5 warm-up sets of the first major compound exercise of your workout.

For example, if you were training legs and squats were your main exercise, then you would perform 5 warm-up sets for squats. You will want to start with light weights and high repetitions, gradually moving onto higher resistances and lower repetitions.

However, the most crucial aspect of these 5 warm-up sets is this:

FATIGUING YOUR MUSCLES IS NOT AN OPTION DURING THESE 5 SETS!

Remember, this is simply a warm-up; it is only designed to help you improve blood flow to the muscles and surrounding connective tissue. It also helps to up the poundages that you can lift during your workout by prepping your body and mind beforehand.

Use the formula below to figure out just how much weight to use and how many reps to perform as a part of your warm-up. The percentage given is in relation to the weight that you will use for your muscle-building set.

To give you an idea, if you were aiming at squatting with 200 pounds, the first warm-up set will consist of 10 reps with 100 pounds.

Set 1: 50% x 10 reps
Set 2: 60% x 6 reps
Set 3: 70% x 4 reps
Set 4: 80% x 3 reps
Set 5: 90% x 1 rep

Before you move into your workout, finish these 5 basic sets.

This is essential weightlifting advice; please do not underestimate the importance of the warm-up process! Apply this weightlifting advice to stay injury-free and prep for hard workouts.

The cost of an additional 15-20 minutes is well worth the reward.
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