How to warm up for strength training

It’s essential to warm up before any form of strength training. Properly warming up prepares your muscles and joints for exercise. It increases blood flow around the body and delivers oxygen to the working muscles.

Whether you’re an athlete warming up before a game, a frequent gym goer, or an occasional exerciser, you should never neglect your warm-ups!

Warming up lowers your risk of injury and increases your exercise performance. Without a proper warm-up, you might find it harder to lift the same weights as usual. You may pull a muscle or even tear a tendon if you work out with ‘cold’ (unprepared) muscles.

How to warm up for a strength training workout

There are a few different things you can do to warm up before a strength training workout. You can switch up your method of warming up every time you do a workout to keep things interesting and varied.

Generally, between 10 and 15 minutes of warming up are adequate to prepare your muscles and joints for exercise. Here are some warm-up techniques to consider before your strength training workouts:

1. Cardiovascular movement - you can do 10 minutes on the treadmill or stationary bike at the gym or a quick 10-minute walk around the block if you’re working out at home.
2. Light strength training - perform one or two sets of a particular movement using a very light weight. For example, if you’re practicing squats in your workout, start with a couple of sets of squats using a low-weight barbell. You can then add extra weight to begin your working sets.
3. Bodyweight movements - another option for your warm-up is to do some bodyweight exercises to get the blood pumping through your muscles.