Walking into the gym, dropping your bag and going straight to heavy squats is a common habit and a common reason for tweaked backs and sore knees. A proper warm up does not have to be long or boring. 10 minutes is enough to raise your body temperature, wake up the right muscles and prepare the joints you are about to load.
Here is a routine you can use before any strength session, and how to adjust it for the day's lifts.
What a warm up actually does
A warm up has 3 jobs:
- Raise your temperature and heart rate, so muscles contract more efficiently and blood flows to the working tissue.
- Take your joints through the ranges you will use in the session.
- Rehearse the movement with lighter loads so your technique is sharp before the weight gets heavy.
In Kampala's warm weather, you may heat up faster than someone training in the cold, but do not skip the warm up because you feel warm. Temperature is only one part. Joints and the nervous system still need preparing.
Static stretching versus dynamic movement
Holding long stretches before lifting can reduce force output slightly for some people, and does little to prepare you for the movement itself. A better plan is to use dynamic movements, which put the joints through controlled motion, and keep long static stretches for after training or for separate mobility sessions.
The 10 minute general warm up
Step 1: Raise the temperature (3 to 4 minutes)
Choose one: brisk walking on the treadmill, an easy bike ride, a rowing machine, or skipping. Aim for a pace where you could still talk but you feel slightly warm. Finish with a short sweat, not exhaustion.
Step 2: Mobilise the joints (3 minutes)
Do each for about 30 to 40 seconds or the stated reps.
- Cat and cow: 8 slow reps.
- World's greatest stretch or a deep lunge with a reach: 5 per side. It opens hips, hamstrings and upper back at once.
- Arm circles and shoulder rolls: 10 each way.
- Hip circles: 8 each way, each leg.
- Bodyweight squat to a pause at the bottom: 8 reps.
Step 3: Activate the key muscles (2 to 3 minutes)
- Glute bridge: 12 reps, squeeze at the top.
- Band pull aparts: 15 reps.
- Bird dog or dead bug: 6 to 8 per side.
- Plank: 20 to 30 seconds.
The specific warm up: ramp up sets
After the general warm up, do progressively heavier sets of your initial exercise. This is the most useful part and many lifters skip it. A sample for a squat with a working weight of 100 kg:
- Empty bar for 10 reps.
- 40 kg for 6 reps.
- 60 kg for 4 reps.
- 80 kg for 2 reps.
- 90 kg for 1 rep (optional).
- Start your working sets.
Rest 30 to 60 seconds between warm up sets, keeping them light enough that they do not tire you. The aim is a smooth feeling in the movement, not to fatigue yourself. You do not need to repeat ramp up sets for every exercise. Do them for the initial big lift, and use 1 or 2 lighter sets for later lifts.
Adjusting for the day
Lower body day
Add extra focus on hips, ankles and knees: 90/90 hip switches, calf stretches, banded side steps, and goblet squats with a pause. Include a few hip hinges with a light kettlebell before deadlifts.
Upper body day
Emphasise shoulders and upper back: band external rotations, wall slides, thoracic rotations, scapular push ups. Do a few light sets of push ups or the bar before you press.
Full body or circuit day
Use the general warm up, then include 1 or 2 light rounds of the exercises you will do, before the real circuit starts.
Warm up for a tight or sore body
If you wake up stiff, perhaps after a long day sitting or after a hard session 2 days ago, spend a little more time on mobility. 5 extra minutes of gentle movement and walking usually helps. If a specific joint feels sore, warm it up with lighter weight and more reps, and stop if the pain is sharp or builds as you move.
Common mistakes
Skipping it because you are short on time. 10 minutes is not a lot, and a missed warm up costs more time if you end up injured. If you are really rushed, shorten the session rather than the warm up.
Warming up too hard. If your warm up sets are heavy enough that you feel fatigued, you are wasting energy. Keep reps low and weights light.
Scrolling your phone between sets. Long gaps cool the body. Keep moving, or keep rest short.
Doing the same thing every day. The general warm up can stay the same, but tweak the specific part to match what you are lifting.
Static stretching only. Standing around holding a hamstring stretch while cold is not a warm up.
A quick checklist
- Do I feel warm and slightly sweaty?
- Can I move my hips, shoulders and spine through full range without pain?
- Does my initial working set feel smooth and controlled?
If the answer to any is no, add a few more minutes.
After the session
A 5 minute cool down of slow walking, then a few stretches for the muscles you worked, helps your breathing and heart rate settle. It is not essential for recovery, but many people find it improves how they feel the next day. Drink water, and eat a meal with protein and carbohydrate, such as rice with beans and fish, or eggs and sweet potato.
Key takeaways
- A warm up should raise temperature, take joints through range and rehearse the movement with lighter loads.
- Use dynamic movements before lifting, and keep long static stretches for after training.
- A 10 minute plan of easy cardio, mobility drills and activation exercises covers most sessions.
- Ramp up your initial big lift with progressively heavier sets rather than jumping straight to working weight.
- Adjust the warm up to the day: more hips and ankles for legs, more shoulders and upper back for upper body.
