A good warm-up does three things: it raises your core body temperature, lubricates your joints, and activates the specific muscles you’re about to load heavily. All three matter on the 5x5 workout program because every session starts with heavy compound movements that demand proper preparation.
Skipping or shortening the warm-up does not save time. It reduces working-set performance and increases injury risk, both of which cost far more time in the long run.
Two Phases of a 5x5 Warm-Up
Every 5x5 warm-up should include:
- General warm-up: 5-10 minutes of low-intensity cardio
- Exercise-specific warm-up: 3-4 ramp sets before each exercise’s working sets
Both phases serve distinct purposes and neither replaces the other.
Phase 1: General Warm-Up (5-10 Minutes)
The purpose of general warm-up is to raise core body temperature, which improves the function of enzymes involved in energy production and increases the extensibility of connective tissue.
Best options for 5x5 training:
- Stationary bike (recommended: easy on joints, no balance demand)
- Treadmill walking or light jogging
- Elliptical at low resistance
- Rowing machine at low intensity
Keep this phase at a conversational pace. You should be breathing slightly harder than resting but nowhere near exerted. The goal is to feel warm and loosened up, not to pre-fatigue yourself.
Duration: 5 minutes is sufficient for most people in a warm environment. Extend to 10 minutes if the gym is cold or if your joints feel stiff.
Mobility Drills Before Squats
After general cardio, add 3-4 mobility drills targeting the hips and lower body before your first squat warm-up set. These take 3-5 minutes total.
Lateral Leg Swings
Stand next to a wall or squat rack for balance. Swing one leg side to side in a controlled arc, gradually increasing range over 10-15 reps. Switch legs. This mobilizes the hip joint in the frontal plane and warms the adductors and abductors.
Deep Squat Hold
Stand with feet shoulder-width, toes slightly out. Lower into a full squat until your hips are below your knees, keeping your heels on the floor. Hold for 30-60 seconds. This stretches the hip flexors, adductors, and calves simultaneously and reinforces the squat bottom position.
If your heels rise, hold onto a squat rack for support. The goal is to get comfortable at the bottom without assistance over 2-4 weeks.
Hip Circles
Stand on one leg and draw large circles with your elevated knee, 10 reps forward and 10 reps backward. This mobilizes the hip capsule and primes the glutes for squatting.
Seated Thoracic Twists
Sit on a bench with hands behind your head. Rotate your torso as far as possible to the right, hold for one second, then rotate fully to the left. Perform 10 reps per side. This mobilizes the thoracic spine and engages the core, which is important for maintaining a braced position during squats and rows.
Mobility Drills Before Pressing Exercises
Before bench press or overhead press, add shoulder prep:
Band Pass-Throughs
Hold a resistance band or PVC pipe with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width. With straight arms, lift the band over your head and behind your body, then return to the front. Perform 10-15 continuous passes. This increases shoulder external rotation and warms the rotator cuff for pressing.
Arm Circles
Simple forward and backward arm circles, 10-15 reps in each direction, warm the shoulder capsule and improve the shoulder’s range of motion without requiring any equipment.
Phase 2: Exercise-Specific Warm-Up Sets
Warm-up sets are ramp-up sets performed on each exercise before your working weight. They groove the movement pattern, prepare the specific joints and muscles involved, and let you gauge how the lift feels that day.
Standard Warm-Up Set Protocol
Use this ramp for any barbell exercise where you have a working weight:
| Warm-Up Set | Load | Reps | Rest After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set 1 | Empty barbell | 8-10 | 60 sec |
| Set 2 | 50% of working weight | 5 | 60 sec |
| Set 3 | 70% of working weight | 3 | 60-90 sec |
| Set 4 | 90% of working weight | 1-2 | 90-120 sec |
| Working sets begin |
Example for a 225 lb squat working weight:
- Empty bar (45 lb) x 10 reps
- 115 lb x 5 reps
- 160 lb x 3 reps
- 200 lb x 1-2 reps
- 225 lb x 5 reps x 5 sets (working sets)
Example for a 135 lb bench press working weight:
- Empty bar (45 lb) x 8 reps
- 70 lb x 5 reps
- 95 lb x 3 reps
- 120 lb x 1-2 reps
- 135 lb x 5 reps x 5 sets (working sets)
Warm-Up Sets for Later Exercises in the Session
Once you’ve completed your squat working sets and move to bench press or row, your body is already warm. You need fewer ramp sets for these exercises.
| Order in Session | Warm-Up Sets Needed |
|---|---|
| First exercise (usually squat) | Full ramp: 4 sets |
| Second exercise (bench or OHP) | Reduced ramp: 2-3 sets |
| Third exercise (row or deadlift) | Minimal ramp: 1-2 sets |
For the deadlift performed at the end of Workout B, a single warm-up set at 60-70% of your working weight is typically enough. Your hips and back are already warmed from squatting.
How to Use the Warm-Up to Gauge Readiness
Warm-up sets are information, not just preparation. Pay attention to how each ramp set feels:
Warm-up sets feel smooth and fast: good sign. Working sets will likely go well.
Warm-up sets feel unusually heavy or slow: consider whether you’ve recovered from the previous session. This might not be the day to push for a new weight increase. Repeat the previous session’s working weight rather than adding 5 lb.
One side feels weaker or tighter: address this with mobility work or consider whether something needs attention before loading heavily.
Full Warm-Up Time Breakdown
Here is a realistic time investment for a 5x5 session warm-up:
| Component | Time |
|---|---|
| General warm-up (cardio) | 5-8 min |
| Mobility drills (lower body or upper body) | 3-5 min |
| Warm-up sets for Exercise 1 | 8-12 min |
| Warm-up sets for Exercise 2 | 5-7 min |
| Warm-up sets for Exercise 3 | 3-5 min |
| Total | 24-37 min |
This is before a single working set has been performed. On shorter workout days or for more experienced lifters, the total can be compressed to 15-20 minutes, but beginners and anyone training at high intensities should invest the full time.
Common Warm-Up Mistakes on 5x5
Jumping straight to the bar. The most common mistake. Even if you’ve trained consistently for years, skipping warm-up sets under heavy compound loads adds injury risk.
Too many warm-up sets at the same weight. Repeating 50% x 5 three times is not a ramp, it is wasted energy. Each warm-up set should step up in weight.
Treating warm-up sets as working sets. Warm-up sets should feel easy and be performed deliberately. Grinding through a 90% warm-up set is a signal that your working weight is too heavy.
Skipping mobility between exercises. After squats, a brief set of arm circles or shoulder mobility before bench press takes 60 seconds and noticeably improves shoulder comfort under the bar.
Rushing the last warm-up set. The transition from the final warm-up set (90%) to your first working set should include a 90-120 second rest. The 90% set is relatively demanding. Starting your first working set immediately after it reduces performance.
