

      <h2 id="chapter_35949382">Critical Warmup Mistakes</h2>


        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>0:01</time>
      <p>
          If   you&#39;re   jumping   straight   from   walking   into   the   gym   to   loading   plates   on   the   bar ,   you&#39;re   making   a   critical   systems   error   that   is   robbing   you   of   strength   and   inviting   injury .   Most   lifters   think   warming   up   is   about   getting   loose   or   breaking   a   sweat ,   but   your   body   operates   like   a   complex   system   and   trying   to   run   high-performance   tasks   before   properly   initializing   is   a   recipe   for   malfunction .   Today ,   we&#39;re   exposing   why   most   warm-ups   are   either   too   long ,   too   short   or   completely   missing   the   point .   You&#39;ll   discover   the   engineering   principle   that   explains   what   happens   when   you   start   lifting   cold ,   how   to   design   a   boot   sequence   that   primes   your   nervous   system   for   peak   performance ,   and   why   the   difference   between   muscle   soreness   and   actual   pain   could   save   your   training   career .   Welcome   to   Wits   and   Weights ,   the   show   that   helps   you   build   a   strong ,   healthy   physique   using   evidence ,   engineering   and   efficiency .   I&#39;m   your   host ,   certified   nutrition   coach ,   philip   Pape ,   and   today   we&#39;re   tackling   something   that   happens   before   you   even   touch   your   first   working   set   in   the   gym ,   but   might   be   the   most   critical   part   of   your   entire   training   session .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>1:16</time>
      <p>
          Now   most   lifters   approach   warming   up   like   it   is   a   mystical   ritual   involving   foam   rollers ,   resistance   bands ,   dynamic   stretching .   You   know   enough   to   choreograph   a   dancer   team   and ,   trust   me ,   I&#39;ve   been   there .   I   used   to   do   CrossFit .   Others   treat   it   like   an   annoying   speed   bump   between   walking   into   the   gym   and   getting   to   the   real   work .   Let&#39;s   just   get   this   over   with .   But   I   think   both   approaches   are   flawed   because   they   misunderstand   the   purpose   of   the   warmup   and   what   it   needs   to   accomplish ,   which   is   what   we&#39;re   talking   about   today .   The   truth   is   that   your   body ,   like   we   talk   about   all   the   time   on   the   show ,   is   a   sophisticated   system .   I&#39;ve   learned   from   hard   knocks ,   my   own   injuries   and   surgeries   and   other   bumps   and   bruises   along   the   way ,   that   it   requires   purpose   and   intentionality .   And   if   we&#39;re   to   use   an   analogy   of   a   computer ,   you   need   to   initialize   your   operating   system   so   that   you   can   operate   at   peak   performance .   And   if   you   skip   the   sequence   or   if   you   execute   it   in   the   wrong   way ,   you&#39;re   not   just   missing   out   on   the   gains ,   the   reason   that   you&#39;re   in   the   gym ,   but   you&#39;re   actually   potentially   holding   your   back   and   making   it   harder   on   your   physiology ,   on   your   recovery .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>2:22</time>
      <p>
          Now ,   before   we   get   into   the   specifics   of   building   up   your   warmup   routine ,   I   do   want   to   share   something   that   can   help   you   systematize   this   and   be   very   intentional   about   how   you   do   it .   Wits   and   Weights   Physique   University   gives   you   those   frameworks .   We   have   a   course   called   Lifting   Lessons   in   our   training   templates   course   and   it   gives   you   chunks   of   practical   recommendations   on   every   one   of   these   and   it   demos   how   to   do   different   things ,   how   to   warm   up ,   what   to   have   in   your   gym   bag ,   how   to   use   a   power   rack ,   how   to   live   safely ,   et   cetera .   And   that&#39;s   how   I&#39;ve   structured   it ,   because   I&#39;ve   learned   from   personal   experience ,   from   coaching   people ,   from   training ,   what   really   works   for   these   different   things   and   how   people   get   stuck   when   they   want   to   go   and   start   lifting   weights .   So   if   you&#39;re   totally   new   to   lifting ,   or   if   you&#39;ve   been   lifting   but   you&#39;re   not   confident   enough   with   some   of   these   things ,   we   can   definitely   help   you   there   and   we   are   relaunching   at   a   much   lower   tier .   It&#39;s   $27   a   month ,   used   to   be   $87   a   month   and   if   you   join   using   my   link   in   the   show   notes ,   I&#39;m   going   to   build   you   a   custom   nutrition   plan   at   no   extra   cost .   It   is   a   combination   of   nutrition ,   training   and   lifestyle   in   there   A   lot   of   great   courses
      </p>

      <h2 id="chapter_35949383">The Cold Start Problem</h2>


        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>3:26</time>
      <p>
          ,   no   pressure ,   a   good   community ,   and   it&#39;s   going   to   help   you   get   where   you   want   to   go .   All   right ,   let&#39;s   talk   about   warming   up   and   understanding   what   we&#39;re   actually   trying   to   solve   here .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>3:37</time>
      <p>
          In   systems   engineering ,   we   have   something   called   the   cold   start   problem .   When   you   power   on   a   computer   from   a   completely   shut   down   state ,   it&#39;s   cold ,   right ,   it   doesn&#39;t   immediately   operate   at   its   full   capability .   You&#39;ve   probably   seen   this   with   your   own   computer   at   home .   If   it&#39;s   been   off   and   you   turn   it   up ,   it   takes   a   while   to   kind   of   crunch   on .   You   know ,   not   everything   is   ready   to   go .   There&#39;s   just   this   lag   there ,   right .   The   system   has   to   load   the   operating   system ,   it   has   to   initialize   drivers ,   allocate   memory ,   synchronize   all   the   components .   And   if   you   try   to   just   jump   into ,   like   your   video   editor   or   some   high   performance   application   before   it   completes ,   you   know   it   might   crash ,   you   might   get   an   error ,   it   might   just   really   slow   down   until   it&#39;s   ready   to   go .   Computers   get   better   and   better   at   handling   all   of   this   stuff .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>4:25</time>
      <p>
          But   if   we   think   of   your   body   as   working   the   same   way ,   I   think   it&#39;s   a   good   analogy   for   this   process   from   the   time   you   walk   into   the   gym   to   the   time   you   lift .   So   when   you   walk   into   the   gym ,   especially   guys   and   girls ,   ladies   who&#39;ve   been   sitting   at   a   desk   all   day ,   raise   your   hand ,   okay ,   or   you   just   rolled   out   of   bed .   Because   I   train   early   in   the   morning ,   I   do   try   to   take   some   time   to   eat   and   read   and   kind   of   wake   up   mentally   before   I   go   to   the   gym .   But   not   all   of   you   have   that   luxury   and   some   of   you   just   jump   right   into   it .   Your   musculoskeletal   system   and   your   nervous   system ,   it&#39;s   like   they&#39;re   powered   down ,   it&#39;s   like   they   have   to   have   a   cold   start   right .   Your   muscles   are   at   a   very   low   temperature ,   your   joints   don&#39;t   have   the   synovial   fluid   circulating   yet ,   your   nervous   system   isn&#39;t   yet   primed   for   rapid   force   production ,   the   kind   of   power   that   we   put   into   place   when   we   lift   weights ,   and   your   motor   patterns   are   a   little   bit   sluggish   and   a   little   bit   dormant .   And   so   if   you   load   heavy   weight   onto   this   unrepaired   system ,   it   again   is   like   the   analogy   I   just   said   trying   to   launch   a   really   demanding   program   on   a   computer .   That   is   still   like   trying   to   start   up .   You&#39;re   asking   for   poor   performance   at   best   and   a   crash   at   worst .   And   I   just   I   like   this   analogy .   I   nerd   out   on   this   stuff ,   if   you   don&#39;t   just   bear   with   me .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>5:37</time>
      <p>
          So   where   most   people   screw   it   up ,   I&#39;ll   say ,   is   they   either   skip   the   warmup   entirely .   And   I   know   some   of   you   starting   strength   guys   you&#39;re   like ,   oh ,   I&#39;ll   just   jump   right   into   the   lift   and   warm   up   with   the   lift .   Okay ,   I   get   it ,   and   that   might   be   part   of   the   solution   and   there&#39;s   still   a   way   to   warm   up   properly   doing   it   that   way .   But   that&#39;s   one   approach .   Other   extreme   is   I&#39;m   going   to   spend   20   or   30   minutes   of   my   workout   doing   all   the   warmups ,   and   this   week   I&#39;m   going   to   add   in   mobility ,   and   then   I&#39;m   going   to   add   in   breathing ,   and   I&#39;m   going   to   add   in   dynamic   stretching   right ,   and   it&#39;s   like   I   have   to   do   all   this   stuff   and   there&#39;s   a   nice   happy   medium ,   right ?   We   don&#39;t   need   to   do   all   of   this   and   we   also   don&#39;t   need   to   skip   everything .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>6:13</time>
      <p>
          The   fundamental   principle   here   is   that   your   warmup   should   be   targeted   for   you ,   based   on   your   needs   and   recoverability ,   and   so   I&#39;m   going   to   give   you   some   options   today .   Think   of   it   as   having   three   distinct   phases   and   think   about   the   phases   that   you   need   and   how   long   they   need   to
      </p>

      <h2 id="chapter_35949384">Three Phases of Effective Warming Up</h2>


        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>6:31</time>
      <p>
            be .   Some   of   these   phases   may   be   minimal   to   non-existent ,   and   others   may   be   the   most   helpful   thing   that   you   personally   need   in   the   gym .   So   phase   one   is   the   system   power   on .   We&#39;re   gonna   use   the   computer   analogy .   This   is   the   general   warmup ,   and   if   you&#39;re   like   me ,   who   lives   in   the   Northeast ,   I   train   over   over   my   garage   where   it&#39;s   like   50   degrees   in   the   winter .   It   is   cold ,   I&#39;m   cold ,   my   muscles   are   cold ,   and   this   is   like   three   to   five   minutes   at   most   of   some   sort   of   low   intensity   movement .   Maybe   you   have   a   rower ,   maybe   you   have   an   assault   bike   like   I   do ,   maybe   I   have   just   walk   around   the   gym .   I   don&#39;t   want   you   to   be   running   or   sprinting   at   this   point .   Just   keep   it   easy ,   light   and   warm   yourself   up .   Just   move .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>7:13</time>
      <p>
          The   goal   isn&#39;t   to   break   a   sweat   or   to   exhaust   yourself .   You&#39;re   just   increasing   your   core   body   temperature .   You&#39;re   getting   your   joints   lubed   up   with   a   synovial   fluid   and   if   you&#39;re   already   warm ,   or   if   it&#39;s   a   warm   day   or   you&#39;ve   been   sweating ,   you   know ,   then   you   could   skip   this .   You   could   skip   it .   I   mean   honestly ,   if   you&#39;re ,   if   it&#39;s   4   PM ,   you&#39;ve   been   working   all   day ,   you&#39;ve   been   moving   around ,   it&#39;s   a ,   it&#39;s   a   pleasant   day .   You   probably   don&#39;t   even   need   to   warm   up .   You   know .   Increase   your   body   temperature ,   that&#39;s   it .   So   don&#39;t   do   the   dynamic   stretches   or   any   of   that   stuff .   Or   you   know   you   don&#39;t   have   to   do   jump   ropes .   You   don&#39;t   have   to   do   leg   skips ,   any   of   that .   You   don&#39;t   have   to .   I   mean ,   you   could ,   obviously ,   but   I&#39;m   not   going   to   waste   my   power ,   my   muscles   or   any   of   that   on   the   warmup .   I&#39;m   going   to   keep   that   for   the   lifting .   So   that&#39;s   phase   one .   Phase   two   is   like   the   hardware   check   right .   So   now   you&#39;ve   warmed   up ,   now   you   got   to   make   sure   things   are   operating   right .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>8:05</time>
      <p>
          This   is   where   you   prep   your   movement .   You   do   maybe   some   targeted   stuff   if   needed ,   and   what   I   mean   by   that   is   maybe   some   stretching   or   mobility   work .   If   you   have ,   for   example ,   limitation   most   people ,   especially   the   younger   you   are   and   if   you   don&#39;t   have   a   history   of   any   issues ,   you   don&#39;t   need   any   stretching   at   all .   And   some   might   argue   that   too   much   stretching   could   be   a   negative   when   you   get   under   the   bar   right ,   because   you   kind   of   have   almost   an   over-flexibility   versus   the   kind   of   strong ,   slight   springiness ,   stiffness   if   you   will .   But   what   you&#39;re   looking   for   here   is   whether   everything   is   moving   and   feeling   good .   Can   you   get   into   that   squat   position ?   Can   you   reach   overhead ?   Is   your   low   back   feeling   good ?   Nothing   feels   like   it&#39;s   going   to   spring   out   of   place .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>8:50</time>
      <p>
          For   those   of   us   with   a   history   of   shoulder   injuries   or   knee   issues   or   whatever ,   do   you   need   to   throw   on   your   compression   sleeves   at   this   point ?   Do   you   need   to   do   stretches   under   the   bar   right ?   If   you&#39;re   squatting ?   This   is   a   really   good   one .   It   might   mean   grabbing   the   bar   in   the   rack   and   just   getting   under   and   stretching   into   that   squat   position   to   warm   up   your   shoulders .   You   know   your   thoracic   rotation ,   just   kind   of   making   sure   you&#39;ve   got   that   range   of   motion ,   Some   wall   slides .   If   you&#39;re   talking   about   overhead   pressing ,   your   shoulders   are   very   stiff .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>9:22</time>
      <p>
          I   can   go   on   and   on   about   shoulder   stretching   myself   with   bands   and   stuff .   But   again ,   you   may   not   even   need   this .   It&#39;s   not   about   activation   drills   or   elaborate   movement   sequences   or   pre-exercise   or   anything   like   that .   It&#39;s   just   is   your   hardware   functioning   for   the   patterns   that   you   are   now   going   to   load ?   That&#39;s   all   it   is .   But   I   wanted   to   mention   it   because   it&#39;s   an   important   piece   that   I   do   think   some   people   dismiss   it   as   like ,   eh ,   nobody   has   to   do   that .   No ,   some   people   do   have   to   do   that   and   I&#39;m   acknowledging   that   for   you .   But   it   doesn&#39;t   have   to   be   a   crazy   amount ,   just   a   little   bit   of   stretching   for   a   few   minutes   per   your   needs .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>9:58</time>
      <p>
          And   then   the   final   phase ,   and   this   is   the   non-negotiable   part .   So   again ,   phases   one   and   two   may   be   partly   optional   or   totally   optional   for   you .   The   final   phase   is   the ,   I&#39;ll   say ,   application-specific   loading .   So   if   we&#39;re   gonna   take   the   computer   analogy   but   it   also   that   term   applies   to   our   body   this   is   where   you   perform   the   movement   that   you&#39;re   going   to   train .   That&#39;s   it .   You   perform   the   movement   you&#39;re   going   to   train   and   you   start   light   and   you   gradually   increase   the   load   until   you   reach   your   working   weight ,   and   you   do   that   by   starting   with   a   higher   number   of   reps   at   a   very   lightweight   and   then   jumping   up   in   reasonable   increments   higher   weights ,   lower   reps ,   taking   a   little   bit   of   rest   but   not   too   much   all   the   way   until   you&#39;re   ready   for   the   working   sets .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>10:41</time>
      <p>
          And   so   what   does   that   look   like   in   practice ?   Let&#39;s   say   let&#39;s   go   with   a   big   weight   Just   to   give   you   the   full   Monty .   Here   You&#39;re   going   to   deadlift   405   and   that&#39;s   your   working   set .   Okay ,   and   maybe   it&#39;s   singles   or   doubles   or   triples ,   doesn&#39;t   matter   whatever ,   you&#39;re   405 .   So   you&#39;re   going   to   have   a   ramp   up .   It&#39;s   going   to   look   something   like   this   you   might   start   with   the   empty   barbell .   Now ,   granted ,   somebody   lifting   405   may   not   start   with   the   empty   barbell ,   is   probably   going   to   jump   right   to   135 .   But   hey ,   it   doesn&#39;t   hurt .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>11:08</time>
      <p>
          In   fact ,   you   can   consider   that   part   of   phase   two .   That&#39;s   like   stretching   into   the   movement   right ,   start   with   the   empty   barbell ,   see   how   everything   feels   with   your   back ,   with   your   hip   hinging ,   your   knees ,   you   know .   Make   sure   the   form   is   good .   Another   wrong   with   doing   that   it&#39;s   going   to   take   an   extra   minute   or   two .   So   you   might   start   with   the   empty   barbell   for   five   or   10   reps .   Do   it   once   or   twice ,   then   you&#39;re   going   to   take ,   you   know ,   enough   time   to   load   45s   on   the   plate   to   warm   up   for   135 .   And   you   might   do   that   for   five   or   eight ,   right ?   I   know   starting   strength   has   a   model   where   it&#39;s   like   it&#39;s   like   five ,   five ,   three ,   two ,   one ,   but   that&#39;s   because   they&#39;re   going   for   fives .   For   you   you   might   want   to   go   with   more   reps   at   the   lower   weight   and   then   you   know ,   go   eight ,   five ,   three ,   two ,   one ,   for   example .   Just   just   an   idea .   So   you&#39;re   dead   lifting   one ,   35   or   eight .   Okay ,   add   two   more   45s ,   two ,   25   for   five .   Add   two   more   45s ,   three ,   15   for   three .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>11:58</time>
      <p>
          You   notice   I&#39;m   jumping ,   kind   of   it&#39;s   not   a   tiny ,   it&#39;s   not   tiny   jumps ,   it&#39;s   it&#39;s   reasonable   jumps   to   kind   of   split   the   whole   thing   from   empty   bar   to   working   weight   into   like   five   or   six   segments ,   right ,   so   315   for   three .   Then   you   add ,   maybe   at   that   point   you   add   the   25s ,   and   do   365   for   a   double ,   and   then   you   could   jump   to   405   right   from   there .   Some   people   want   to   have   a   little   extra   single   snuck   in   there ,   so   you   might   jump   to   385   for   a   single   and   then   you&#39;re   405 ,   right ,   it&#39;s   a   little   bit   of   an   art ,   a   little   bit   of   a   science .   The   point   is   you   got   to   feel   good ,   you   have   to   feel   warmed   up ,   and   so   this   allows   you   to   gauge   your   movement   readiness   as   you   get   to   that   point ,   which   also   helps   you   understand   whether   the   weight&#39;s   going   to   feel   good ,   how   you&#39;re   going   to   perform   right .   It   gives   you   a   lot   of   aspects   of   self-regulation   that   people   miss   when   they   don&#39;t   warm   up   properly   or   intentionally .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>12:50</time>
      <p>
          So
      </p>

      <h2 id="chapter_35949385">Common Warmup Mistakes to Avoid</h2>


        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>12:51</time>
      <p>
            notice   what&#39;s   happening   here   right .   You&#39;re   not   just   getting   warm   because   that   will   warm   you   up   by   the   way   Like   that   alone   will   warm   most   people   up .   You&#39;re   rehearsing   the   movement   pattern .   You&#39;re   teaching   your   nervous   system   to   coordinate   all   of   the   muscles   involved   and   you&#39;re   gradually   loading   the   tissues   to   prepare   them   for   heavier   weight .   You&#39;re   recruiting   more   and   more   muscle   fibers .   You&#39;re   just   gradually   kind   of   massaging   out   that   muscle   system ,   if   you   will .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>13:16</time>
      <p>
          And   so   each   ramp   up   set   is   both   a   warmup   and   a   practice   session ,   a   skill   development   session ,   and   so   you   treat   them   seriously .   You   don&#39;t   just   rush   through   each   warmup   set .   You&#39;re   thinking   about   your   cues ,   your   form ,   and   because   they&#39;re   light ,   they   allow   you   to   screw   up   a   little   bit   as   you&#39;re   getting   over   that   morning .   Or   you   know   that   initial   clumsiness   that   we   all   have   when   we   first   start   our   warmup   in   the   gym ,   which   is   great ,   because   then ,   by   the   time   you   hit   real   serious   weights ,   you&#39;re   going   to   be   solid ,   and   this   approach   is   supported   by   every   credible   strength   coach .   I   know   Eric   Helms   calls   it   movement-specific   preparation .   Greg   Knuckles   says   that   if   you&#39;re   going   to   do   one   thing ,   make   it   specific   to   what   you&#39;re   training .   Mark   Ripito   of   Starting   Strength   says   that   you   warm   up   with   the   movement   you&#39;re   about   to   train .   That&#39;s   the   warm-up .   So   it   kind   of   is   consistent ,   but   it   doesn&#39;t   preclude   doing   some   of   the   other   things   we   talked   about   ahead   of   time   if   needed .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>14:09</time>
      <p>
          Speaking   of   systemic   approaches   and   intentionality ,   this   is   what   we   teach   inside   Physique   University .   Again ,   just   to   accelerate   the   process   for   you   and   in   case   you   feel   like   you&#39;re   still   going   to   be   guessing   when   you   go   to   the   gym ,   we&#39;ve   got   a   course   that   walks   you   through   these   and ,   of   course ,   support   and   accountability   so   you   can   post   and   say   hey ,   how   do   I   warm   up   for   my   squat   today ?   I&#39;m   doing   this   at   this   weight .   Is   this   what   I   should   be   doing ?   Does   this   training   program   make   sense ?   You   know ,   take   out   the   guesswork ,   give   you   frameworks   just   27   a   month   and   I&#39;m   gonna   throw   in   a   custom   nutrition   plan   today   if   you   join   using   the   special   link   in   the   show   notes .   If   you   go   to   the   public   website   landing   page ,   you   get   the   same   price ,   but   you   won&#39;t   get   the   free   plan .   So   use   my   link   in   the   show   notes .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>14:50</time>
      <p>
          All   right ,   let&#39;s   address   some   of   the   biggest   mistakes   that   I   see   with   warmups ,   because   you   know   it&#39;s   good   to   know   what   not   to   do   as   well ,   cause   everybody&#39;s   thinking   here   who&#39;s   watching ?   Okay ,   that   sounds   great ,   but   there   are   things   that   I&#39;ve   done   for   my   warmup .   Is   it   okay   to   do   those ?   Can   I   keep   doing   them ?   Are   they   helpful ?   And   I   think   I   think   the   biggest   first   mistake   a   lot   of   people   have   and   it   comes   from   like   the   bootcamp   world ,   crossfit ,   f45   world   is   the   everything   warmup   right ,   where   you   spend   a   lot   of   time   with   foam   rolling ,   with   dynamic   stretches ,   with   mobility   on   every   single   limb ,   maybe   yoga   positions   activating   muscles   that   are   firing   just   fine   on   their   own   right .   I   got   to   activate   my   glute   muscles .   That&#39;s   actually   overloading   yourself .   You&#39;re   doing   too   much   before ,   like   you&#39;re   loading   too   many   background   tasks   before   launching   the   main   application ,   to   go   back   to   the   computer   analogy ,   right .   So   that&#39;s   the   first   mistake .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>15:46</time>
      <p>
          Mistake   number   two   is   the   other   extreme ,   the   nothing   warmup .   Go   straight   from   the   locker   room   to   loading   up ,   you   know ,   maybe   not   the   full   working   weight ,   but   you   go   like   half   halfway   there   you   do   a   warmup   and   then   you   load   up   the   max   on   the   bar ,   excuse   me ,   right .   And   that&#39;s   again   like   trying   to   run   a   graphics   intensive   game   right   after   you   turn   on   your   computer .   Right ,   you   got   to   wait   for   everything   to   load   up   first .   Mistake   number   three   is ,   I&#39;ll   say ,   the   generic   warmup .   It&#39;s   like   this   is   my   warmup .   I   do   it   all   the   time ,   right ,   it&#39;s   the   same   routine ,   regardless   of   what   you&#39;re   training ,   and   I   would   say   that   on   a   given   day ,   based   on   what   you&#39;re   lifting ,   that   the   warmup   is   going   to   have   to   conform   to   get   you   ready   for   that .   Yes ,   obviously ,   the   lift   itself   will ,   by   definition ,   do   that   for   you .   But   even   when   you&#39;re   like   warming   up   joints   and   stuff ,   if   I&#39;m   not   doing   any   upper   body ,   I&#39;m   not   going   to   spend   as   much   time   loosening   up   my   shoulder   If   I   literally   don&#39;t   have   to   use   my   shoulder   in   almost   any   lift   for   the   day .   Like ,   why   waste   the   time   you   don&#39;t   really   have   to   Understanding   that   there   are   systemic ?   You   know   there   are   connections   in   the   body   that   are   systemic   such   that   you   sometimes   do   need   to   do   that ,   but   you&#39;ve   got   to   make   a   judgment   call   on   that .   So   that&#39;s   mistake   number   three .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>16:56</time>
      <p>
          Mistake   number   four   is   another   big   one ,   and   that   is ,   I&#39;ll   say ,   confusing   warmups   with   therapy ,   right ,   like ,   in   other   words ,   like   physical   therapy ,   if   you   need   20   minutes   of   mobility   work   just   to   get   into   a   squat   position .   I   think   that&#39;s   more   of   a   movement   problem   that   has   to   be   addressed   separately .   That&#39;s   just   my   opinion .   Even   me ,   the   guy   with   shoulder   issues   it   doesn&#39;t   take   me   that   long   to   get   ready   to   use   my   shoulder   in   a   workout ,   knowing   that   the   lift   I&#39;m   going   to   apply   next   is   appropriate   for   what   I&#39;m   dealing   with .   If   it&#39;s   not   appropriate ,   then   you   may   feel   like ,   geez ,   I   need   to   do   all   of   this   stuff   first   to   get   into   that   position .   That   is   just   my   opinion .   You   may   disagree ,   you   may   have   a   specific   limitation ,   you&#39;re   like   no ,   I   really   do   15   minutes ,   need   15   minutes .   I&#39;m   just   sharing   like   general   mistakes   people   have   where   there   could   be   something   else   going   on   and   I   alluded   to   this   before .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>17:49</time>
      <p>
          But   the   warmup   is   a   diagnostic   tool .   It   is   giving   you   real-time   feedback   about   how   your   body ,   your   system ,   is   functioning   right   now .   Today ,   if   your   usual   warm-up   weights   like   if   you&#39;re   going   for   that   405   deadlift   but   the   warm-up   at   315   just   feels   really ,   really   heavy   for   some   reason   If   your   movement   quality   is   off ,   maybe   you&#39;re   just   low   on   energy .   You&#39;ve   been   dieting ,   you   didn&#39;t   have   enough   sleep ,   the   quality   is   off .   Low   on   energy ,   you&#39;ve   been   dieting ,   you   didn&#39;t   have   enough   sleep ,   the   quality   is   off .   If   you   have   pain   rather   than   the   normal   soreness   or   stiffness ,   right ,   pain   that   wasn&#39;t   there   before ,   and   you&#39;re   like   what   is   this ?   Your   body   is   talking   to   you   right   then ,   and   there ,   like   that&#39;s   a   really   good   thing   to   listen ,   to   listen   to   what&#39;s   going   on .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>18:30</time>
      <p>
          I   don&#39;t   want   you   to   make   excuses ,   right ,   because   sometimes   it   feels   a   little   heavy   and   it&#39;s   just   because   we&#39;re   still   warming   up   and   then   we   go   after   the   working   weight   and   you   know   what   we   get   the   working   weight .   It&#39;s   fine ,   right ?   I&#39;m   not   saying   that .   I&#39;m   saying   that   if   something&#39;s   off ,   something&#39;s   just   off ,   it   might   tell   you   something .   And   if   you&#39;re   in   a   dieting   phase   and   you&#39;re   using   auto-regulated   type   programming   like   rep   ranges ,  
      </p>

      <h2 id="chapter_35949386">Customizing Warmups for Different Scenarios</h2>


        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>18:51</time>
      <p>
          that   may   be   the   thing   that&#39;s   telling   you .   This   is   what   I   need   to   hit   today   for   the   reps   or   for   the   weight   or   for   the   RP   or   RIR .   Right ,   I   would   say   that&#39;s   more   of   an   advanced   kind   of   thing ,   but   the   warmup   can   help   with   that .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>19:03</time>
      <p>
          And   so   one   more   thing   comes   to   mind   now   that   I   think   about   it   is   the   difference   between   soreness   or   delayed   onset ,   muscle   soreness ,   doms   and   pain ,   because   I   think   some   people   confuse   it   too .   Yes ,   I   want   you   to   warm   up .   If   you   have   soreness ,   try   warming   up   and   seeing   if   you&#39;re   good   to   go .   But   if   it&#39;s   an   acute   pain ,   a   sharp   pain ,   something   that   doesn&#39;t   improve   as   you   warm   up ,   pain   that   gets   worse   as   you&#39;re   loading   into   the   warmup ,   pains   that&#39;s   sharper ,   radiating   pain   that   creates   instability   or   you&#39;re   compensating   for   because   it   just   feels   so   weak ,   again   it&#39;s   telling   you   something   and   that   is   the   point   at   which   you&#39;re   able   to   make   a   decision   and   do   something   about   it .   Okay ,   and   some   of   us   who&#39;ve   dealt   with   injuries   and   surgeries ,   we   get   really   good   at   understanding   whether   our   body&#39;s   ready   for   something   on   a   given   day .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>19:51</time>
      <p>
          And   it   may   not   be   that   you   just   don&#39;t   train .   My   preference   is   you   train   around   it   or   you   train   something   different .   Right ,   if   my   back   is   like   super   sore   and   fatigued ,   even   on   a   very   light   squat ,   I&#39;m   like   well ,   you   know ,   I   remember   in   the   past   this   has   caused   me   to   like   have   a   flare   up   right .   This   is   back   in   the   day   when   I   had   a   herniated   disc ,   I   don&#39;t   know .   So   I   don&#39;t   get   the   pain ,   but   it   might   tell   me   to   hey ,   maybe   I   shouldn&#39;t   be   doing   this   today   because   it&#39;s   right   on   the   cusp .   I&#39;m   going   to   do   a   different .   Maybe   a   couple   accessory   lifts ,   like   a   leg   press   right   and   an   RDL   or   something   to   work   similar   muscle   groups .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>20:26</time>
      <p>
          So   the   warmup   isn&#39;t   just   for   prep ,   it&#39;s   a   really   good   diagnostic   and   then ,   when   it   reveals   problems ,   you   then   have   options   right .   Reducing   the   intensity ,   working   around   with   different   exercises   yes ,   maybe   skipping   training   I   think   that&#39;s   the   last   resort .   But   the   key   here   is   to   listen   to   the   feedback   that   your   body ,   your   system   provides   and   not   just   push   through   the   warning   signals .   And   that&#39;s   not   just   me   giving   you   a   disclaimer ,   that&#39;s   like   really   good   practical   advice .   Now ,   if   you&#39;re   trying   to   customize   your   warmup   for   different   scenarios ,   I   wanted   to   give   you   some   options   here ,   because   I   know   what   your   next   question   is   like .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>20:59</time>
      <p>
          Well ,   what   if   I   work   out   in   the   morning ?   Well ,   what   if   I   do   this ?   So   morning   sessions   usually   require   a   little   more   warmup .   That&#39;s   just   the   fact   of   it .   Your   nervous   system   is   sluggish ,   your   joints   are   stiffer ,   your   core   temperature   is   lower   and   you   just   may   need   to   do   a   little   bit   extra ,   but   not   much ,   you   know .   An   extra   couple   minutes ,   right ?   An   extra   ramp   up   set ,   something   like   that .   And ,   by   the   way ,   once   you&#39;re   warmed   up   and   have   done   a   lift   similar   muscle   groups   that   are   being   used   for   subsequent   exercises   you   may   not   need   to   be   warm   up   nearly   as   much .   I   always   have   one   warm   up   set ,   you   know ,   and   subsequent   lifts ,   unless   it&#39;s   super   isolating ,   like   a   bicep   curl ,   and   even   then   I   still   might   do   a   warmup   set   just   to   kind   of   prime   things   and   then   I   can   really   hit   it   hard   for   the   working   set   right .   But   an   extra   minute   or   two   if   needed ,   great ,   go   for   it .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>21:46</time>
      <p>
          If   you   are   older   right   over   30 ,   over   40 ,   over   50 ,   you   know   it&#39;s   not   really   an   age   thing   so   much   as   a   personal   recovery   thing   you   might   benefit   from   more   conservative   jumps   between   the   warmup   weights .   Your   tissues   may   need ,   you   know ,   more   gradual   loading .   Hold   on ,   I&#39;m   having   tech   issues   on   my   end .   Your   tissues   may   need   more   gradual   loading   to   reach   the   readiness   versus   when   you   were   in   your   twenties ,   right ,   so   you   know   the   synovial   fluid ,   the   joints ,   the   connective   tissue .   But   again ,   don&#39;t   use   that   as   an   excuse   to   go   with   a   20-minute   warm-up .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>22:20</time>
      <p>
          If   you&#39;re   later   in   the   day   but   you&#39;ve   been   sitting   all   day   or   you&#39;re   stressed   to   the   brim   right ,   which   many   of   us   are   from   our   work ,   your   movement   quality   could   be   compromised   from   that .   It&#39;s   very   interesting   because   I   work   out   in   the   morning   almost   always ,   but   occasionally   I&#39;ll   have   to   work   out   in   the   afternoon   to   move   things   around   and   I   just   feel   different .   I   actually   don&#39;t   feel   as   energized ,   I   feel   a   little   bit   sluggish .   My   body&#39;s   not   used   to   it .   So   simply   being   in   a   different   context   or   different   gym ,   different   day   of   the   week ,   different   time ,   you   really   just   have   to   think   about .   Should   my   warmup   be   a   little   bit   more   intentional   today ?   Right .   Should   I   target   anything   more   intentionally ?   Right ,   but   keep   it   specific   to   what   you&#39;ve   identified   not   undoing   everything   and   warming   up   for   30   minutes   If   you   have   a   max   effort   day .   If   you&#39;re   going   for   a   PR ,   right .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>23:06</time>
      <p>
          The   warmup   for   that   kind   of   lift   is   really   critical .   You   want   to   be   meticulous   about   the   ramp   up .   You   might   want   to   take   smaller   jumps ,   but   you   don&#39;t   want   to   over   fatigue   yourself   for   that   single .   But   you   might   want   to   have   a   few   singles   near   the   target   weight ,   but   not   too   close   to   the   target   weight .   It&#39;s   like   you&#39;re   priming   your   nervous   system   to   perform   but   you&#39;re   not   overstressing   it .   Definitely   a   little   bit   of   art   as   well   as   science ,   but   it   is   one   of   the   most   common   questions   I   see ,   both   in   physique   university   and   with   my   coach ,   andy   Baker .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>23:35</time>
      <p>
          People   ask   like   okay ,   how   do   I   warm   up   to   hit   a   PR ?   And   my   simplest   explanation   for   that   is   you&#39;re   going   to   warm   up   like   any   other   lift .   You   might   have   an   extra   single   or   two .   Don&#39;t   make   the   last   single   too   close   to   your   last   PR ,   right ,   keep   it   like   some   distance   away   and   then   go   for   a   small   PR ,   like ,   don&#39;t   do   a   single   that&#39;s   near   your   PR   already ,   cause   that   might   tax   you   out   too   much .   Where   you   can&#39;t   hit   a   PR ,   give   some   room ,   take   the   time ,   the   three ,   the   four ,   the   five   minutes   break   and   then   go   for   that   single ,   that   max   at   your ,   you   know ,   five   pound   PR ,   10   pound   or   two   and   a   half   pound   PR ,   whatever   it   is ,   just   to   give   yourself   the   best   chance   of   actually   getting   it .   Now ,   if   you   miss   it ,   you   miss   it .   If   you ,   but   you   gave   yourself   a   chance ,   if   you   hit   it   and   you   feel   great ,   then   maybe   that&#39;s   a   warmup   for   an   even   higher   PR .   That&#39;s   just   one   more   single   in   the   way ,   and   now   you   can   take   another   three ,   four   or   five   minute   break   and   then   hit   another   PR ,   right .   But   if   it   feels   tough   or   a   grind ,   stay   there ,   like ,   like ,   take   the   wind ,   take   the   PR .   That&#39;s   the   general   philosophy   for   that .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>24:39</time>
      <p>
          So   I   mentioned   I   mentioned   earlier   at   one   point ,   how   our   body
      </p>

      <h2 id="chapter_35949387">Warmups as Diagnostic Tools</h2>


        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>24:44</time>
      <p>
            is   systemic .   Right ,   things   are   connected   and   I   didn&#39;t   want   to   forget   to   mention   this .   But   you&#39;re ,   when   you&#39;re   warming   up ,   right ,   when   you&#39;ve   got   the   movement   patterns   and   you&#39;re   priming   your   nervous   system ,   there&#39;s   a   lot   of   communication   going   on .   Right ,   the   muscles   are   an   endocrine   organ .   That   means   hormones   and   signals   involved ,   chemical   signals ,   and   so   when   you   are   ramping   up   those   warmups   you&#39;re   already   starting   to   get   one   of   the   benefits   that   I&#39;ve   talked   about   before   about   lifting ,   which   is   muscles   that   release   signaling   molecules   called   myokines   and   they   help   coordinate   this   response   throughout   your   body .   It   is   chemical   messengers   that   response   throughout   your   body .   It   is   chemical   messengers   that   are   telling   your   body   get   ready   for   what&#39;s   about   to   come .   Because   you&#39;re   already   kind   of   doing   it   right .   You&#39;re   warming   up ,   doing   those   patterns ,   but   you&#39;re   doing   them   light .   So   it&#39;s   nice   because   what   you   can   do   is   now   prime   your   whole   system   to   increase   your   blood   flow ,   to   increase   the   firing   of   your   nervous   system ,   to   tell   your   brain   like   we&#39;re   ready   to   go   and   get   focused   here   and   like   dial   in   that   motor   control ,   that   mind   muscle   connection .   So   the   warmup   prepares   your   muscles   and   joints   and   whole   body   communication   to   optimize   your   performance   when   you&#39;re   ready   to   go   at   it .   So   that&#39;s   also   why   movement ,   specific   warmups   are   so   much   more   effective   than   just   a   general   warmup .   And   then   just   jumping   into   the   lift   is   to   activate   those   neural   pathways   right ,   and   the   signal   cascades   all   of   that .   So   we   just   talked   about   all   right .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>26:06</time>
      <p>
          So   bottom   line   here ,   I   think   I   covered   everything   I   wanted   to   regarding   warmups .   Basically ,   the   warmup   is   an   important   thing .   It&#39;s   not   just   increasing   your   temperature   to   getting   loose ,   right ,   it&#39;s   getting   ready   and   getting   feedback   and   diagnostic .   It&#39;s   not   breaking   a   sweat ,   it&#39;s ,   you   know ,   booting   up   that   whole   system   so   that   you   can   hit   it   hard   with   the   lift   and   do   it   safely   and   avoid   injury .   And   the   warmup   should   be   individualized ,   just   like   your   training   program .   It   should   be   just   like   your   goals .   It   it   should   be   just   like   your   goals .   It   should   be   intelligent ,   like   the   approach   you   take   with   everything   else   in   the   gym .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>26:42</time>
      <p>
          It   is   part   of   your   training   program ,   that&#39;s   it .   Whether   it   has   to   be   pre-programmed   for   you ,   that&#39;s   up   to   you   and   how   much   precision   you   want   there .   Some   coaches   will   do   that .   Some   people   like   to   pre   log   what   their   warmup   is   going   to   look   like .   I   don&#39;t   think   that&#39;s   a   bad   idea   when   you&#39;re   getting   started ,   just   to   kind   of   take   the   thinking   out   of   it   when   you   get   into   the   gym .   And   they&#39;re   not   a   waste   of   time   at   all ,   as   long   as   you   don&#39;t   waste   time ,   right ,   they&#39;re   not   a   waste   of   time   unless   you   waste   time .   Unless   you   waste   time   is   what   I   think   I   said .   Right ,   it&#39;s ,   it&#39;s   intentional   and   it   gives   you   valuable   information   about   how   you   are   functioning   and   then   you   can   pay   attention   to   it   and   then   adjust .   That&#39;s   it .   Then   you   can   go   after   PRs ,   then   you   can   have   healthy   joints ,   then   you   can   have   safe   lifting ,   then   you&#39;re   gonna   feel   confident ,   then   you&#39;re   gonna   get   the   gains ,   and   all   because   you   took   a   few   minutes   to   do   this   the   right   way .   

      </p>

        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>27:30</time>
      <p>
          All   right ,   if   you   enjoyed   this   episode ,   I   wanted   to   mention   episode   234 ,   which   was
      </p>

      <h2 id="chapter_35949388">Final Thoughts and Recommendations</h2>


        <cite>Philip Pape</cite>
      <time>27:41</time>
      <p>
            from   a   while   ago .   It&#39;s   called   Never   Fall   Off   Track   Again   with   your   Fitness   or   Fat   Loss .   It&#39;s   about   risk   management   principles ,   because   I   think   warming   up   is   a   really   solid   risk   management   strategy ,   and   that   episode   talked   even   more   about   risk   management   for   everything   that   we   do .   So   it&#39;s   episode   234 .   I&#39;ll   include   the   link   in   the   show   notes .   Until   next   time ,   keep   using   your   wits   lifting   those   weights   and   remember ,   in   lifting ,   proper   initialization   prevents   system   failures   and   malfunctions .   This   is   Philip   Pape   and   you&#39;ve   been   listening   to   Wits   and   Weights .   I&#39;ll   talk   to   you   next   time .   

      </p>