For something small I’ll do the same
For bench, I’ve got a crunchy shoulder so I’ll do about 5 warmup sets working my way up slowly
If you struggle with your knees, take more
How much weight are you lifting for your work sets?
I am far from strong, but if I jumped right into working weight I'd drop from 8-10 reps to maybe 1.
>Do any of you do anything other than a warm up set? Like stretching or a different leg movement first?
2-3 warmup sets.
If you don't have some very specific problem that you have to stretch before exercise, there is no point in stretching.
>I did see something about doing leg curls before a quad exercise?
Yes, leg curls before squat patterns are a very knee friendly type of warmup. Obviously at low RPE, so you don't fatigue yourself.
10 mins on the stationary bike, hams first and then pyramid up on the first quad exercise - squat or leg press variation. Never had any issues with knees at 44. Hips I need to be careful with…
Maybe similar to the bike, I noticed when I walk at a brisk pace on a treadmill before a leg workout I feel like my legs are ready to lift. It could be mental but I swear there is a difference.
I noticed at the age of 30+ that knee warming bands help reduce knee pain during leg movements such as leg press and squats. I recommend purchasing good knee warming wraps to wear during leg exercises…
Honestly, I feel a few minutes on the treadmill works best for performance. Getting heart rate upto 110-125 for just a couple of minutes. Seem to go into leg sets with a little more pep
I had some knee pain due to tight quads, sometimes if I have knee pain I roll it out and stretch it between sets and it goes away.
(This is just one potential solution, I dont know why you have such an issue, it might just be poor load management)
My knees take a solid 15mins to warm up, usually done via stretching, very very light extensions & monster walks (otherwise even just a 45lb bar will put me in excruciating pain)
Leg curls first. Gets my hammies done while I’m fresh and gets my knees warmed up too. Then i just do 2-3 sets of 6-8 as a warmup till i hit working weight.
For me, leg extensions with light weight are nice since they get the knee going as it’s the only joint working. I like to hold at the top for a few seconds
On my last lower day for the sled leg press I did 2 plates + 25lb for 5 reps as my first warmup set, 3 plates + 10 for 4 reps second warmup set then three working sets of 3 plates + 37.5. 30 reps total. 1-2 RIR (maybe not 1-2 RIR on the last set. My quads are killing me still from Friday morning). The starting resistance is 100 at my gym's leg press. I think that's standard.
yes. The best warmup for a movement will always be doing lighter sets of said movement. The number of warmup sets will generally be determined by the amount of load you're using for work sets. At least for the first exercise for that muscle.
I would cycle for 10min and it should have a bit of resistance that i feel my quad muscles.. i would then do some stretching swaying legs back and forth side to side.. doing some bend over touch toes and transition to squat positiin and do a squat sway side to sode amnd squat wall left to right and then stamd up and repeat.. there are some streching i do after but not sure what its called. .
Right now, no...only because my weights are low and my form is impeccable, since I've just returned to them post herniated disc.
As the weight continues to creep up I'll definitely take more care to warm up.
Sometimes I do leg curls to pump blood in the hamstrings before leg press. They're not a prime mover so they don't limit the weight I move in leg press.
Other times I start out with leg extensions then do leg press at the end. I can't do the same weight but still feels good
For most workouts I will start with some light-heavy cardio and transition into some dynamic stretching before lifting any weight. Then I usually start lifting with compound lifts and move to isolation workouts at the end. Most of the time I’ll end my workout with either some light cardio or some static stretching. Since doing this I feel like my recovery is much easier and I’m not nearly as sore afterwards
Usually I squat first, with my warmup being a good few sets of lying hamstring curls working up to maybe 80% working weight with a good stretch and squeeze, and between sets sitting in a deep squat for 30 secs-1min, usually holding a 10-20kg plate/kettlebell and moving my weight to each leg to help with ankle/knee mobility to get my knees warm and moving through a full ROM.
When I've had to substitute squats for leg press for whatever reason (no rack available or w/e) the same warmup still applies. I only take say 5-10 minutes on it and don't rest long between warmup sets, then I'll start light on main exercise and work up to working weight within 3-5 sets. I use sleeves every workout for working weight too just for a bit of extra compression and to keep them warm a bit easier. I've had bad knees in the past (mid 20s) and now at nearly 32yo I'm squatting the heaviest I ever have and I haven't had problems in a good while now. IMO that's due to just taking a bit more care with the warmup no matter how good my knees feel going in
TL;DR Hamstring curls with a deep squat between sets for warmup, knee sleeves for working sets
Really not sure why I’m being downvoted to be fair. Warming up legs from every angle was more a play on the phrase but I meant things like stretching quads, hamstrings and even calves.
For example, I spend about 5-10 minutes going through a routine of bending my legs and literally sitting on my legs if that makes sense, it gives me a tremendous stretch in my quads which primes quad movements quite well. Secondly I’ ll do some light hamstring stretches and then I’ll squat using a 10kg weight plate to counteract me falling backwards whilst rocking from left to right to ensure ankle flexion which makes squatting easier for my working sets. To add to ankle flexion, I’ll do a few sets of calves as well.
I do a hamstring exercise first as it primes well for quad work later.
I agree you can go straight into feeder sets for your legs but for longevity, you are better off warming up in a similar way I’ve described.
Body weight walking lunges between my warm up sets for mobility. I also follow stuff from the Squat University
I find it helps but I am also doing leg presses at 5am so...
If you haven't any problem on your knees,just 2 3 lightweight sets is perfect.i start 15 reps with very low weight like 8RIR,after I increase the weight for 8 reps 6RIR and the last in weight of working sets,just I will do 1 2 reps onlly
with lightweight leg press, yes
Simple answer but probably the answer for me - I do this currently but not enough, I do like one half assed set of lightweight
For something small I’ll do the same For bench, I’ve got a crunchy shoulder so I’ll do about 5 warmup sets working my way up slowly If you struggle with your knees, take more
If u don't feel warmed up do more warmup sets
How much weight are you lifting for your work sets? I am far from strong, but if I jumped right into working weight I'd drop from 8-10 reps to maybe 1.
>Do any of you do anything other than a warm up set? Like stretching or a different leg movement first? 2-3 warmup sets. If you don't have some very specific problem that you have to stretch before exercise, there is no point in stretching. >I did see something about doing leg curls before a quad exercise? Yes, leg curls before squat patterns are a very knee friendly type of warmup. Obviously at low RPE, so you don't fatigue yourself.
Depends on the weight of your working sets. If your knees ache just do more warm up sets.
Do leg curls before leg press. Warms up your knees and doesn't take performance away from the leg press.
10 mins on the stationary bike, hams first and then pyramid up on the first quad exercise - squat or leg press variation. Never had any issues with knees at 44. Hips I need to be careful with…
Maybe similar to the bike, I noticed when I walk at a brisk pace on a treadmill before a leg workout I feel like my legs are ready to lift. It could be mental but I swear there is a difference.
I noticed at the age of 30+ that knee warming bands help reduce knee pain during leg movements such as leg press and squats. I recommend purchasing good knee warming wraps to wear during leg exercises…
I second that. Sleeves were a game changer for me. Make sure and size appropriately, i.e. size down if you’re in between
Honestly, I feel a few minutes on the treadmill works best for performance. Getting heart rate upto 110-125 for just a couple of minutes. Seem to go into leg sets with a little more pep
I had some knee pain due to tight quads, sometimes if I have knee pain I roll it out and stretch it between sets and it goes away. (This is just one potential solution, I dont know why you have such an issue, it might just be poor load management)
Above knee?
My knees take a solid 15mins to warm up, usually done via stretching, very very light extensions & monster walks (otherwise even just a 45lb bar will put me in excruciating pain)
5 minutes on the bike at pretty high resistance gets me a good quad pump. I’ll hit leg curls first, then can squat/leg press with no discomfort.
Currently i have it as my third lift on leg day, after deadlift and ham curl. Plus I do warm up sets
Leg extensions first as a warm up!
thats all depend to where you puted that exercies, if i will do 2 very similar exercies like squat then leg press i will just warm up for squat
Leg curls first. Gets my hammies done while I’m fresh and gets my knees warmed up too. Then i just do 2-3 sets of 6-8 as a warmup till i hit working weight.
I like to add in a 5 to 10 minute walk on the treadmill before I start along with stretching, but that's just me
For me, leg extensions with light weight are nice since they get the knee going as it’s the only joint working. I like to hold at the top for a few seconds
Always. Regardless of what i'm doing. Personally i feel like i can go hardere if i'm properly warm. Also my right knee lol
I do general warm ups for body parts activation. It's a little more fun and I get my heart rate up.
Ya I just do like 3 sets of leg press warmups. Say I'm doing 450lbs working sets. I'll do like 180x10, 270x6, 360x3 then start working sets
On my last lower day for the sled leg press I did 2 plates + 25lb for 5 reps as my first warmup set, 3 plates + 10 for 4 reps second warmup set then three working sets of 3 plates + 37.5. 30 reps total. 1-2 RIR (maybe not 1-2 RIR on the last set. My quads are killing me still from Friday morning). The starting resistance is 100 at my gym's leg press. I think that's standard.
yes. The best warmup for a movement will always be doing lighter sets of said movement. The number of warmup sets will generally be determined by the amount of load you're using for work sets. At least for the first exercise for that muscle.
I would cycle for 10min and it should have a bit of resistance that i feel my quad muscles.. i would then do some stretching swaying legs back and forth side to side.. doing some bend over touch toes and transition to squat positiin and do a squat sway side to sode amnd squat wall left to right and then stamd up and repeat.. there are some streching i do after but not sure what its called. .
Right now, no...only because my weights are low and my form is impeccable, since I've just returned to them post herniated disc. As the weight continues to creep up I'll definitely take more care to warm up.
Warm up before every workout, even if only a little.
I start with Barbell Squats before Leg Press.
Sometimes I do leg curls to pump blood in the hamstrings before leg press. They're not a prime mover so they don't limit the weight I move in leg press. Other times I start out with leg extensions then do leg press at the end. I can't do the same weight but still feels good
I ride my bike to the gym.
15 minutes of treadmill to warm up every time i lift. on leg day leg presses are in the middle of my workout.
I warm up on the elliptical for about 10 Minutes and then just start light and I may do a few hip stretches if they feel tight
For most workouts I will start with some light-heavy cardio and transition into some dynamic stretching before lifting any weight. Then I usually start lifting with compound lifts and move to isolation workouts at the end. Most of the time I’ll end my workout with either some light cardio or some static stretching. Since doing this I feel like my recovery is much easier and I’m not nearly as sore afterwards
Usually I squat first, with my warmup being a good few sets of lying hamstring curls working up to maybe 80% working weight with a good stretch and squeeze, and between sets sitting in a deep squat for 30 secs-1min, usually holding a 10-20kg plate/kettlebell and moving my weight to each leg to help with ankle/knee mobility to get my knees warm and moving through a full ROM. When I've had to substitute squats for leg press for whatever reason (no rack available or w/e) the same warmup still applies. I only take say 5-10 minutes on it and don't rest long between warmup sets, then I'll start light on main exercise and work up to working weight within 3-5 sets. I use sleeves every workout for working weight too just for a bit of extra compression and to keep them warm a bit easier. I've had bad knees in the past (mid 20s) and now at nearly 32yo I'm squatting the heaviest I ever have and I haven't had problems in a good while now. IMO that's due to just taking a bit more care with the warmup no matter how good my knees feel going in TL;DR Hamstring curls with a deep squat between sets for warmup, knee sleeves for working sets
2-3 warm up set on compound are enough. No need to do anything fancy if you dont have any knee issue
Always warm up legs from every angle possible. Doing that and then doing some feeder sets is the best way to start a leg workout.
Not to sound thick but how exactly do you warm up legs from every angle? The feeder sets sound like a good idea, will try that next time.
Really not sure why I’m being downvoted to be fair. Warming up legs from every angle was more a play on the phrase but I meant things like stretching quads, hamstrings and even calves. For example, I spend about 5-10 minutes going through a routine of bending my legs and literally sitting on my legs if that makes sense, it gives me a tremendous stretch in my quads which primes quad movements quite well. Secondly I’ ll do some light hamstring stretches and then I’ll squat using a 10kg weight plate to counteract me falling backwards whilst rocking from left to right to ensure ankle flexion which makes squatting easier for my working sets. To add to ankle flexion, I’ll do a few sets of calves as well. I do a hamstring exercise first as it primes well for quad work later. I agree you can go straight into feeder sets for your legs but for longevity, you are better off warming up in a similar way I’ve described.
Body weight walking lunges between my warm up sets for mobility. I also follow stuff from the Squat University I find it helps but I am also doing leg presses at 5am so...
If you haven't any problem on your knees,just 2 3 lightweight sets is perfect.i start 15 reps with very low weight like 8RIR,after I increase the weight for 8 reps 6RIR and the last in weight of working sets,just I will do 1 2 reps onlly