5x5 warmup

I’m thinking of doing a stint of 5x5 training after I come off of Limping and Superstrength in 2 weeks. I’m wondering what kind of warmups you guys/gals do. For example, do you do 1 set at 50% of first work set, and then do the 5x5 worksets? do you do a more progressive warmup (1 set @30%, 1set @60%, 1 set @ 80%)? do you not even bother with any warmup?

I normally warm up with two sets, one at approx. 50% and a second at approx. 70%. These are very approx.

Say for example a working weight of 225 lbs.

I’d probably do the following:

  1. 95 x 5
  2. 135 x 5
  3. 185 x 3
  4. 245 x 1

Then I’d start working with 225.

I like and concur with Thunder’s use of Acclimation sets.

There is really no reason to go above the goal repetitions in your work sets during your warmups. Acclimate your mind and muscles to the reps and tempos that you’re going to use during the ones that count.

While I’ve not used the protocol that Thunder alluded to, it’s intriguing and makes sense. I usually do 2-3 sets with weights leading up to my work weight. However, overshooting your work weight–and doing fewer reps–has neural advantages that are commonly cited in Wave Training.

i like to go
50% 5 reps
60% 5 reps
70% 3 reps
80% 2 reps
90% 1 rep
then 5x5 with 100% of my working weight

Skip the warm-up. It’s time consuming and provides little to no benefit.

Joel, you go straight into your work sets? I have tried that, and got buried under my working sets. For me, a warm up simply serves as a means of getting in the groove for that movement and getting used to heavier weight.

As for time consuming? It takes me about 5 minutes.

If I overshoot like on my last warm up set, I find my working sets to be much better.

When going with 10x3 or 5x5 or any method that makes heavy use of the type IIb fibers, I’ll side with thunder–I’ve found overshooting to be very beneficial. However, when it comes to 5x10 or methods making use of the IIa, I side with Joel and nix the warmups.

general warm up on a treadmill or bike, followed by static stretching, then 3 specific warm up sets.

Static stretching? It’s already been discussed that static stretching can reduce stregth by as much as 25%. Definately not the thing to do before strength training.

Agree with Thunder and disagree with P-Dog and Joel.
weight acclimatisation can significantly increase working poundages, and static streching can do quite the opposite, unless you are stretch the antagonist…

Refer to “Warming Up for a Great Workout” on T-mag by Charles Staley. It’s a great piece.

I prefer to do do 1 light set of 10 reps and then proceed to do something similar to Thunder’s recs. If I get thoroughly warmed up via jump rope or GPP work or something similar before weights, I sometimes only do 1 or 2 warm-up sets, taking only 1 minute.

mac, yes it has been discussed and the opinions differ. there is the theory that static stretching before a workout will decrease strength.

the other school of thought is that the loss of strength that comes from static stretching will be regained during the exercise specific warm up.

personally i could not train with weights without stretching first. i feel cold, tight, and generally not ready to attack the weights.

however i havent tried ballistic stretching prior to training. honestly i do not know any ballistic upper body stretches.

I agree with Joel. If you want to warm up for 225, use a heavier weight for a single. The whole “1-6 principle” at work.

Dan

If you’re feeling sassy try an active-dynamic warmup by moving the joints through the ROM that you’ll be using. Swing in controlled arcs.

I’m with you P-Dog. I can’t train without stretching. I feel tight, and my ROM is limited. I also reaggrevate injuries when I don’t stretch properly.

I like Thunder’s approach. I’m gonna give overshooting a try. I don’t think I’ve ever done that so it’ll definitely be worth giving it a try.

Do you guys/gals prefer to do 5x5’s with one working weight, or do you prefer to increase incrementally?

McVicar, you agree with Joel? He didn’t recommend a warm-up. I suggested overshooting your working weight.

Chad Waterbury has a great article on his website about just this kind of warmup, and I have incorporated it into my 5x5 training recently. Its called “overshooting your training load” or something like that. Check it out

Biltrite is right! I forgot to plug C-Dub and his Overshooting article–my bad, Chad!

Check out C-Dub’s Website and more on Overshooting and warming up.

After reading some of Pavel T’s thoughts on warm-up sets, I cut them out of my training (with rare exception) well over a year ago. Whether or not I “warm-up” doesn’t seem to have any impact on my poundage for a specific RM unless it is 3 or less. In the event that I will be performing a maximal single, double, or triple (which i practically never do), I will warm up. Other than that, my first set is my “working” weight.

I’ve done both in the past and have found that performing a few warm-up sets prior to my working sets did not cause me to be able to lift more weight. I’m not the only one. And I doubt that it only takes 5 mins to perform 4 sets (unless you aren’t resting at all, which regardless of the weight used is going to have more of a detrimental effect on your working sets poundage and/or reps completed), it’s probably more like 10. And then you have 2-3 exercies to warm up for, so you just tacked on an extra 20 minutes to your workout. It’s not a efficient use of time in my opionion unless you are working with a very heavy weight (3RM or less).

J