Do 5 minutes of light cardio, then ramp up sets on your first big lift from empty bar to working weight.
A good warm-up takes 5 to 10 minutes and does two things: raises your body temperature and rehearses the lift. Start with 5 minutes of light cardio or dynamic movements, then do 3 to 4 ramp-up sets on your first exercise, climbing from the empty bar to your working weight. You do not need to warm up every exercise separately once the muscles are warm.
Begin with a few minutes of easy cardio or dynamic drills like leg swings and arm circles to get blood flowing. Then move to specific warm-up sets of the actual lift, which primes your nervous system and grooves the movement pattern.
For a heavy squat, bench, or deadlift, build in 3 to 4 sets from the empty bar upward, for example bar, then 40, 60, and 80 percent of your working weight for a few reps each. Keep the reps low on heavier warm-ups so you do not pre-fatigue.
Once the primary muscles are warm, later exercises usually need only one light feeler set or none. Long stretching sessions before lifting are unnecessary, so save static stretching for after training.
Do 5 minutes of light cardio, then ramp up sets on your first big lift from empty bar to working weight.
