Warming Up Too Much?

Training Bodybuilding
1

Am I working too hard at the beginning of my workout? This is a (pathetic) comparison of my two quad-dominant workouts, modeled after USCTrojan’s Physique Clinic workout…

a set looks like this:

weight x reps, weight x reps (rested for 10 sec)…

all sets separated by a “;”

LAST WEEK:
A. Leg extension - 120x8, 120x8, 60x8, 60x8; 130x8, 130x5, 60x8, 60x8
B. 1/2 squat - 315x3, 325x2, 335x1
C. ATG Front squat - 135x6, 135x4, 135x2, top-partial 135x3; 135x5, 135x3, 135x2, top-partial 135x3
D. Leg press - 225x8, 225x5, 225x4, top-partial 225x6
E. Calf circuit

I felt like I put too much effort into the leg extension, and sapped me of my energy for the squat, so I tried a different strategy this week…

YESTERDAY:
A. Leg extension
100x10, 100x8, 50x10, 50x7;
100x10, 100x7, 50x10, 50x7
(Basically the moment I felt strain, I stopped, in hopes of not taxing myself for the squat)

B. Top (1/2) squat
3x315; 2x335; 1x355

C. 1 and 1/4 Front Squat (aka ass-to-grass)
135x7, 135x3, 135x1, 135x8 top-partial;
135x3, 135x3, 135x1, 135x8 top-partial

D. Leg press
225x10, 225x10, 225x10, 225x5 top-partial

E. Calf circuit

So my lifts went DOWN (except for leg press) despite making the load easier for the first part…what am I doing wrong (if anything)?

2

Sorry to bump, but this is sort of the crux of how I workout, so I really could use the help to see if I’m going too hard in the beginning.

3

I’d say yes, you are using too much warm up. Do you do a general warm up at the beginning? For instance I like to do 2 minutes on the rower or jump rope and then do a light body weight or empty bar complex.

I like to then go and work my way up from an empty bar, adding 45’s each set, with only 3-5 easy-ish reps, until I reach my working weight. But I’m more on the strength side of training than bodybuilding.

4

Yeah that’s basically exactly what I did for every single rep/set. So should I go lighter on the earlier exercises? I sort of use the first exercise as a warm-up.