Warm-Up Sets: How Many to Do, How Heavy, and When to Stop
Warm-up sets made simple: how many to do, how heavy they should be, and a fast ramp-up method you can repeat for any lift.
Warm-up sets are the quick “ramp” before your first working set. For most lifters, the practical answer is simple: do 2-5 warm-up sets for big barbell lifts, and 0-2 for smaller accessories.
A good warm-up makes your first working set feel crisp and controlled, not shaky and stiff. A bad warm-up wastes time or, worse, makes your working sets harder than they should be.
If you want warm-ups to stay clean in your training history, Push/Pull lets you tag warm-up sets separately so your working-set volume and progressive overload are easier to read. (More on that below.)
Contents
- What warm-up sets are (and what they are not)
- The 3 goals of a warm-up
- How many warm-up sets to do
- How heavy warm-up sets should be
- Warm-up examples for squat, bench, and deadlift
- Warm-ups for accessories (fast and effective)
- Common warm-up mistakes
- How to track warm-up sets so progress stays clear
- FAQs
What are warm-up sets?
Warm-up sets are lighter sets you do before your working sets to get your body and technique ready for the load you are about to lift. Think of them as a ramp: same movement, increasing load, low fatigue.
Warm-up sets are not a second workout. They are not meant to “pre-exhaust” the muscle. Their job is to make the first working set feel like set number two.
The 3 goals of a warm-up
Most warm-up advice is noisy. Keep it to these three goals:
- Raise temperature: get a light sweat and move joints through comfortable ranges.
- Rehearse the pattern: practice the exact lift you are about to do with crisp reps.
- Potentiate, don’t fatigue: ramp to your working load so the weight feels “switched on,” not draining.
- Do 2-5 ramp sets for your first big lift (squat/bench/deadlift/OHP).
- Keep warm-up reps low (1-6) and stop well before fatigue.
- Stop ramping when your next set would be your first working set: technique feels sharp and bar speed is normal.
How many warm-up sets should you do?
The heavier, colder, and more technical the lift, the more warm-up sets you usually need. Here are practical defaults you can apply today:
- First big lift of the day: usually 3-6 warm-up sets including the empty bar (if barbell).
- Second big lift: usually 2-4 warm-up sets (you are already warmer and more coordinated).
- Accessories: 0-2 warm-up sets (often one “feeder set” is enough).
If you are coming back after a break, or you feel beat up, you may need more ramp sets with fewer reps. If you are warm, moving well, and the weights feel snappy, you can do fewer sets and get to work.
How heavy should warm-up sets be?
You do not need a perfect percentage chart. You need a smooth ramp. A simple pattern:
- Start light (empty bar or ~30-40% of your working weight).
- Take 2-3 jumps to ~60-75% (3-5 reps).
- Take 1-2 smaller jumps to ~80-90% (1-3 reps).
- Then do your working set.
The key is low fatigue. If your warm-up sets are long, high-rep grinders, your working sets will suffer.
Warm-up examples (squat, bench, deadlift)
Use these as templates. Swap numbers based on your working weight, but keep the idea: small number of reps, smooth jumps, no fatigue.
- Bar x 8
- 95 x 5
- 135 x 3
- 175 x 2
- 205 x 1
- Working sets: 225 x 5
- Bar x 10
- 95 x 6
- 135 x 3
- 155 x 2
- 170 x 1
- Working sets: 185 x 6
- 135 x 5
- 185 x 3
- 225 x 2
- 275 x 1
- 295 x 1 (optional if 315 is heavy today)
- Working sets: 315 x 3
Notice the deadlift warm-up starts heavier. That is normal: many lifters find very light deadlifts feel awkward and are less useful. Your ramp should feel specific to the lift.
Warm-up sets for accessories (keep it fast)
For machines, cables, dumbbells, and isolations, you usually do not need a long ramp. Try this:
- Pick your working weight.
- Do one easy set with ~50-70% of that weight for 6-10 reps.
- Then do your working sets.
If you are doing high-effort accessories (like heavy dumbbell presses), add one more ramp set. If you are short on time, keep one feeder set and go.
Common warm-up mistakes (and easy fixes)
- Too many reps early: keep the first sets easy and stop far from fatigue.
- Big jumps to the working set: if the first working set feels like a shock, add one intermediate set.
- Warm-up doesn’t match the lift: prefer the actual movement pattern over random mobility circuits.
- Resting too long: your warm-up should flow; save the long rest for the heavy sets. (If rest is confusing, read how long to rest between sets.)
How to track warm-up sets (so progress stays clear)
Warm-up sets are useful, but they can also clutter your logs if you do not separate them from working sets. The goal is to keep your “real” training signal obvious: the sets you are progressively overloading.
If you are building a clean log system, start with Workout Log: Track Sets, Reps, and Weight Without Overthinking and Progressive Overload Explained.
- Warm-up sets: log them, but keep them labeled so they do not count as working-set volume.
- Working sets: these are the sets you compare week to week.
- Rest consistency: if you track rest, comparisons get cleaner (see rest timer controls).
- Previous numbers: seeing last week’s warm-up and working weights makes it easier to progress safely (see previous workout values).
If you want warm-up sets to be part of your workflow (not an afterthought), see Warm-up Sets in the feature list.
FAQs
Do warm-up sets count toward training volume?
Do I need warm-up sets for every exercise?
How long should a warm-up take?
What if I feel “off” even after warming up?
Related reading
- Workout Template: Build a Simple Strength Plan You Can Repeat
- Workout Splits Explained: Pros, Cons, and How to Choose Your Best Fit
- How Long to Rest Between Sets: A Simple Guide
- Progressive Overload Explained
Make warm-ups effortless to repeat
Push/Pull is available now on the App Store. Log warm-up sets separately, keep working sets clean, and use previous workout values and a built-in rest timer to keep your training consistent.