You know you should warm up. You skip it anyway. Then you wonder why your knees ache on the first squat rep or your shoulders feel like rusty hinges on the bench. A proper warm-up routine takes five minutes and makes everything after it better. Here's exactly what to do before every type of workout.
Five minutes of targeted warm-up can improve performance and reduce injury risk in every session
Why Warming Up Actually Matters
Warming up isn't just tradition. There's real physiology behind it. When you go from sitting to heavy loading with nothing in between, you're asking cold muscles to produce force they aren't ready for.
Here's what a warm-up does at the tissue level:
- Raises muscle temperature — Warm muscle contracts faster and relaxes faster. Force production goes up. Injury risk goes down.
- Increases synovial fluid in joints — Movement literally lubricates your joints. Cartilage has no blood supply; it gets nutrients through compression and release.
- Activates the nervous system — Motor unit recruitment improves. Your brain-to-muscle connection sharpens. First working sets feel coordinated instead of clumsy.
- Gradually raises heart rate — Jumping straight to high-intensity loads spikes blood pressure. Ramping up is safer for your cardiovascular system.
- Primes movement patterns — Rehearsing the movements you're about to load gives your body a chance to find good positions before adding weight.
The Research
A 2010 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine found that dynamic warm-ups improved power output by ~4.3% and strength performance by ~2.7% compared to no warm-up. That's free performance you're leaving on the table.
The 5-Minute General Warm-Up
This is your baseline. Do this before any training session, then add the workout-specific drills from the sections below.
| Order | Exercise | Duration / Reps | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Light jog or jumping jacks | 60 seconds | Raise core temperature and heart rate |
| 2 | Arm circles (forward + backward) | 10 each direction | Shoulder joint mobilization |
| 3 | Leg swings (front-to-back) | 10 each leg | Hip flexor and hamstring activation |
| 4 | Bodyweight squats | 10 reps | Ankle, knee, and hip mobility under load |
| 5 | Inchworms | 5 reps | Hamstrings, core, shoulders all at once |
| 6 | Hip circles | 10 each direction | Full hip capsule mobilization |
Total time: about 5 minutes. You should be lightly sweating by the end. If you aren't, go a little harder on the jog or add another 30 seconds of jumping jacks.
Warm-Up for Upper Body Day
Upper body sessions — bench, overhead press, rows, pull-ups — demand shoulder, thoracic spine, and scapular readiness. Skipping this is how rotator cuff problems start.
Do the general warm-up first, then add these:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Band pull-aparts | 2 x 15 | Activates rear delts and rhomboids, counteracts internal rotation |
| Band dislocates | 2 x 10 | Full shoulder ROM — takes the joint through its entire arc |
| Scapular push-ups | 2 x 10 | Wakes up the serratus anterior for pressing stability |
| Thoracic rotations (on all fours) | 8 each side | Opens the thoracic spine for pressing and overhead work |
| Empty bar / light DB press | 1 x 10 | Rehearse the movement pattern with zero load |
Pro Tip: Ramp-Up Sets
After your warm-up drills, don't jump straight to working weight. If your working bench is 185 lbs, do: empty bar x 10, 95 x 5, 135 x 3, 165 x 1, then working sets. These ramp-up sets let your joints and nervous system adjust to increasing loads.
Warm-Up for Lower Body Day
Squats, deadlifts, lunges, and leg press all require hip, knee, and ankle mobility. This is where most people feel the biggest difference from a proper warm-up — especially if you sit at a desk all day.
General warm-up first, then add these:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| 90/90 hip stretch | 30 sec each side | Opens internal and external hip rotation simultaneously |
| Walking lunges | 8 each leg | Hip flexor lengthening under dynamic movement |
| Lateral band walks | 10 each direction | Fires the glute medius for knee stability during squats |
| Goblet squat hold | 2 x 20 sec | Pushes knees out, opens hips, loads ankles at bottom position |
| Ankle rocks (wall drill) | 10 each side | Improves dorsiflexion — critical for squat depth |
| Glute bridges | 2 x 10 | Activates glutes that have been shut off from sitting |
For deadlifts specifically, add some light RDLs or good mornings with an empty bar. Your hamstrings and lower back need to feel the hinge pattern before you load it.
Warm-Up for Running and Cardio
Runners are the worst warmup-skippers. "My run is the warm-up" isn't how it works. Your calves, Achilles tendons, and hip flexors take the most impact and need prep. Shin splints, runner's knee, and Achilles tendinitis are all linked to inadequate warm-ups.
| Exercise | Duration / Reps | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk walk | 2 minutes | Gradual heart rate elevation without pounding joints |
| High knees | 20 reps | Hip flexor activation and running-specific knee drive |
| Butt kicks | 20 reps | Hamstring activation and running-specific leg recovery |
| Lateral shuffles | 30 sec | Engages hip abductors and lateral stabilizers |
| Calf raises (slow and controlled) | 15 reps | Warms up calves and Achilles tendon under load |
| A-skips | 10 each leg | Running-specific coordination and calf elastic recoil |
Then start your run at 60-70% effort for the first two minutes and build from there. Don't sprint out the door.
Warm-Up vs. Stretching: Know the Difference
This is where people get confused. They sit on the floor and hold a hamstring stretch for 30 seconds, call it a warm-up, and start squatting. That's not a warm-up. That's static stretching — and it can actually hurt performance if done before training.
| Factor | Dynamic Warm-Up | Static Stretching |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | Active, continuous | Passive, held positions |
| Effect on strength | Increases 2-5% | Decreases 3-5% |
| Muscle temperature | Raises it | No change |
| When to do it | Before training | After training or on off days |
| ROM improvement | Short-term, with activation | Long-term, with consistency |
Bottom line: Dynamic warm-ups before training. Static stretching after training or on rest days. Both have a place — just not at the same time.
Common Warm-Up Mistakes
Mistake #1: Skipping it entirely
The most common one. "I don't have time." You have five minutes. And the time you save skipping warm-ups you'll spend at physical therapy later.
Mistake #2: Static stretching as a warm-up
Holding a stretch for 30+ seconds before lifting reduces force output by 3-5%. That's counterproductive. Save static stretching for after your session.
Mistake #3: Warming up muscles you aren't training
Spending 10 minutes on shoulder drills before a leg day. General warm-up is general. Specific warm-up should match your training.
Mistake #4: Doing too much
A 20-minute warm-up with bands, foam rolling, stretching, and activation drills is overkill. You're fatiguing yourself before you train. Keep it to 5-10 minutes total.
Mistake #5: No ramp-up sets
Warm-up drills prep your body. Ramp-up sets prep your nervous system for the specific loads you'll handle. You need both. Don't go from bodyweight squats to a 315 lb working set.
Mistake #6: Jogging on a treadmill for 15 minutes and calling it done
Light cardio raises your temperature, which is step one. But it doesn't mobilize joints or activate specific muscles. You still need the dynamic drills.
Quick-Reference: Warm-Up by Workout Type
| Workout | General Warm-Up | Specific Drills | Ramp-Up Sets | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper body (push) | 5 min | Bands, scap push-ups, T-spine | 3-4 sets | ~10 min |
| Upper body (pull) | 5 min | Band pull-aparts, dead hangs | 2-3 sets | ~8 min |
| Lower body (squat) | 5 min | Hip openers, ankle drills, goblet squat | 3-5 sets | ~12 min |
| Lower body (deadlift) | 5 min | Hip hinges, glute bridges, light RDLs | 3-5 sets | ~12 min |
| Running / cardio | 2 min walk | High knees, A-skips, calf raises | 2 min easy pace | ~7 min |
| Full body / HIIT | 5 min | Combo of upper + lower drills | 1-2 sets light | ~8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a warm-up take?
Five to ten minutes for most people. The general warm-up takes about five minutes. Add another three to five minutes of specific drills and ramp-up sets. If your warm-up takes 20 minutes, you're overdoing it.
Can I just do cardio as my warm-up?
Light cardio raises your core temperature, which is one piece of the puzzle. But it doesn't mobilize joints or activate specific muscles. Use it as part of your warm-up, not the whole thing.
Do I need to warm up for every workout?
Yes. Every single one. Even a "light" session. The warm-up can be shorter for lower-intensity work, but you still need to raise tissue temperature and mobilize your joints.
Should I foam roll before or after warming up?
Before or as part of your warm-up. Foam rolling increases range of motion without reducing strength, making it a solid pre-training tool. Roll for 60-90 seconds on tight areas, then move into dynamic drills.
What if I'm short on time — can I skip the warm-up?
If you only have 20 minutes to train, do a 3-minute warm-up and 17 minutes of work. Cutting your warm-up short is better than cutting it out entirely. Even 2-3 minutes of dynamic movement makes a measurable difference.
Is warming up more important as you get older?
Absolutely. Tendons lose elasticity with age. Synovial fluid production slows down. Joint surfaces get stiffer. Warming up becomes non-negotiable after 30 — and even more important after 40.
Build Your Warm-Up Into Every Session With AMUNIX
AMUNIX tracks your training from warm-up through working sets. Build warm-up templates, log prep work, and make sure you never skip the five minutes that prevent the next injury.
Related Articles
- Stretching for Flexibility: What Works and What Doesn't
- Strength Training for Beginners: How to Start Lifting Weights
- Push Pull Legs: The Most Effective Training Split Explained
Part of the AMUNIX Recovery & Performance silo — building your complete fitness knowledge base.
Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program. This guide is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.