Selecting the right weight for your warm-up sets can be crucial for optimising workout performance. Now, recent research suggests that the load you choose during your warm-up can significantly influence muscle growth, as it compares the effects of using different load percentages in warm-up sets. By fine-tuning your warm-up strategy, you could potentially enhance muscle gains by increasing total volume.

The new study investigates the effects of lighter versus heavier warm-up weights on total volume. Discover how adjusting your warm-up routine can help you train smarter and achieve better results.

The Study

Published in The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, the study explored how different warm-up load intensities impact workout performance. It compared various warm-up weights to assess their effects on overall resistance training volume.

The Methods

15 lifters with at least 6 months experience participated in the study. They performed three training sessions with warm up load intensities of:

  • 40% warm up: 15 reps with 40% of their 10 rep max
  • 60% warm up: 10 reps with 60% of their 10 rep max
  • 80% warm up: 5 reps with 80% of their 10 rep max

In each workout, participants completed three sets to failure with two minutes of rest between sets. The exercises included bench press, incline leg press, and wide-grip lat pulldown. Researchers assessed the number of reps, overall training volume, and the decline in reps across sets as an indicator of fatigue.

The Results

  • The 80% warm up resulted in significantly greater total training volume when compared to the 60% and 40% warm up conditions.

The Conclusion

The researchers concluded that before starting a resistance training session, a warm up for each exercise should be performed at 80% of the initial workout load.

What to read next

determined athletic man lifting heavy barbell in a gym
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What This Means for Us?

This means that for hypertrophy training, when peak volume is the goal, warming up with at least one set at 80% of the working load would be most beneficial. Before starting your working set, it could look like this:

  • You do a lighter set, perhaps at 50% of the working set load, and then a heavier set at 80% of the working set load
  • You head straight into one to two sets of 80% of the working set load (if you are experienced and your body is prepared to handle such weights)

      For a thorough break down of how to structure your warm ups, you can check out our guide here: