How many warm-up sets should I do?

Usually three to five. Lighter work weights need fewer, heavy sets need more so that no single jump is too big.

Should I warm up before every exercise?

Do full warm-up sets on your first big lift. Later lifts that use the same muscles usually need only one or two lighter sets.

Do warm-up sets count towards volume?

No. Warm-ups are light enough that they don't count as hard sets for muscle or strength.

What warm-up should I do for squats?

Empty bar for 10, then about 40% for 5, 60% for 3 and 80% for 2 before your work sets. Enter your weight above to get exact numbers.

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Warm-up calculator

Reviewed by Aaron Parry, strength and conditioning coach for RAF Rugby and Peterborough Rugby
Updated 22 October 2026

A good barbell warm-up starts with the empty bar, then climbs in even steps to your first working set with falling reps: about 40% for 5, 60% for 3 and 80% for 2. Before very heavy sets of 1 to 3 reps, add a single at about 90%.

Why warm-ups should get lighter in reps as weight goes up

Warm-ups have one job: get you ready for the first work set. More reps don't prepare you better, they just tire you out. So the reps fall as the weight climbs, from 10 reps with the empty bar down to 1 or 2 close to your work weight. This approach comes from long-standing strength coaching practice (Rippetoe's Starting Strength is a well-known source).

How the steps are worked out

Start with the empty bar for 10 reps to groove the movement.
Then roughly 40%, 60% and 80% of your work weight, rounded down to weights you can load.
No jump bigger than 40 kg between warm-ups (60 kg off the empty bar), so heavy lifters get extra steps.
Steps closer than about 5 kg are skipped. They add fatigue without adding anything.
For heavy singles, doubles or triples, a single at about 90% lets you feel a heavy weight before the real thing.

Rest between warm-up sets

Keep rests short early on, around a minute, and take the full rest you'd normally take before your first work set. Lift Proven's rest timer handles this for you.

Your warm-ups, worked out every session

Lift Proven builds warm-up sets for every barbell lift, with the plates for each side, then times your rests. You just lift.

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Questions

How many warm-up sets should I do?: Usually three to five. Lighter work weights need fewer, heavy sets need more so that no single jump is too big.
Should I warm up before every exercise?: Do full warm-up sets on your first big lift. Later lifts that use the same muscles usually need only one or two lighter sets.
Do warm-up sets count towards volume?: No. Warm-ups are light enough that they don't count as hard sets for muscle or strength.
What warm-up should I do for squats?: Empty bar for 10, then about 40% for 5, 60% for 3 and 80% for 2 before your work sets. Enter your weight above to get exact numbers.