The Complete Guide to Barbell Training Warm-Up: Prevent Injuries and Maximize Performance
Warming up for barbell training can feel confusing, especially when you’re new to lifting or trying to fine-tune your routine. There’s no single perfect formula that works for everyone, but there are well-supported principles that help you prep your body, mind, and nervous system to lift well, stay injury-free, and perform at your best.
As both a lifter and coach, I’ve seen the full range of warm-up mistakes—from people skipping warm-ups entirely, to others doing so many prep sets they’re fried before their first working set. But when you understand the “why” behind a smart warm-up, you can avoid these traps and use your warm-up as a tool to build stronger, more efficient movement patterns.
Here’s my deep dive into how to warm up for barbell training.
Two Phases: General Warm-Up + Specific Warm-Up
A good warm-up has two distinct phases, each with a clear role:
1. General Warm-Up
The general warm-up is what you do before touching the barbell. It’s all about getting your body physically and neurologically prepared to move under load.
Key goals:
Increase core body temperature and blood flow to working muscles
Improve joint lubrication and range of motion
Activate stabilizing muscles that support the prime movers
Prepare the mind-muscle connection for the session ahead
For most lifters, a general warm-up might look like:
3–5 min of light cardio (bike, rower, incline walk, jump rope, yoga flow)
Mobility drills (hip openers, thoracic rotations, ankle rocks, band shoulder work)
Activation exercises (glute bridges, planks, bird dogs, side planks, band pull-aparts)
Rehab or prehab work if needed (I personally stretch and strengthen my glutes and hamstrings to stay resilient under heavy loads)
👉 Important: Keep this phase brief and focused—you want to prime the body, not exhaust it.
2. Specific Warm-Up
This is where you start using the barbell and “greasing the groove” of the movement. It’s where you bridge the gap between feeling warm and being ready to lift heavy.
Key goals:
Prime neuromuscular firing patterns (getting your brain and muscles communicating efficiently)
Prepare muscle-tendon units to handle heavier loads
Reinforce technical cues and motor control
Build psychological readiness and confidence for top sets
Think of this as rehearsing the main lift before the show. The more dialed in your warm-up, the sharper and more consistent your working sets will be.
How to Select Warm-Up Weights
Here’s where it gets nuanced.
There’s no magic warm-up calculator that works for everyone, but over years of training and coaching I’ve found some general rules that hold up well.
✅ General Warm-Up Guidelines
Do 2–5 warm-up sets for most barbell lifts
Perform more reps at lighter loads, fewer reps as weight increases
Make consistent or slightly smaller jumps as you get closer to working weight
Start your first loaded set at ~40–50% of your 1-rep max (1RM)
Your final warm-up should be ~5–10% below your working weight
And most importantly: mentally engage in every warm-up set. This is where you refine bracing, bar path, tempo, and control—don’t just go through the motions.
Examples With Specific Weight Progressions
Here’s how this looks in real life:
Example 1: Squats, 8 reps at 60kg (1RM: 85kg)
20kg (empty bar) × 8
40kg × 6
47.5kg × 4
55kg × 3
60kg × 8 (working set)
Example 2: Deadlifts, 6 reps at 95kg (1RM: 120kg)
20kg RDL × 10 (empty bar)
60kg × 6 (~50% 1RM)
75kg × 6
85kg × 5
95kg × 6 (working set)
Example 3: Bench Press, 3 reps at 67.5kg (1RM: 72kg, my own example)
20kg × 8
35kg × 6
45kg × 5
55kg × 3
62.5kg × 1
67.5kg × 3 (working set)
How to Adjust Warm-Ups Based on Context
Certain situations call for adjusting your warm-up strategy.
Fewer warm-up sets when:
The movement is simpler (bent-over row vs. deadlift)
The working weight is light
You’re already warm from earlier lifts
Time is short (but never skip entirely)
More warm-up sets when:
The lift is technical (squat vs. bicep curl)
You’re working near a heavy top set
It’s your first lift of the day
The weather is cold, or you’re stiff from a tough week
You’re working on improving a specific technical cue
How to Plan Warm-Up Jumps
Here’s the step-by-step process I recommend:
Identify your working weight
Set your starting weight (usually empty bar)
Choose your first jump (~40–50% of 1RM)
Choose your last warm-up (~5–10% below working weight)
Fill in 1–2 sets between, adjusting jumps based on how big the gap is
Pro tip: Write it down ahead of time or at least have it in your head before you walk up to the bar.
Common Warm-Up Mistakes to Avoid
Here’s what I see lifters do wrong most often:
❌ Doing too many warm-up sets → you burn out before work sets
❌ Doing too few → you shock the system and risk sloppy reps or injury
❌ Skipping warm-ups when the bar weight is light → even light loads need gradual prep; use dumbbell or bodyweight variations if needed
❌ Mentally checking out → if you’re not engaged, you’re wasting valuable practice time
❌ Rushing reps or skipping cues → your warm-ups should look almost identical to your work sets in terms of intent
❌ Skipping breathing and bracing practice → practice how you’ll perform under heavy loads
❌ Changing technique as weight increases → confidence under lighter loads builds consistency under heavy ones
❌ Skipping the general warm-up when short on time → don’t cut the most injury-preventive piece of your session
Final Thoughts
Your warm-up is not just busy work. It’s a ritual that primes you physically and mentally to lift well. Done right, it improves bar speed, control, confidence, and longevity in the gym.
The best part? You get to personalize it. As you gain experience, take notes, experiment, and build a routine that works best for you.
If you want help fine-tuning your warm-up strategy—or troubleshooting what’s not working in your sessions—reach out. I’m always happy to help lifters sharpen the details that make the biggest difference.
— Daniel
