Workout Warm Up is it a Waste of Time?

**Fat Guy** · 08-01-2004, 11:47 PM

My question is what is a good way to warm up before lifting? I like to jump on a stationary cycle and ride for about 10 minutes to get circulation going and then I go into weight room. In addition, I like to do a warm up set of whatever exercise I am doing (lightweight, 10 to 12 reps). I took my friend in and he thought my bike riding was a waste of time and then he told me that the first set on any exercise is the warm up. So I was curious as to what the collective mind of AR thought? Is it a waste of time or not?

**DBarcelo** · 08-01-2004, 11:58 PM

If you're dead cold then the first set is always a warm-up only because you're not at full capacity until you have some blood flowing in your muscles.

You can get blood flowing a few different ways. I personally like to stretch and do little excercises I learned when studying karate and tae kwon do. The next best thing is to do a very light warmup doing the actual movement you're going to do with full weight. You lubricate your joints and pump a little blood into the muscles you're going to use, but you're not warming up the support muscles that you normally use when lifting a heavy weight.

The bike is a good way to warm up your legs and to get your heart rate going before a workout, but you're not really warming your body up in a way that's going to prevent injury and that's the main reason that you're doing a warmup, to prevent an injury.

You're riding the bike is not a complete waste of time, but it doesn't really protect from injury. If your friend is doing his first set at full capacity, then he isn't going to prevent injury either. He will actually have a high risk of being out of the gym recuperating because of that bad habbit. You may get away with it for a little while, but that usually catches up with you as your joints get older and harden.

**63190** · 08-02-2004, 01:23 AM

What he said. I stretch to warm up, but it's the desert here and always like 80 or more degrees feherenheit (sp?) here. In the winter when it gets down to 60-40's in the mornings, then I get on the tread mill and hit a 1% grade fast walk for 5 minutes and then stretch. Then I hit the weights at 45% for set of 10, 60% for 2, 70% for 2, 100% for six, 95% for 7, 85% for 7. That works for any of the four power lifts. Then 2x8 or 3x8 on auxilary lifts.
I tried to do a 5x5 set at 85% with out a warm up set and that fuxxord my front delt and rotator cuff.
When I'm not lifting heavy and doing 4x8 70%, I still do a light set with just the barbell for like 15-20 reps. Slow on the positive and the negative. But only on the first excersise for that muscle group.

**dirtybrit55** · 08-02-2004, 02:13 AM

never warm up or stretch before hand unless its a warm up lift. Example...
Get in the gym, get changed, head to incline bench
warm up set of 15
heavier warm up set of 12
moderate work set of 8-10
heavy work set of 4-6

**Gear** · 08-02-2004, 07:06 AM

Its not good 2 train by putting preassure on your muscles while they are cold. This is an easy was to cause injuries.

**DBarcelo** · 08-02-2004, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by dirtybrit55

never warm up or stretch before hand unless its a warm up lift.

Why do you think a person should never warm up or stretch before hand???

**CutMeUp** · 08-02-2004, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by dirtybrit55

never warm up or stretch before hand unless its a warm up lift. Example...
Get in the gym, get changed, head to incline bench
warm up set of 15
heavier warm up set of 12
moderate work set of 8-10
heavy work set of 4-6

Horrible plan IMO...

eliptical for a few minutes, stretch, warmup set with no more than 10 controlled reps, and off you go with the workout...

**Soldier of Misfortune** · 08-02-2004, 11:14 AM

I always stretch and do a set with just the bar for mil press, bench, squat, or whatever and then add 50lbs or so and do a warmup set. Then take those off and add what ever plates for my worksets.

**doby48** · 08-02-2004, 01:02 PM

You should warm up before hand either way regardless of what the outside temp is. The purpose of a warm-up is to get your body moving, begin raising your body temperature, stretch your muscles, and move your joints. Weather it is 80 degrees or 20 degrees, warmup of some sort is still important to prevent injury when lifting.

**Hypertrophy** · 08-02-2004, 01:07 PM

5-10 minute "general warm-up" (bike, treadmill, etc.).
Individualized "specific warm-up." i.e. a couple sets on bench before benching.
Muscle are more elastic when warm, also, enzymes function better at a slightly elevated temp.