First off, how do you suggest I warm up? I've just been doing two sets of five reps with light weight, usually about 50% of my working weight, before going onto my five sets of 5. Is this enough? Also, does warming up in this way allow you to do more weight than if you hadn't worked out, or less weight just a lot more safe?

First off, how do you suggest I warm up? I've just been doing two sets of five reps with light weight, usually about 50% of my working weight, before going onto my five sets of 5. Is this enough? Also, does warming up in this way allow you to do more weight than if you hadn't worked out, or less weight just a lot more safe?

A general warm up of about 3 minutes of calisthenics like jog in place or walking on a treadmill, trunk twists might make you feel better but the first 3-4 reps should "warm" you up as far as lifting is concerned. I have never warmed up or stretched and haven't been injured yet. I have never seen anything from reliable sources supporting warm ups for muscle groups.

First off, how do you suggest I warm up? I've just been doing two sets of five reps with light weight, usually about 50% of my working weight, before going onto my five sets of 5. Is this enough?

How much specific warm-up you need is going to depend on how heavy your work sets are going to be and whether you performed a general warm-up first. Two sets of five is about all I do as well and then I acclimate with a couple triples or doubles to bridge the gap between them and my work sets. From a performance stand-point, I don't find a specific warm-up to be nearly as important as performing a general warm-up or using acclimation sets -- probably because the latter somewhat accomplishes the same task.

General warm-up: elevates heart-rate.
Specific warm-up: circulates extra blood through the muscles you're going to be using and helps clear inhibitions on flexibility. (Ever notice that, to a point, you can squat deeper more easily the more reps you've performed and the warmer you are?)
Acclimation: gets your head "in the game" and gets your nervous system primed for the specific movement.

Also, does warming up in this way allow you to do more weight than if you hadn't worked out, or less weight just a lot more safe?
Warming up and acclimating suitably will allow you to work at a higher level of performance more quickly. In other words, you are able to get "in the groove" or "hit your stride" from the beginning of your work sets, instead of, perhaps, a couple in. Also, psychologically, I certainly feel safer and as if I perform a lot better.

First off, how do you suggest I warm up? I've just been doing two sets of five reps with light weight, usually about 50% of my working weight, before going onto my five sets of 5. Is this enough?

Depends on what exercise you are doing and at what point in your workout. For heavy compounds, I'll usually do 2 warmup sets....the first being relatively light (~50-60% work set weight) and the second a little heavier (~70-80% work set weight). Some people do more, but this has worked very well for me.

lso, does warming up in this way allow you to do more weight than if you hadn't worked out, or less weight just a lot more safe?

The purpose of warming up is to prevent injury. It shouldn't adversely affect your ability lift the weight -- You shouldn't work anywhere near failure on warm up sets, and therefore shouldn't be fatigued enough to have your strength adversely affected.

General warm-up: elevates heart-rate.

A lot of the time I use the rotator cuff exercises for warm up. I'm strong enough now that this elevates the heart rate.

Specific warm-up: circulates extra blood through the muscles you're going to be using and helps clear inhibitions on flexibility. (Ever notice that, to a point, you can squat deeper more easily the more reps you've performed and the warmer you are?)

This one I think makes a lot more difference for movements fed by small blood vessels. Which means not legs and back. My experience is that legs and back warm up so fast it's hard to tell what changes occur.

In particular I have never noticed warming up having any effect on the ease of various depth squats.

Acclimation: gets your head "in the game" and gets your nervous system primed for the specific movement.

This one is big for me. I definitely make fewer technical mistakes if I warm up and pay attention to the technique of the lift. Although with an unfamiliar lift it doesn't help as much as with a lift that I have pretty much thought my way through.

I warm up every session without fail.

5 to 6 minutes on the eliptical working up to a setting about "medium"

Some bodyweight Stiff-leg Deads.

"air" Tricep Kickbacks (30 or 40)

Some bodyweight light partial squats.

Arm rotations to loosen up the shoulders...

"Mimicking" of ex's....using no weight at all...


Gets the blood flowing to muscles....lubes the joints...

I will never,ever,ever,ever,again workout "cold"

From personal experience I can attest that "warming up" works..

On a day where I Bench I'll do 20 reps with a 20lb bar before I even start the actual program.
Ditto for Deads or Squats.

Ever jumped up off the couch while watching a good T.V. show and hoisted a 100lb sack of spuds over your head?

Course not.

You wouldn't do it there so why do it in the gym?

As one of the older guys here, I should probably warm up a little bit more than I do now. I usually just do no warm up sets except for bench, where I do one set at 10 x 135 to loosen up.

I do 5 on the elliptical, some bodyweight squats, then 4x15 broomstick stretches. I'll do 4 or 5 warmup sets before my first compound, but only 1 or 2 thereafter.


I have never seen anything from reliable sources supporting warm ups for muscle groups.

You should read Starting Strength.

You should read Starting Strength.

:D

I read a great article about stretching and warm ups the other day it is Mr Weider that has said that there is no use stretching or warming up before exercising. To stretch or to warm up any muscle you need to be using heat and if you do this before you lift weights you will not be lifting at your full potential he suggested a warm down instead so when you finish you training stretch that specific body part or allocate a day where it is a complete stretch day. Use that day to do a full body stretching workout something like pilaties or even yoga.

I do lift weights.....but not very much.

I've never felt pain either.

I read a great article about stretching and warm ups the other day it is Mr Weider that has said that there is no use stretching or warming up before exercising. To stretch or to warm up any muscle you need to be using heat and if you do this before you lift weights you will not be lifting at your full potential he suggested a warm down instead so when you finish you training stretch that specific body part or allocate a day where it is a complete stretch day. Use that day to do a full body stretching workout something like pilaties or even yoga.

Joe Weider is nearly an invalid, well into his 80s. He hasn't written anything in years if he ever did. Someone writes all his stuff for him. I have to admit I have read his magaiznes for over 50 years. Always take anything said in them with a grain of salt. :cool:

I do a few warmup sets before I hit a particular muscle group. I use the warmup set(s) to make sure I've got good form and to get my muscles loosened up. It also helps me figure out how much weight to do for my working sets. If the warmup is easy then I will try for some PRs. If it's not as easy as it should be then I might back off the weight a bit that day. Sometimes for whatever reason you just don't have it, you know?

For bench, squat, and deadlifts I generally do three warmup sets--empty bar x 10, light weight x 10, medium weight x 6. Like say, for the bench: 45x10, 135x10, 185x6, then working sets at 225.