Warm, not tired
A warm-up has one job: make the first hard set feel like the third. Five minutes does it. Twenty-five minutes is a second workout nobody asked for.
Three ways to start
Straight from the car to the heavy set, a proper five minutes, or so much warm-up there's nothing left.
Five minutes, three steps
Get warm. Open up what you're about to use. Then practise the first lift on the way up to today's weight.
Ramp-up sets
The step people skip, and the one that matters most. Same lift, lighter, a few reps, working up. None of it should be hard.
Ramp-up sets don't count toward the workout. If one of them feels like work, the jump was too big.
Match it to the day
Two minutes on the part that's about to do the work. Not a tour of every joint you own.
Squat or deadlift dayHips and ankles. A deep squat hold, leg swings, ankle rocks against a wall.
Ian: "Your hips have been a chair all day. Tell them the news."
Ian: "Your hips have been a chair all day. Tell them the news."
Push or pull dayUpper back and shoulders. Arm circles, a hang from the bar, reaching and rotating through the upper back.
Ian: "The shoulders only go where the upper back lets them."
Ian: "The shoulders only go where the upper back lets them."
Run or bike dayStart easy. In the last two minutes, add three 15-second pick-ups so the first hard one isn't a surprise.
Ian: "The body likes a memo before a meeting."
Ian: "The body likes a memo before a meeting."
Things people ask
Short answers.
Should I stretch first?Moving stretches, yes. Long still holds of a minute or more are better saved for after: right before lifting they can take a little strength off for a while.
Ian: "Move first. Hold later."
Ian: "Move first. Hold later."
I only have thirty minutesSkip step two before you skip the ramp-up sets. The ramp-up sets are the warm-up.
Ian: "Short on time is when people get hurt on set one."
Ian: "Short on time is when people get hurt on set one."
It's 6 am and I'm fiftyThen five minutes is eight. Cold mornings and older joints take longer to come around, and that's normal.
Ian: "Diesel engine. Let it idle."
Ian: "Diesel engine. Let it idle."
This week
Pick one.
Do the ramp-up setsBefore your first lift: one very light set of 8, one at about half for 5, one most of the way for 2 or 3.
Time itStart a timer when you walk in. First real set by minute seven.
Notice set oneDid the first hard set feel smooth? Then the warm-up worked. That's the only test.
