How to do Warm Up Sets (Ramping Up)
Ramping up is the best way to warm up for the big lifts. Far too many people jump straight into heavy lifts without having done enough, or any warm up sets or just by doing 10 minutes of cardio thinking it will prepare them enough for lifting heavy weights.
What are the benefits of warm up sets?
- Reduces the chance of an injury by gradually preparing you for heavy weights.
- If you're carrying any niggles, it's better to find out while squatting the bar than it is to find out when you've got a heavy weight on your back.
- Increases your performance on your working sets.
- Builds confidence when the warm up sets are moving fast.
- A chance to practise the lifts and improve your technique.
- Increases your core temperature and local tissue blood flow
Do you have to do warm up sets for every exercise?
No. Not unless your program tells you to. You should always use them for any big lifts you do (barbell lifts), but you don't have to do them for exercises like lateral raises or push downs as you're not lifting as heavy weight.
How to do warm up sets
How many warm up sets will largely depend on how strong you are and the weights you're lifting for your work sets. You'll need more warm up sets the heavier weights you're using.
This is how I would warm up if my work sets are 200kg.
This is how i would warm up if my work sets were 100kg
It's important to realise these aren't meant to hard and shouldn't fatigue you. They should in fact get you ready and improve your performance. Don't do such high reps that it will ruin your work sets. The exception is if your programs calls for a certain amount of reps for your warm up sets.
This is how I would warm up if my work sets are 200kg.
- Warm up set 1 - 20kg x 10 (Always start with the bar
- Warm up set 2 - 80kg x 8
- Warm up set 3 - 120kg x 3
- Warm up set 4 - 140kg x 3
- Warm up set 5 - 160kg x 2
- Warm up set 6 - 180kg x 3
- Do your work sets
This is how i would warm up if my work sets were 100kg
- Warm up set 1 - 20kg x 10
- Warm up set 2 - 50kg x 6
- Warm up set 3 - 80kg x 3
- Do your work sets
- Warm up set 1 - 20kg x 10
- Warm up set 2 - 40kg x 6
- Warm up set 3 - 60kg x 5
- Warm up set 4 - 80kg x 3
- Do your work sets
It's important to realise these aren't meant to hard and shouldn't fatigue you. They should in fact get you ready and improve your performance. Don't do such high reps that it will ruin your work sets. The exception is if your programs calls for a certain amount of reps for your warm up sets.