Calculator
Warm-Up Set Calculator
Enter the weight you plan to work with. You get the full ramp: what to load, how many reps, and how long to rest at each step.
Percentages are of your working weight, not your one-rep max. If you need your max first, use the 1RM calculator.
Your ramp
| Set | Weight | Reps | Rest |
|---|
Frequently Asked Questions
How many warm-up sets should I do?
Two to five, depending on how heavy your working weight is relative to the bar. A 40kg working set needs two ramp sets; a 180kg single needs five. More steps than that mostly adds fatigue rather than preparation.
How much rest between warm-up sets?
Keep early warm-ups short at 30 to 45 seconds so you build body temperature and rhythm without draining the session. Extend to 60 seconds as you pass 80% of your working weight, and take a full 2 minutes before the first working set.
Should warm-up sets go to failure?
No. Warm-up reps should feel easy and fast. Their job is to prepare your nervous system and joints and to groove the movement pattern, so grinding them costs you reps on the sets that actually count.
Do I warm up for every exercise?
Fully for the first heavy movement of each pattern, then far less for anything that follows using the same muscles. After heavy squats, your leg press needs one light set rather than a full ramp.
The reasoning behind these rest lengths is in warm-up set rest.