How to Warm Up Before Lifting for Better Gains & Fewer Injuries

You’ve likely heard that warming up is essential. But do you know how to warm up before lifting? If you’re like many lifters, you probably don’t. Instead, you’re probably just trying to get right to business, tossing around a few lightweight reps before you dive into your first working set. No wonder injuries are so common and warming up is so boring! But, it doesn’t have to be this way. Properly warming up before lifting can enhance performance and improve your overall training experience. Adding targeted mobility exercises to your warm-up routine can help activate key muscle groups, increase range of motion, and reduce stiffness—so you can lift heavier, recover faster, and train consistently without injury. This blog will cover how to warm up before lifting, including how to create a warm-up routine that works for you.
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One of the best ways to ensure your warm-ups are effective is to use Pliability’s mobility app. This app helps you achieve your goals, such as lifting heavier weights and recovering faster, with warm-ups that enhance your performance.

Do You Need to Warm Up Before Lifting?/

When it comes to warm-ups, there tend to be two camps:

• Lifters living on the wild side who skip their warm-up entirely
• Lifters who spend so long on their warm-up that it takes almost as long as their actual workout. 

The contents, duration, and specifics of your warm-up will primarily depend on your:

• Goals
• Experience
• Individual needs

But let's be real, no one has time for 30 minutes of banded activation sets. But do you need to warm up?

The 5-10 Minute Warm-Up Advantage

Yes. We don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but you still need to warm up, even if you're short on time. The good news is, it really shouldn't take longer than 5 to 10 minutes for most lifters if you're smart about it. A review published in Sports Medicine stated that a warm-up should get you ready "physiologically and psychologically for training, in the belief this will enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury." 

The Science Behind Warming Up

Warming up allows your body to transition from a passive to an active state, and it goes beyond merely raising your body temperature. Here's a closer look at the science behind warming up. 

Warming Up Improves Body Temperature and Joint Mobility

When you warm up, your core temperature rises, essentially priming your body for action. This increase in temperature has several beneficial effects. First, it enhances bodily function and circulation, making your muscles more flexible and ready for movement. Next, it lubricates your joints, which is crucial for movements like squats and deadlifts, helping you perform exercises with better form and reducing your risk of injury. 

Warming Up Improves Blood Flow and Oxygen Delivery 

A dynamic warm-up not only increases muscle blood flow but also total body circulation. This is pivotal for delivering oxygen-rich blood to muscle tissues and clearing out metabolic byproducts from previous workouts. With your blood flowing efficiently, you’re better prepared for the workout ahead. 

Warming Up Helps You Mentally Prepare for Your Workout 

A dynamic warm-up provides an opportunity for mental preparation. By following a consistent warm-up routine before each workout, you establish a ritual that can help you mentally prepare for your training session. It’s a chance to get into the right headspace and focus on the task at hand. 

Warming Up Increases Injury Resilience 

Warming up is crucial for injury prevention. It triggers physiological responses, including increased blood flow and heart rate, which help your body ward off injuries. It also helps your body gradually adapt to movements at greater intensity, reducing the risk of strain or injury during your workout. 

Warming Up Enhances Workout Effectiveness 

A proper warm-up makes your workout more effective. It heats the fluids surrounding your joints, making them less thick and sticky, allowing for smoother and safer movements. Additionally, it activates your muscles, ensuring they work together cohesively, improving overall exercise form and performance. 

Research Backs Up the Benefits of Warming Up 

Numerous studies support the benefits of warming up. A 2010 meta-analysis of 32 studies found that a pre-workout warm-up improved performance in 79% of scenarios across various types of workouts, including:

• Running
• Swimming
• Cycling

Warming Up Saves Time and Makes Workouts More Enjoyable 

Contrary to the notion that warm-ups add time to your workout, they can save you time during your actual exercise. With a proper warm-up, your body is ready to perform, and you won’t waste precious reps or sets trying to get in the groove. Moreover, the mental component of warming up allows you to switch into a different mindset, making your workout more enjoyable.

In other words, you need to warm up to get focused and ready to perform the skill, mobilize your joints, increase blood flow, and prime the muscles for the task ahead: your workout. This will help prevent injury and ensure you can push yourself to your full potential.

Related Reading

• How to Workout When Tired
  
• Why Do Weights Feel Heavier Some Days
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• What Are the Benefits Associated With Warming Up Before Exercise?

What Should You Include in Your Warm-Up?

This is where it becomes more individualised. The same review previously mentioned outlines that lifters wanting to improve their strength should restrict their warm-up to exercise-specific movements rather than general warm-ups (such as sitting on a cardio machine for 5-15 minutes). 

Exercise-Specific Warm-Ups

This means that your warm-ups should reflect your workouts, using the same movement patterns and gradually building in intensity to prepare the body for the working sets. So, a treadmill warm-up may work well for a running workout, but for lifting, we need to dial it in a little more. 

An exercise-specific warm-up for lifting could include:

• Bodyweight reps of the working set movement (e.g., higher rep air squats before dumbbell squats).
• Dynamic stretching and mobility covering the movement patterns of the working sets (e.g., band shoulder dislocates to improve thoracic spine mobility before squats).
• Practicing the working set movement with an empty bar before graduating the weight upwards (e.g., higher rep front squats with an empty bar before adding plates).

Overall, your warm-up will be tailored to your individual needs. But as a rule of thumb, your warm-up should:

• Increase blood flow
• Prime the muscle groups about to be used
• Prepare the joints about to be used
• Prepare the main movement patterns
• Include specific exercises to address any weaknesses, should you have them (e.g. past or present injuries or mobility restrictions)

You do not need to ‘activate’ muscles per se, as they're already active; there isn't an on and off switch for your muscles. Nevertheless, it would be beneficial to gradually prepare the muscles by including sets that increase in intensity to match your working sets.

Tailoring Your Warm-Up

Your warm-up will likely take 5-10 minutes, depending on your time constraints, fitness levels, goals, age, and injury history. If you have past or present injuries, your physiotherapist will advise you on the best exercises to include in your warm-up to suit your needs, and these exercises may make up part of your workout.

Maximize Prep, Minimize Fatigue

Realistically, anything over 10 minutes is pre-fatiguing your muscles or bordering on being part of your workout, only at an intensity below the threshold necessary to facilitate change. E.g., wasting your sweet time. So, prep for your lifts with intention, and you'll save time while hitting personal bests.

How to Warm Up Before Lifting

Keep in mind that your warmup should be specific to the lifts you do. You don’t want to do the same warmup on leg day as on arm day. You also want to throw in a little cardio. Here’s a simple step-by-step process to follow to warm up effectively before your next lifting session: 

1. 5-10 Minutes of Cardio

Choose a form of cardio that’s similar to the type of lifts you’ll be doing. For example, if you’ll be working your arms, a rowing machine or elliptical that gets your arms moving while warming up your entire body is a good option. 

Cardio for a Controlled Warm-Up

For your lower body, activities such as running, climbing stairs, or cycling will activate and warm your muscles before you put them to work. The 5- to 10-minute threshold is just enough time to get your heart going at a sustained rate before you do dynamic and static stretches. This shouldn’t be high-intensity cardio. You should still be able to talk, but you might breathe more heavily. 

2. Bodyweight Squat

Squats activate a whole range of muscle groups, from your glutes and hamstrings to your quads and hip flexors. They also warm up your lower back and core. 

How to do it

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and toes pointing forward.
• Squat down, pressing through your heels, like you’re sitting in a chair. If you’re doing box squats, stop once your hip and knee joints reach the same level. Nevertheless, if you’re doing full squats, keep going to a full squat position with hips below knees.
• Return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes at the top of the squat. 
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps or perform squats for 45–60 seconds.
  

Pro tip: Some people are more comfortable with their feet slightly wider or narrower than hip width and/or with their toes pointed slightly outward. The need for those slight changes is often due to the biomechanics of your hip joint. Listen to your body and adjust your stance so it feels comfortable. 

3. Jumping Jack

Jumping jacks activate your upper body, including your deltoids, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, pectorals, biceps, and triceps. They also activate your lower body, from your calves and Achilles tendons to your quads and glutes. 

How to do it

• Stand with feet together and arms at your sides.
• Jump your feet out wider than hip width while raising your arms overhead. If you want, you can clap your hands at the top.
• Jump back to the starting position and repeat. 
• Perform jumping jacks for 30–60 seconds.
  

Pro tip: If jumping jacks are too high-impact, you can do this move without jumping. Step one leg out to the side while raising both arms over your head, then return to the starting position. On the next rep, step out with the opposite leg. 

4. Arm Circle

Arm circles are a dynamic stretch in that they take your arms through the full ROM using muscle and momentum. Arm circles are an excellent warmup before a session devoted to upper-body lifts. 

How to do it

• Stand with feet together and hands at your sides.
• Lift arms forward toward your shoulders, then circle them around behind your shoulders as far as you can and bring them back to the starting position.
• Create a continuous circle, and perform this motion for 30 seconds.
• Change the direction of your arm circles and continue for another 30 seconds to complete 1 set.
  

Pro tip: Increase the tempo of your arm circles to move this dynamic stretch into cardio territory.

5. Leg Swing — Front to Back and Side to Side

Leg swings dynamically warm up your hip flexors, abductors, and adductors. They’re an essential warmup for leg day and for any time you’re working on power or explosive moves.

Front to back

Stand with a stable object or surface at your side to hold on to for stability if you need it. Your feet should be directly in line with your knees and hips. 

• Swing your opposite leg (the leg on the side that’s not next to the stability object) in front of your body. You don’t have to swing as high as you can, but you should feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings.
• Maintaining momentum, swing your leg behind your body without arching your back.
• Use your momentum to continue swinging your leg from front to back.
• Repeat on this side for 30 seconds.
• Switch sides, making sure the stability surface or object is on the opposite side from the leg that will be swinging.
• Repeat for 30 seconds, as you did on the first side. 

Side to side

• Face a stable object or surface to hold on to for stability.
• Swing your right leg to the left, crossing it in front of the left leg.
• Using momentum and your muscles, swing it to the right side of your body. (Your leg should look like a pendulum.)
• Try to keep your upper body still and maintain core engagement.
• Swing your right leg for 30 seconds.
• Repeat with your left leg for another 30 seconds. 

6. Calf Stretch

Tight calves and Achilles tendons can seriously limit the ROM of your ankles. This can get in the way of everything from squats to deadlifts. Standing calf stretches can pay dividends when it comes to your form and range of motion (ROM). 

How to do it

• Stand facing a wall or sturdy object.
• Place both hands on the wall and step one foot in front of the other. Keep each foot in line with the hip and knee.
  Press into your back foot. Try to keep your heel on the ground. You should feel a stretch to the back of your calf.
• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
• Now, slightly bend your back knee. You should feel stretching near the upper (and inner) portion of your calf.
• Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.
• Repeat both stretches on the other side. 

7. Single-arm cross-body stretch

This static stretch targets your deltoids, trapezius, and rhomboids. 

How to do it

• Stand with feet hip-width apart. 
• Keep your right arm straight as you cross it in front of your body, with your hand passing in front of the left shoulder.
• Use the left arm to gently press just above the right elbow to deepen the stretch.
• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
  

Pro tip: Do not grasp the arm that’s being stretched at or below the elbow. That puts too much pressure and strain on the elbow joint. 

8. Hamstring Stretch

Your hamstrings are used in all kinds of lifts, from lunges to deadlifts. Muscle imbalances between the hamstrings and quads are common, but these two muscle groups balance each other out.

Lifts that target your hamstrings are an excellent way to maintain muscle balance. But prep those hammies first! 

How to do it

• Standing with feet hip-width apart, bring one foot forward, with toes pointing up.
• Bend at your hips, keeping your front leg straight and core engaged.
• Try to reach your toes while bringing your torso toward your front thigh. It’s OK if you can only get your knee or shin.
• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side. 

9. Standing forward bend with rear arm lock

If you’ve ever watched Michael Phelps warm up before a race, you’ve seen an excellent demonstration of this dynamic stretch. It’s a standing forward bend stretch with a rear arm lock and his signature giant-wingspan arm slaps thrown in for good measure. This dynamic stretch activates your pectorals, deltoids, rhomboids, and trapezius. 

How to do it

• Stand with feet hip-width apart or slightly wider.
• Interlace your fingers behind you and bend forward at your waist.
• Keeping arms locked at the elbows, engage your shoulders and upper back muscles.
• Hold for 10–15 seconds. (Add the arm slap if you want.)
  

Pro tip: If you have trouble keeping your fingers together during the stretch or you experience pain, try it without bending forward. 

10. Push-up Mobilization (for upper-body training days)

Begin this upper-body warmup by getting into a push-up position. Slowly lower your chest to the floor before raising your chest again, making sure to extend your arms fully. Next, lower your body one side at a time; this gets your scapulas moving, mobilizing the muscles and joints of your upper body. 

Integrating Yoga-Inspired Flows

Then push your hips up and back (similar to a downward-facing dog pose in yoga) and then forward into a hips-down, chest-up position (similar to a cobra pose). To also engage stabilizers and rotators, try staggering your arms by placing them at different spots (for example, keeping them wide apart or bringing them together so your hands form a diamond). 

After some push-ups and movements in this position, your torso, shoulders, arms, and back should feel ready to work. 

11. Foam Roll and Stretch

Target the muscles that will be used in your session, but focus most of your attention on your tightest muscles. Foam roll these areas before stretching each one for 20-30 seconds. Do not do deep, extended stretches immediately before lifting; save these longer sessions for a post-workout stretch or another time of day. 

Identifying and Addressing Your Tight Spots

If you’re not sure which areas of your body are the tightest, then have a fitness professional assess your movement quality and tell you. Here’s a good checklist for general prep: 

• Calves
• Hamstrings
• Quads
• Lats
• Pecs

12. Mobility Drills

Mobility drills focus on improving joint range of motion, which is crucial for performing exercises with proper form and reducing the risk of injury. Incorporating mobility exercises into your warm-up routine can significantly benefit your flexibility and movement. 

Unlocking Range of Motion and Form

Mobility Drills increase joint flexibility and range of motion. They also improve overall mobility and may enhance exercise form and technique. Four examples of mobility drills:

• Hip Circles: Stand on one leg and make circular motions with your hips to enhance hip mobility.
• Wrist Mobility Drills: Perform exercises to improve wrist flexibility, which is essential for exercises like push-ups and bench presses.
• Ankle Circles: Rotate your ankles to enhance ankle mobility, which is crucial for squats and deadlifts.
• Neck Rolls: Gently roll your neck in both directions to improve neck mobility. 

The Full Warm-Up Advantage

Incorporating a combination of these warm-up exercises into your routine will prepare your whole body, ensuring that you’re ready to tackle your weight lifting and strength training workouts with confidence and reduced risk of injury. When you get under the bar, begin with a couple of light warm-up sets. 

What About Static Stretching?

While it was once considered a widespread practice, static stretches before a workout have been proven to be a bad idea. Numerous studies have shown that doing so can reduce the effectiveness of your workout. When you stretch a muscle, you are giving it conflicting messages.

Stretching relaxes and elongates, while the workout to come will do precisely the opposite – it will put stress on the muscle and cause it to contract. As a result, it is best to do static stretching at the end of your workout. 

The Power of Static Stretching

Your training session has created a large amount of tension in the muscles. Getting into the habit of going through a post-workout static stretching routine will reduce this tension and, thereby, improve the entire recovery process. Here is an effective post-workout stretching routine that you can do after a lower-body workout: 

Quadriceps Stretch

How to Perform

• Stand on one leg and grab your ankle with your hand, gently pulling your heel towards your glutes. 
• Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds.

Benefits: Relaxes and stretches the quadriceps muscles, which can become tight after leg-focused workouts like squats and lunges. 

Hamstring Stretch

How to Perform

• Sit on the floor with one leg extended straight and the other bent, with the sole of your foot against the inner thigh of your extended leg. 
• Reach forward and gently grasp your toes or calf, keeping your back straight. 
• Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds. 

Benefits: Targets the hamstrings, which can tighten after exercises like deadlifts or leg curls, improving flexibility. 

Hip Flexor Stretch

How to Perform

• Kneel on one knee and step the other foot forward, creating a 90-degree angle with your front knee. 
• Push your hips forward slightly and lean into the stretch. 
• Hold for 20-30 seconds. 

Benefits: Relieves tension in the hip flexors, commonly used during exercises such as squats and lunges.

Related Reading

• Warmup Exercises for Seniors
• Stretches Before Running
• Warm Up Exercises Before Running
• Dynamic Warm Up for Athletes

What's an Example of a Warm-up for Lifting?

As a rough example, a barbell front squat warm-up of roughly 5-10 minutes might look like: 

• 20 reps of speedy bodyweight squats to get used to the movement, raise the heart rate, and mobilise the joints.
• 1-3 minutes of any thoracic, hip, ankle, wrist, or other mobility work needed for the rest of the workout.
• 10 reps with an empty barbell.
• 8 reps at 50-60% of your working set weight.
• 5 reps at 70-80% of your working set weight.

Begin Your Working Set

If you have other heavy barbell lifts in the same programme, you wouldn't necessarily need to repeat this; you could head straight into graduating the weight up for one or two sets before your working set weight. On the other hand, assuming this is the only heavy lift, you should be ready to get stuck into accessory moves after a warm-up, similarly to the above example. 

Personalizing Your Warm-Up

As previously mentioned, this may look quite different from your warm-up, due to different exercise choices in your programme. You may also have different exercise experiences, injury history, and mobility needs. In light of this, tailor your warm-up to your body and what works best for you. 

Here’s a sample warm-up routine I’ve based on a guy working on a split routine bodybuilding program. Today, he’s hitting his chest, triceps, and calves, starting with the bench press. The recommended specific warm-up exercises are: 

Cardiovascular Warm Up (3 Minutes)

Begin with a 3-minute light jog or brisk walk on the treadmill to gradually elevate your heart rate. Alternatively, you can perform jumping jacks or stationary cycling for the same duration. 

Dynamic Stretching (3 Minutes)

Perform arm circles for 30 seconds, both forward and backward. Follow with leg swings for 30 seconds per leg, allowing your legs to swing forward and backward. Continue with high knees for 30 seconds, lifting your knees as high as possible. Complete this dynamic stretching sequence with hip rotations for 30 seconds per leg. 

Specific Muscle Activation (2 Minutes)

Engage your chest muscles with 1 minute of push-ups or push-up variations. Activate your triceps by performing tricep dips for 30 seconds using parallel bars or a stable surface. Conclude this segment with 30 seconds of bodyweight calf raises to activate your calf muscles. 

Mobility Drills (2 Minutes)

Enhance your chest mobility with chest stretches for 30 seconds, emphasizing deep inhales and exhales. Improve tricep and shoulder mobility by gently rolling your shoulders backward and forward for 30 seconds. Conclude your warm-up with 30 seconds of ankle circles, rotating each ankle to enhance ankle mobility.

Related Reading

• Golf Warm Up Routine
• Upper Body Warm Up Exercises​
• Warm Up Cardio Exercises
• Stretches Before Walking

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