Training Guides / Training science
Mobility and warm-ups
A smart 10-minute warm-up prepares your joints and muscles for heavy lifting. Learn the difference between mobility and flexibility, a routine you can copy, and how to build warm-up sets.
A good warm-up raises your body temperature, rehearses the movements you are about to load and helps you lift better from the first work set. It does not need to take long. Ten minutes is enough for most sessions.
General education only. Stretching should feel like mild tension, never sharp pain. If you have an injury, follow the advice of a qualified professional.
Mobility vs flexibility
Flexibility is how far a joint can be moved, including by an outside force, such as a partner pushing your leg. Mobility is how far you can actively control a joint through its range. For lifting, mobility matters most: you need to own the positions of a deep squat or an overhead press, not just reach them passively.
Static vs dynamic stretching
| Type | What it is | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic | Moving through a range in a controlled way: leg swings, arm circles, walking lunges | Before training |
| Static | Holding a stretch for 20 to 60 seconds | After training, or as separate mobility work |
Long static stretches held just before lifting can slightly reduce strength for a short time in some studies, though short holds of under about 60 seconds show little effect. Dynamic movements are the safer default before lifting.
A 10-minute warm-up you can copy
- General warm-up (3 to 5 minutes). Bike, rower, brisk incline walk or jumping jacks until you are lightly warm.
- Dynamic mobility (about 5 minutes), 8 to 10 reps each: - Cat-cow on hands and knees - World's greatest stretch (lunge with rotation), each side - Leg swings, front to back and side to side - Bodyweight squats with a 2-second pause at the bottom - Glute bridges - Band pull-aparts or arm circles - Wall slides for overhead mobility
- Specific warm-up sets for your first lift (below).
Ramp-up sets
Before your first heavy lift, build up gradually. Example for a working weight of 100 kg:
| Set | Weight | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Empty bar (20 kg) | 10 |
| 2 | 50 kg | 5 |
| 3 | 70 kg | 3 |
| 4 | 85 kg | 1 to 2 |
| Work sets | 100 kg | As programmed |
Keep warm-up reps low as the weight climbs so you do not tire yourself out. Later exercises in the session need only one or two lighter sets.
Building long-term mobility
If certain positions are limited, such as ankles in the squat or shoulders overhead, add 5 to 10 minutes of targeted work two or three times a week:
- Ankles: knee-to-wall stretch
- Hips: 90/90 hip switches, deep goblet squat holds
- Upper back: foam roller extensions, open-book rotations
- Shoulders: doorway pec stretch, dead hangs
Lifting through a full range of motion also improves mobility over time. Strength training is itself a form of mobility work.
Use the warm-up as a check-in. If a joint feels off, adjust the session. Some days call for lighter work, as covered in deloads.
