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I've been thinking about this factor a lot recently when it comes to performance on working sets. Warm up sets. How do you program them? I've been using a technique that I learned from military athlete where you work off your ME percentage for the working sets and do three sets at lower percentages working up to the working sets for the day, for example:

If I am on week one and doing 5 reps at 75% for my working sets. My warm up sets will be as follows

Set 1. 5@45%
Set 2. 5@55%
Set 3. 5@65%

Next set is first working set. I use this for all my lifts on every day, except weighted pull ups. That's usually all the warm up I need here since I'm average it's around 110-115 here in the Summer. Winter I will do a slow jog before my warm up sets or some body weight exercises

Considering taking a different approach to warm up sets. Would love to hear an overall more efficient method if there is one

Usually, I do 3 sets starting with the bar and progressively loading up. No golden rule for the %% just going by the feeling on given day. As for reps.. I try to keep it simple: 1-3 reps with very slow paused moves keeping mind to the bracing/breathing and form in general.

5-10 minutes of skipping before any and all weight training. I find it warms me up and gets my muscles limber and ready. Then I usually do an empty bar set for 10-20 reps, followed by 1 plate/side for 1-2 sets of 5 reps. Most of the time that's enough. I spend more time with warm up sets on deadlift day, where I'll build up to my working weight over several sets. Sometimes I'll warm up more on 90% days as well.

I don't follow the 2 min RI for warm up sets, I just go when I'm ready.

For me, it's just the natural progression of the plates.

I don't worry too much about rest interval in warm-ups either.

Example: 275 lb squat work set would look like this

Empty bar x 5-10
135 x 3-5
185 x 2-3
225 x 1-2
255 x 1

then the work sets. With lighter work sets (OHP, for example), there would be less warmup sets.

Don't forget, the term "warm-up sets" is incomplete, and maybe a little misleading.

It's not just "warming up" the muscles or whatever.

It is also stretching everything out, and importantly, getting your body and mind ready for the work sets.

The reason I do so many warm-up sets with low reps, especially with squats and deads, is that the body is ready for it. The work set weight is not a shock.

I'm not sure I would want to know what would happen if I threw 275 at a squat after only 135 warmups.

WallBilly wrote:Don't forget, the term "warm-up sets" is incomplete, and maybe a little misleading.

It's not just "warming up" the muscles or whatever.

It is also stretching everything out, and importantly, getting your body and mind ready for the work sets.

The reason I do so many warm-up sets with low reps, especially with squats and deads, is that the body is ready for it. The work set weight is not a shock.

I'm not sure I would want to know what would happen if I threw 275 at a squat after only 135 warmups.

Okay so it sounds like the system I'm using is actually pretty good then

Tyr0331 wrote: Okay so it sounds like the system I'm using is actually pretty good then

I agree.

I'm not trying to talk you into switching, you just asked what we do.