A pre-workout warm-up raises body temperature, increases blood flow to working muscles, and prepares your nervous system for the demands of training. These sequences are designed for the 5–10 minutes before you touch a barbell, kettlebell, or start a bodyweight session.

Fitness Considerations

Pre-workout prep should be dynamic — leg swings, arm circles, bodyweight squats — not long static holds. The goal is to increase tissue temperature and rehearse movement patterns, not chase flexibility. Save deep stretching for after the workout.

Warming up for squats is different from warming up for a run. A good general warm-up covers the whole body, then narrows to the specific joints and patterns you’ll load. For squat day: hip circles, ankle rocks, bodyweight squats, then empty bar ramp-up sets.

Explosive or heavy work requires neural readiness. After general warm-up, include 2–3 sets of the working movement at lighter loads. This primes motor patterns and reduces the “first rep feels terrible” effect.

Sequences

# Sequence Description
22.01 Pre-Workout Warm-Up General warm-up sequence for training sessions