Most of us have been guilty of skipping a warm-up before lifting weights. Maybe you’re short on time because you worked late, or maybe you want to get straight to the workout because warming up, well it’s kind of boring but taking 10-15 minutes to warm up properly can make a huge difference in your strength, performance, and injury prevention and the last thing you want to happen is an injury 🤕

 

Why Warming Up Matters

Warming up isn’t just about “feeling ready.” It actually helps. It’s telling your body “Hey I’m getting ready to do something we have not done all day.” Here’s exactly what warming up does:

• Increase blood flow to your muscles, making them more elastic and ready to work.
• Lubricate your joints so they move smoother, reducing friction and stiffness.
• Prime your nervous system so your muscles fire more efficiently and with greater coordination.
• Reduce injury risk by prepping your body for heavier loads and improving mobility.
• Improve performance because warm muscles work better than cold ones, allowing for better contraction and range of motion.

Skipping your warm-up is like trying to drive your car in freezing weather without letting it idle first. You might get moving, but it’s not going to be smooth or efficient, and you could be setting yourself up for breakdowns (aka suboptimal performance and injuries 🩼)

How to Warm Up Properly

A good warm-up isn’t just a couple of arm swings and jumping jacks. It should be structured and purposeful but it should not take too long. Last thing you want to do is spend 30 minutes warming up! Here’s how to do it right:

1. Start with Some Cardio (5-10 Minutes)

Cardio gets your heart rate up, increases circulation to your muscles, and raises your core temperature, making your body more pliable. Pick one of these:

• Jump Rope (5 Minutes) – Quick, effective, and engages your whole body. Helps with coordination and endurance while loosening up the legs and shoulders.
• Rowing Machine (5-10 Minutes) – One of the best full-body warm-ups, engaging the legs, back, and arms while getting your heart rate up.
• Stationary Bike (5-10 Minutes) – Low impact and great for loosening up the knees, hips, and ankles. Keep it at a moderate pace.
• Brisk Walk or Light Jog (5-10 Minutes) – Simple but effective if you don’t have equipment. Works well for lower-body-focused workouts like squats or deadlifts.
• Eliptical– Low impact and gets the whole body moving.
• Air Bike– Low impact and gets the full body moving and increased heart rate quickly.

Your goal here isn’t to exhaust yourself but to break a light sweat and prepare your body for movement.

2. Dynamic Movements (2-5 Minutes)

Static stretching before lifting is outdated (keep static stretching for after your workout or on a rest day). Dynamic movements are the way to go. These moves help activate muscles, improve mobility, and gets the joints moving through a full range of motion.

• Leg Swings (Front-to-Back & Side-to-Side) – 15 reps each leg: Loosens up your hips and hamstrings.
• Arm Circles & Shoulder Rolls – 15 reps forward and backward: Warms up your shoulders for pressing movements.
• Hip Openers – 10 reps each leg: Helps with squats and deadlifts by increasing hip mobility.
• High Knees & Butt Kicks – 20 reps each: Gets your lower body moving and activates fast-twitch fibers.
• Bodyweight Squats – 15 reps: Primes your legs for heavier lifts by engaging quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
• Torso Twists – 15 reps each side: Warms up the core and spine, prepping for rotational movements.

These movements should be controlled and fluid—no rushing through them!

3. Use Resistance Bands for Activation (2-5 Minutes)

Resistance bands are fantastic for activating key muscles that need extra engagement before lifting. They help improve mind-muscle connection and get your stabilizers firing.

• Banded Glute Bridges – 15 reps: Fires up your glutes before squats and deadlifts, reducing lower back strain.
• Banded Shoulder External Rotations – 12 reps each arm: Activates the rotator cuff, crucial for pressing movements.
• Banded Lateral Walks – 10 steps each direction: Warms up the glutes, hips, and stabilizing muscles.
• Face Pulls with a Band – 15 reps: Strengthens the rear delts and upper back, improving posture and shoulder stability.
• Banded Overhead Press – 12 reps: Engages the shoulders and triceps before heavy pressing.

Think of band work as “pre-hab” for your muscles—it strengthens weak links and keeps your joints healthy.

Here’s a list of the resistance bands I use:

• Latex Loop Bands– Great for lower body glutes, shoulder, and rotator cuff activation.
• Fabric Loop Bands– These are meant for your glutes also known as booty bands. Last longer than latex bands.
• Latex Exercise Bands– Versatile for many exercises. Can be used for up and overs, assisted pull ups/dips, rotator cuff external rotations to name a few but there’s many many more.

Putting It All Together

A solid warm-up routine before weight training should be customized to your workout. Here’s an example for a lower body day:

1. 5 minutes of rowing or walking on a treadmill on a slight incline – Get the heart rate up.
2. Leg swings, hip openers, and torso twists – Mobilize the joints.
3. Bodyweight squats, walking quad stretch and walking knee to chest stretch – Activate the muscles.
4. Banded glute bridges and lateral walks – Ensure glutes are firing properly.

For an upper body day:

1. 5 minutes on the eliptical or brisk walk – Increase circulation. (move arms)
2. Arm circles, shoulder rolls, and torso twist – Loosen up the upper body.
3. Push-ups and banded external rotations – Activate the pressing muscles.
4. Face pulls and overhead banded presses – Prime the shoulders and back.

Final Thoughts

Warming up properly isn’t just a waste of time—it’s an investment in your strength, performance, and long-term health. By taking 10-15 minutes to prep your body before lifting, you’ll feel stronger, move better, and avoid those nagging injuries that can set you back.

What I do with my clients is they will come over and either get on my air bike (warms upper and lower body) or they will walk around the neighborhood as their cardio. After that, we will go through the dynamic movements and a couple of banded exercises.

Now, if you are crunched for time you can get away with doing one of the three warmups for five minutes. The key is to get the heart rate up and blood moving.

So, next time you hit the gym, don’t rush straight to the weights. Take a few extra minutes to warm up properly, and your body will thank you in the long run.

Send this to someone who could use a good warmup routine and if you have a question drop a comment below 🤙🏼