LiftonicBarbell basics · Part 8 of 8
How to warm up for heavy barbell lifts
Start with the empty bar, then do sets at about 40, 60, 80 and 90 percent of your work weight with fewer reps each time. Warm-ups should prepare you, not tire you.
Why warm-up sets matter
Warm-up sets do two jobs. They raise your body temperature and take your joints through the exact movement you're about to load, and they let you practise the lift with weights that get closer to your working weight one step at a time. Skipping them makes the first work set feel heavier and look worse.
Start with a short general warm-up
Five minutes is enough: a few minutes on a bike or rower, or brisk walking, then some bodyweight squats, hip hinges and arm circles. The goal is to feel warm, not tired. Long stretching routines before lifting aren't necessary; save static stretching for after.
A simple warm-up formula
For the first barbell lift of the day, ramp up from the empty bar with sets that get heavier and shorter:
| Set | Weight | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Empty bar | 2 × 5–10 |
| 2 | About 40% of work weight | 5 |
| 3 | About 60% | 3 |
| 4 | About 80% | 2 |
| 5 | About 90% (heavy days only) | 1 |
Example for a 100 kg squat: bar for two sets of 5, then 40 kg × 5, 60 kg × 3, 80 kg × 2, 90 kg × 1, then your work sets at 100 kg. In pounds, for a 225 lb squat: bar × 5 twice, 95 × 5, 135 × 3, 185 × 2, 205 × 1.
Rest only as long as it takes to change plates between the early warm-up sets. Take a minute or two before the last one and before your first work set.
Adjusting it
- Lighter work weights need fewer steps. At 50 kg, the bar, 30 kg and 40 kg are plenty.
- Later lifts need less. If you've already squatted, a deadlift may only need two or three warm-up sets.
- Heavier days need more. Near your max, add a single at about 90 to 95 percent and keep warm-up reps low so they don't tire you.
- Upper body lifts like the bench press and press benefit from a couple of light sets of band pull-aparts or push-ups first, if your shoulders feel stiff.
Common warm-up mistakes
- Too many reps. Warm-ups should leave you fresh. Drop the reps as the weight climbs.
- Jumping too fast from a light set straight to your work weight. The final warm-up should be close to it.
- Treating warm-ups as filler. Each warm-up rep is practice. Set up exactly as you will for the heavy sets.
Should you log warm-ups?
Yes, at least roughly. They show how a weight moved on a given day, and they make it obvious when you've started cutting them short. In Liftonic warm-up sets are marked apart from your work sets, so "set 2 of 3" always means a work set, and you can add or edit them mid-workout. Next step: put your warm-ups to use with the progressive overload guide.
These guides are general education, not medical advice. If a lift causes pain, stop and talk to a qualified professional.
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