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Post by tank316 on Mar 19, 2008 11:41:38 GMT -5
Here is a piece I wrote on warmups for the book Building The Perfect Beast Naturally...
Limit your warm-ups: This is not to say that I do not want you to warm-up, but just not to over do it. Some people make their warm-ups so extensive that they actually make unnecessary inroads into their recovery ability and limit the weights they can use on work sets. Here is a typical warm-up scenario that I see at the gym all the time. Let’s use the bench press as an example…
-Warm-up set #1: 135 x 15
-Warm-up set #2: 185 x 12
-Warm-up set #3: 225 x 10
-Warm-up set #4: 275 x 8
-Work-set #1: 315 x 4 to failure
Using the above warm-up protocol, 45 reps have already been performed before getting to the first work set. This is a less than optimal method. The following is a more efficient and useful warm-up scenario…
-Warm-up set #1: 135 x 6
-Warm-up set #2: 185 x 4
-Warm-up set #3: 225 x 4
-Warm-up set #4: 265 x 2
-Warm-up set #5: 285 x 1
-Warm-up set #6: 305 x 1
-Work-set #1: 315 x 6-7 to failure
Using this method of warming up, only 18 reps were performed, which prevents lactic acid from building up, and better prepares the CNS and muscles for the load they will be handling for the first work set. The result will be better performance during each bench press work set, and more recovery “machinery” left in tact when the workout is complete.
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Post by fit on May 1, 2008 16:21:44 GMT -5
Been meaning to reply to this. While I was never doing the "first" type of warm-up... it was more that than the latter. What this post did do was remind me to give better structure to my warmups and scale them accordingly. It's really helped.
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Post by The One on May 1, 2008 18:29:00 GMT -5
Been meaning to reply to this. While I was never doing the "first" type of warm-up... it was more that than the latter. What this post did do was remind me to give better structure to my warmups and scale them accordingly. It's really helped. Glad it helped you in some way! |
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Post by Blade on May 6, 2008 15:27:53 GMT -5
So if you are doing 6 warm up sets, how many work sets would you do?
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Post by readytogrow on Apr 29, 2009 14:36:03 GMT -5
So if you are doing 6 warm up sets, how many work sets would you do? i think eric implies this means 1 all out working set for that exercise? i myself have had a hard time getting away from too many warm up sets due to having been injured very bad in the past. i had bad form and was using too heavy weight and too heavy too often. i know this now and have been cutting my warm ups now that i understand and have corrected the problems. good read here as it made me realise i do lift better with "less" warming up now. i just wish i knew years ago what i know now... |
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coz999
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Post by coz999 on May 24, 2009 19:55:07 GMT -5
Wouldnt this be more useful in regards to a powerlifter. More reps for a bodybuilder throughtout an exercise is optimal, right? Maybe all this time I thought doing 185x8 then 225x8 was actually beneficial but maybe I should have been saving the juice until the heaviest set. Still kinda unsure about it all, but may have to give it a try.
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Post by tapo31 on May 24, 2009 20:32:03 GMT -5
Wouldnt this be more useful in regards to a powerlifter. More reps for a bodybuilder throughtout an exercise is optimal, right? Maybe all this time I thought doing 185x8 then 225x8 was actually beneficial but maybe I should have been saving the juice until the heaviest set. Still kinda unsure about it all, but may have to give it a try. The thought that the more reps the better is probably the largest logical fallacy in the natural bodybuilding world. The use of warm up sets is for that purpose, to warm up. Push yourself on your work sets, not when you are just trying to prepare for those sets. |
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coz999
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Post by coz999 on May 24, 2009 21:49:56 GMT -5
Well say ur working sets are 6-8 at your heaviest weight and ur going to failure and you do 3 working sets, isnt that more taxing on the CNS or would that only be if your overtraining. Thanks for ur first response tho tapo it kinda makes sense. Warmups are only to "warmup" I guess balls to the wall should be to make the most gains
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Post by The One on May 24, 2009 22:39:53 GMT -5
Well say ur working sets are 6-8 at your heaviest weight and ur going to failure and you do 3 working sets, isnt that more taxing on the CNS or would that only be if your overtraining. Thanks for ur first response tho tapo it kinda makes sense. Warmups are only to "warmup" I guess balls to the wall should be to make the most gains The point of the article is that people waste too much valuable energy with their warmups, which take some steam away from their worksets AND tap further into their recovery ability. Unless you have a specific injury or joint problem, their is no need to perform endless reps to warm up. You are better off with less reps and a better progression toward your working weight, as you mostly need to prepare your nervous system for the sets ahead taken to failure. |
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Post by coz999 on May 25, 2009 10:23:09 GMT -5
Eric. 3 words.....YOUR THE MAN! Did less warmups on chest just did 4 reps until my working set and was able to get the 115's on Incline DB which during contest prep is really rare. Good stuff, I am passing this knowledge on to others and tell them none other than MR. PRRS himself hooked me up with that advice.
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Post by flex87 on May 25, 2009 22:42:54 GMT -5
Eric. 3 words.....YOUR THE MAN! Did less warmups on chest just did 4 reps until my working set and was able to get the 115's on Incline DB which during contest prep is really rare. Good stuff, I am passing this knowledge on to others and tell them none other than MR. PRRS himself hooked me up with that advice. i always warmed up that way....doing less reps really puts your body in the zone without fatigue...although i usually do 3-5 reps for warmups never a single.....worth a shot! |
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Post by The One on May 25, 2009 22:58:49 GMT -5
Eric. 3 words.....YOUR THE MAN! Did less warmups on chest just did 4 reps until my working set and was able to get the 115's on Incline DB which during contest prep is really rare. Good stuff, I am passing this knowledge on to others and tell them none other than MR. PRRS himself hooked me up with that advice. Thank you sir! I am glad my advice made a difference for you! |
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Post by snowboardray on May 31, 2009 6:03:55 GMT -5
Just wanted to say thanks...
135x8
185x4
225x2
255x1
285x1
315x1
335x1 = DIED
I have not tried a PR on the Bench Press in a long time. My previous best was 275. Power Week is 245 after Incline Dumbs so I thought I could reach my dream of 315. Using your warm-up method was the only way it was gonna happen. This method got my mind and body ready for battle without being taxed. It felt so good I went for the 335. Glad I had a good spotter!!! EB, thanks brother.
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Post by The One on Jun 2, 2009 0:32:25 GMT -5
Just wanted to say thanks... 135x8 185x4 225x2 255x1 285x1 315x1 335x1 = DIED I have not tried a PR on the Bench Press in a long time. My previous best was 275. Power Week is 245 after Incline Dumbs so I thought I could reach my dream of 315. Using your warm-up method was the only way it was gonna happen. This method got my mind and body ready for battle without being taxed. It felt so good I went for the 335. Glad I had a good spotter!!! EB, thanks brother. Proof is right there! I love it! Great stuff, and you are welcome! |
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Post by underdog on Jun 26, 2009 23:02:18 GMT -5
This...Makes sense. ;D
For some reason, especially with super sets, I always held in my head that a warm up was doing two "light" sets before getting into some heavier stuff. But I would always run into guessing how heavy/light I should go because I really didn't know how my body was going to react. So my first set would be hit and miss a lot of times.
This makes tons of sense though.
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