Are Warmups Necessary?

[El Jugo Buen0]

I just feel like they ruin the actual lift for me...never did them. anyone never do them either?

[chest6]

Take one look at Nark's training log. Look at all them warmups. Of course warmups are necessary, IMO and probably a lot of other people's as well.

[Myka]

Yeah I warm up...ESPECIALLY if I will be lifting big weight...

with either the tread/bike or with some lite weights...

[El Jugo Buen0]

I see a lot of people bigger than me doing warm ups and then like 12 sets...but if I warm up my muscles are always tired and can't do the lifts as well. Let's say I try it though, should I do warm ups for EACH exercise like for example if I'm doing tri's...should I do a warmup set before cable pressdowns, one before skull crusher, one before dumbbell french press, etc?

[Myka]

I usually do one for each muscle

[El Jugo Buen0]

ok so just one nice warm up for the muscle, not one for each diff exercise. I'd try that... by the way who's that in your avatar, shes freakin hot lol

[chest6]

Yep..one for each muscle usually.

[IBdmfkr]

If warmups are burning you out then try eating more than 100carbs per day, you may actually grow while your at it.

[hardgainer12]

also check ur ego at the door. dont try to impress people w ur weight ur using. dont feel bad if u drop a little weight in order to not strain ur muscles. if u get fatigued then do what u can.
this is an exp of me:
before bench i do 2 sets of pushups. 20 pushups each time. then i use light weight on the bench for 12 reps. then i start with the good stuff

[hardgainer12]

BTW y would u only listen to swole and nark? they are great 4 advice but there are other people here too.

[IBdmfkr]

I just copy and paste SC and Narks old posts. Don't tell.

[Myka]

I just copy and paste SC and Narks old posts. Don't tell

you too?

[hardgainer12]

I just copy and paste SC and Narks old posts. Don't tell.

obviously since they are the only people here w any kind of physique and knowledge. how many answers can u expect when u sh1t on everybody by saying u won tlisten to them, just sc and nark. nothing against them at all tho

[pelly789]

warm ups provide a better pump too its good to get your heart rate up a little bit just run a couple minutes on the treadmill or elliptical then do one warmup for each body part itll fill your muscles with blood and help replenish the oxygen to the muscles faster imo its a must i do it anyway

[novastepp]

maybe you are warming up with too much... people say to go a certain percentage of your one rep max. but with me, for instance on bench i don't have great endurance, so this warmup is too much. so i incorporate a lot more stretching and flexing in my warmup than actual lifts. i usually only do one set...maybe two, but i stretch and flex a lot...

[NYGIANTS21]

Warming up before lifting a lot of weight also can prevent injury...

[novastepp]

Warming up before lifting a lot of weight also can prevent injury...

where does anything say warming up prevents injury?

[helium3]

http://www.tinajuanfitness.info/articles/art052300.html interesting read.always warm up before training in the future your joints will thankyou for it.

[novastepp]

Stretching during the warm-up wastes time
Schoene mentions the work of Ian Shrier, MD, PhD, of McGill University in Canada who recently reviewed all the clinical and basic science evidence on stretching. Shrier notes that the results of the Australian study are in line with previous research. Shrier said in his review that “pre-exercise stretching to prevent injury is now part of the sport culture and will likely continue to be for a long time, despite scientific evidence to the contrary”. Shrier further added, “This is unfortunate because many people have limited time for exercise, and the time used for pre- exercise stretching could be better used for warm-up or regular exercise”.

In a study done on marathon runners, researchers found that the runners who stretched during the warm-up actually had higher injury rates than the runners who didn’t stretch. A logical reason for this is that the stretching group wasted their time doing static stretches rather than concentrating on movements that would gradually raise body temperature and, thus, their bodies were not warm enough when the race began.


this is an excerpt from the article, and i had heard this many times. that stretching does NOT prevent injury... not that stretching and warmups shouldn't be used ( i advocate them) i just argue on the side that there is really no injury prevention to speak of...

[Doc.Sust]

Stretching during the warm-up wastes time
Schoene mentions the work of Ian Shrier, MD, PhD, of McGill University in Canada who recently reviewed all the clinical and basic science evidence on stretching. Shrier notes that the results of the Australian study are in line with previous research. Shrier said in his review that “pre-exercise stretching to prevent injury is now part of the sport culture and will likely continue to be for a long time, despite scientific evidence to the contrary”. Shrier further added, “This is unfortunate because many people have limited time for exercise, and the time used for pre- exercise stretching could be better used for warm-up or regular exercise”.

In a study done on marathon runners, researchers found that the runners who stretched during the warm-up actually had higher injury rates than the runners who didn’t stretch. A logical reason for this is that the stretching group wasted their time doing static stretches rather than concentrating on movements that would gradually raise body temperature and, thus, their bodies were not warm enough when the race began.


this is an excerpt from the article, and i had heard this many times. that stretching does NOT prevent injury... not that stretching and warmups shouldn't be used ( i advocate them) i just argue on the side that there is really no injury prevention to speak of...

very true, but still strething isnt a bad thing, it MAy help it MAy not, but it still will help you warm up

[Doc.Sust]

I see a lot of people bigger than me doing warm ups and then like 12 sets...but if I warm up my muscles are always tired and can't do the lifts as well. Let's say I try it though, should I do warm ups for EACH exercise like for example if I'm doing tri's...should I do a warmup set before cable pressdowns, one before skull crusher, one before dumbbell french press, etc?

a warm up is a warm up, so treat it like one, dont go balls out, i warm up with a few triples or singles (never do 10 to 15 reps in warmups or you will pre fatigue IMO) i onlywarm up on my main core lift, after that i am ready to go, no need to warm up on lat pull downs or skull crunchers IMO, but for larger press movements, squats , and deads yes warm up, just keep the weight and reps and sets to a minimum and dont make your warn up an entire workout

[novastepp]

very true, but still strething isnt a bad thing, it MAy help it MAy not, but it still will help you warm up

Exactly, yeah i never said to not do it i was just stating how it may not prevent injury and many people do it for that reason. I stretch to warmup and i expecially stretch afterwards when it is most beneifcial...

[Doc.Sust]

Exactly, yeah i never said to not do it i was just stating how it may not prevent injury and many people do it for that reason. I stretch to warmup and i expecially stretch afterwards when it is most beneifcial...

iagree w u 100%

[Kärnfysikern]

before heavy legs/deads I do 5 minutes of cardio and maby 3-4 low rep warmup sets. Before heavy upper body movements I just do 4 low rep warmup sets.

[El Jugo Buen0]

thanks, i'll check it out...i probably was going too heavy on my warmups...like only 10lbs less than what i do for 12 reps. i'll go lighter this time and see what happens.

[WHOADY4SHOADY]

I think most people just pyramid up the weight each set on each excersise. The weight progressively gets heavier each set until that one "working" set that you go all out on. Like I do 4 sets per excersise, and the first 3 sets of each excersise are submaximal to my 8 rep max I am working up to on my last set. I thought this was what alot of people do. Am I wrong?

[Doc.Sust]

I think most people just pyramid up the weight each set on each excersise. The weight progressively gets heavier each set until that one "working" set that you go all out on. Like I do 4 sets per excersise, and the first 3 sets of each excersise are submaximal to my 8 rep max I am working up to on my last set. I thought this was what alot of people do. Am I wrong?

yes and no, depends on your goal, size , strength, endurance etc, changes how you would train

[WHOADY4SHOADY]

Yeah true, I also forgot to put that I like to warm up on the treadmill for about 10 minutes before I hit the weights.

[Kärnfysikern]

I have to add that if I warmup properly I can always push more weight. When Im lasy with the warmup Im always weak.

[Doc.Sust]

yep johan same for me, but again there is a flip side ,if i warm up to much my weights stink!