Fitness Nation Forum

I always struggle to find a sweet spot with warm-ups. Some days I feel gassed before my work sets, other days I feel stiff and not ready. What’s your go-to warm-up routine before squats, bench or deadlifts? Do you stick to mobility drills, ramp-up sets or just jump straight in?

I do a few minutes on the bike to get the blood flowing, then go straight into ramp-up sets. Nothing fancy. If I stretch too much, my strength drops.

For me, it’s all about movement-specific warm-ups. If I’m squatting heavy, I start with the empty bar and build up in small jumps until I hit my working weight. It keeps me loose but not tired.

Yeah, I think I overdo the warm-ups sometimes. I’ll do 4–5 sets before even touching my top weight and end up gassed. I might try fewer ramp sets next time.

You’re probably doing too many reps on the warm-ups. Keep them low like 5 reps at 50%, 3 at 70%, 1-2 at 80%. That’s plenty to prime your nervous system.

Dynamic stretching >>> static stretching before heavy lifts. I’ll hit some hip openers, and shoulder dislocates before squats or bench. It feels way better than sitting there stretching cold.

Same here. I used to spend 20 minutes stretching like I was about to run a marathon. Now it’s just 5–10 mins of band work and a couple ramp sets. PRs started going up too.

I never tried band work before lifts might give that a shot. My shoulders always feel tight on bench days. Any specific band exercises you recommend?

Face pulls, band pull-apart, and internal/external rotations. 2 sets each before bench = game changer for shoulder health.

Honestly, if you’re feeling good that day, sometimes you don’t need much. I’ve hit PRs after a couple warm-up sets and just going by feel. Don’t overthink it.