Warm-up Sets

Training Powerlifting
21

Personally I find an extensive warm up to be absolute imperative for the Olympic lifts.

I tend to row on the rowing machine for a couple of minutes first and then execute a dynamic warm up consisting of a dip, shrug to dip, shrug, high pull, to dip, shrug, high pull, muscle snatch sequence.

Then I do some dynamic mobility work and glute activation exercises.

For me, warm up sets are easier to underdo than overdo! I start very low weight for 5 reps and go up as I feel. I drop the warm up reps to 2 and then 1 when the weight approaches my working set. Typically right now I end up doing 6-8 warm up sets for snatches and about 6 for cleans and jerks.

The warm up takes me about 15 minutes but it’s all worth it!

22

That sounds similar to what i’ve been doing for the general warmup - a few minutes on a stationary bike, followed by arm circles, side bends, leg swings, and then the burgener warmup with a metal pole. The amount of warmup sets for core exercises is vaiable; if everything is feeling warm (i lift in a cold garage) and form is spot on, i’ll move to my work sets quickly. If, on the other hand, I’m still feeling cold and/or the reps are ugly, I’ll do more.