How many warm-up sets should I do?

After the empty bar: one lighter set if your working weight is under about 50 kg (110 lb), two ramp sets from 50 kg, and three from 100 kg (220 lb), the last a single at about 85%.

How many reps in a warm-up set?

Fewer as the weight climbs: around 5 at half your working weight, 2 or 3 at 70 to 80%, and a single near 85%. The point is to practise the movement and get used to the load, not to get tired.

How long should I rest between warm-up sets?

About 60 seconds is enough for the light ones. Rest your normal time before the first working set.

Do I need to warm up for every exercise?

No. The first heavy lift for a muscle needs a ramp. A later lift for the same muscles needs at most one feeler set, and light accessory work usually needs none.

Warm-up calculator

The warm-up sets to do before your working weight: enough to get ready, not so many that they tire you. Pick a lift and enter the weight.

Lift

Working weight (kg)

4 warm-up sets, 60 s rest after each

20 kg × 10Empty bar
50 kg × 5Each side: 15
70 kg × 3Each side: 25
85 kg × 1Each side: 25 + 5 + 2.5
100 kg: your working setsEach side: 25 + 15

How the warm-up is worked out

It starts with the empty bar for 10 easy reps (unless your working weight is barely more than the bar), then climbs in a few steps toward your working weight. Each step is a weight your plates can actually make, heavier than the last, and lighter than your working weight. The heavier the lift, the more steps, and the fewer reps in each, so the warm-up gets you ready without eating into your working sets.

This is the same ramp the Liftsmith app uses. In the app it also knows which muscles are already warm from earlier in the workout, so a second pressing lift gets a single feeler set instead of a full ramp.

Questions

How many warm-up sets should I do?: After the empty bar: one lighter set if your working weight is under about 50 kg (110 lb), two ramp sets from 50 kg, and three from 100 kg (220 lb), the last a single at about 85%.
How many reps in a warm-up set?: Fewer as the weight climbs: around 5 at half your working weight, 2 or 3 at 70 to 80%, and a single near 85%. The point is to practise the movement and get used to the load, not to get tired.
How long should I rest between warm-up sets?: About 60 seconds is enough for the light ones. Rest your normal time before the first working set.
Do I need to warm up for every exercise?: No. The first heavy lift for a muscle needs a ramp. A later lift for the same muscles needs at most one feeler set, and light accessory work usually needs none.

More: how to warm up for lifting, the plate calculator and dynamic vs static stretching.

Walk in, warm up, lift

Liftsmith plans the warm-ups, the working sets and the rest between them, so all you do is lift.

✓ Free to start, no account needed
✓ Plans every set, rep and weight for you
✓ Works offline, on Android, iPhone and the web
✓ No ads, ever

Start free in your browser