How to Warm Up Properly for Strength Training

Most lifters either overcomplicate their warm-up or barely warm up at all.

In this episode of Mondays with Matt, Matt Reynolds explains how to warm up properly for strength training without wasting time or turning your warm-up into a workout. The purpose of a warm-up is simple: prepare your body for the working weights and movements you're about to perform.

Matt breaks down how to warm up for squats, bench press, overhead press, and deadlifts, including how many warm-up sets to perform, how to choose weight jumps, how many reps to do, and how long to rest between sets. He also explains why accessory exercises usually need only one activation set and why bodyweight movements like chin-ups and dips often require no separate warm-up at all.

You'll also learn how to adjust your warm-up when training in a cold garage gym, whether you should stretch before lifting, and how to handle cranky knees, elbows, tendon issues, and other aches with targeted warm-up work.

The key: get warm, reinforce good technique, progressively prepare for heavier weight, and then get to your work sets.

Matt's Links

Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en PS - Get your home gym started HERE.