How to Warm Up

Overview

A warm up should raise your body temperature, move your joints through the ranges you are about to load, and rehearse the movement pattern with gradually increasing weight.

Sitting on the floor holding a hamstring stretch for thirty seconds does none of those things well, and may briefly reduce your force output.

Quick Answer

An effective warm up has three parts: five minutes of general activity to raise body temperature, dynamic movements through the ranges you are about to use, and ramp up sets that build to your working weight. Static stretching before lifting can temporarily reduce strength.

Key Points

Three parts: raise temperature, move dynamically, ramp up.
Long static holds before lifting can reduce force output temporarily.
Ramp up sets are the most important and most skipped part.
Ten minutes is enough for most sessions.
Warm up specifically for the session you are about to do.

The three part structure

Part	Duration	Purpose
General	5 minutes	Raise core temperature and heart rate
Specific dynamic	3 to 5 minutes	Move joints through relevant ranges
Ramp up sets	5 to 10 minutes	Rehearse the pattern, prepare for load

Part one: general

Five minutes of easy cycling, rowing, brisk walking or skipping. You want to be slightly warm and breathing a little harder, not tired.

This part is genuinely non-specific. Pick whatever you find least tedious.

Part two: dynamic movement

Move through the ranges you are about to load, actively rather than passively held.

Session	Dynamic movements
Lower body	Leg swings, bodyweight squats, walking lunges, hip circles
Upper body push	Arm circles, band pull-aparts, scapular push ups, wall slides
Upper body pull	Band pull-aparts, scapular pull ups, thoracic rotations
Running	Leg swings, A-skips, ankle bounces, gradual pace build

Ten to fifteen repetitions of each, moving continuously.

Part three: ramp up sets

This is the part that actually matters most, and the part people skip when in a hurry.

Working towards a 100kg squat for 5 reps:

Set	Weight	Reps
1	Empty bar	10
2	40kg	5
3	60kg	3
4	80kg	2
5	90kg	1
Working	100kg	5

Note the rep count falling as the weight rises. The purpose is preparation, not fatigue. Ramping up with five reps at every weight would leave you tired before the working set.

For the second and third exercise of a session you are already warm, so one or two ramp up sets is plenty.

Static stretching before lifting

Holding a stretch for thirty seconds or more before training can temporarily reduce strength and power output. The effect is modest and short lived, but there is no upside to it before a heavy session.

Save static stretching for after training or for separate sessions, where it works perfectly well for improving flexibility.

Warming up when short on time

If you have five minutes rather than fifteen, keep the ramp up sets and cut the rest. Loading a pattern gradually is the part that most directly prepares you for the working sets.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why it causes problems	Better approach
Static stretching before lifting	Briefly reduces force output	Do it afterwards
Skipping ramp up sets	Straight into heavy work unprepared	Always ramp
Ramping with too many reps	Arrives at the working set already tired	Reps fall as weight rises
Twenty minute mobility circus	Uses the energy the session needed	Ten minutes is plenty
Same warm up regardless of session	Not specific to what you are about to do	Match the movements

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a warm up take?

About ten minutes for most sessions. Heavy lower body days may need slightly longer, accessory-focused days rather less.

Should I stretch before or after a workout?

Dynamic movement before, static stretching after or in a separate session.

Do I need to warm up for a light session?

A shorter one, yes. Even light sessions benefit from raised temperature and a couple of ramp up sets.

Is a warm up necessary for cardio?

Yes, though it can be as simple as starting at an easy pace for five minutes and building gradually.