So what’s the proper way to warm-up?
I follow Michael Matthews’ Bigger Leaner Stronger warm-up routine. Here are the basics of this process:
First Warm-Up Set:
In your first warm-up set, you want to do 12 reps with about 50 percent of your heavy, 4- to 6-rep set weight and then rest for 1 minute. This set should feel very light and easy.
For instance, if you did 3 sets of 5 reps with 225 pounds on the bench last week, you would start your warm-up with about 110 pounds and do 12 reps, followed by 1 minute of rest.
Second Warm-Up Set:
In your second warm-up set, you use the same weight as the first and do 10 reps, this time at a little faster pace. Then rest for 1 minute.
Third Warm-Up Set:
Your third warm-up set is 4 reps with about 70 percent of your heavy weight, and it should be done at a moderate pace.
This set and the following one are done to acclimate your muscles to the heavy weights that are about to come. Once again, you follow this set with a 1-minute rest.
With a working set weight of 225, this would be about 155 to 160 pounds.
Fourth Warm-Up Set:
The fourth warm-up set is the final one, and it’s simple: 1 rep with about 90 percent of your heavy weight. Rest 2 to 3 minutes after this final warm-up set.
This would be about 200 pounds if your heavy weight were 225 pounds.
Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Sets:
These are your working sets performed in the 4- to 6-rep range with 80 to 85 percent of your 1RM.
Moving on to the Next Exercise:
Generally speaking, you don’t need to perform more warm- up sets in a workout beyond the four laid out above. For instance, if you start your workout with the flat bench press and then move to the incline press, you don’t have to do a new round of warm-up sets.