Perform a series of progressively heavier sets that will get pretty close to our actual working weight, while using fewer and fewer reps as we go to avoid fatiguing ourselves before we even begin. With all of that in mind, the most common recommendation for optimally accomplishing everything on that list is to: To accomplish all of the above WITHOUT creating unnecessary fatigue.To allow us to prepare our central nervous system.To allow us to prepare the joints being used.To allow us to prepare the target muscle(s).Specifically, the goals of warm up sets are as follows:
They understand the reason for warming up, they just don’t understand the goals… and that leads to all sorts of dumb stuff being done. Now, here is where people start to screw things up. Since most of us will always be starting off each exercise with our heaviest working weight, there won’t be any lighter work sets leading up to our heavier/heaviest work sets… we will just be jumping right in from the very first set.įor this reason, a proper warm up set sequence is absolutely crucial. More about that here: Pyramid Sets vs Reverse Pyramid Training vs Straight Sets There are exceptions of course, but for most people, this is a completely idiotic and counterproductive way to train. What I don’t recommend however is a traditional pyramid set structure (where you start with something like 100lbs, then go to 110lbs, then 120lbs, etc.), where you essentially use your real work sets as warm up sets. In either scenario, your first set still ends up being as heavy as you will be going on that specific exercise. What that means is, I recommend that most people either use straight sets (where you use the same weight for all of your sets of an exercise), or a reverse pyramid/ descending ramp (where you start with your heaviest weight and then reduce the weight from set to set). In order to properly understand the purpose of warm up sets, there’s a recommendation you need to hear first.Īnd that is, for the majority of the population, the first real work set of every exercise you do should always be with your heaviest weight. Let’s figure out their purpose and goals, how many sets to do, how much weight to use, and which weight training exercises do and do not actually need warm up sets in the first place.
While both are definitely important for different reasons, today I want to focus specifically on the second item on that list: warm up sets. For example, if you were going to bench press 200lbs, you’d typically do warm up sets using progressively heavier weight as you work your way up to 200lbs. This refers to the warm up sets being done before the weight training exercises themselves. For example, this may include cardio/aerobic activity, stretching (statically and/or dynamically), foam rolling and/or various forms of mobility work. This refers to the overall warm up that takes place before the workout actually begins. In terms of weight training, there’s primarily 2 different forms of warming up that people tend to neglect or just screw up altogether: One of the most overlooked aspects of a workout routine is the warm up.
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