Key Takeaways
- If you do one warm-up set, the best-supported choice is about 80% of your first working weight for 5 reps. In a 2024 trial, 15 trained men got more total volume from it than from lighter single sets. It is a small study, so treat it as a starting point[1].
- Two sets, 6 reps at 40% then 6 at 80%, raised bench press work against 40% alone in 40 trained men[2]. The evidence is mixed, though: two other trials found no difference between warm-ups[10][11].
- The 40, 60, 80% ramp is a gym convention. None of the studies used here tests it against other ramps, so the calculator labels it that way.
- For a true 1RM, 3RM or 6RM, the Australian Institute of Sport prints four warm-up sets, with the same percentages in its bench press, squat and deadlift tests[3]. ASEP prints a shorter protocol[4]. The tool loads both.
- A 2026 expert panel found no support for a warm-up protecting you from injury in the moment[5]. Neuromuscular programmes run for months are what cut injuries in some groups[8][9].
How the Warm-Up Sets Are Worked Out
Choose a goal, enter the total weight on the bar and pick a pattern. Each set is a percentage of that weight, rounded to a weight your bar and plates can make.
The plates for each side go on largest first. A set below the empty bar shows as the empty bar, and two sets that round to the same weight are merged.
Set weight = bar + round((working weight x percent - bar) / step) x step
Step = 2 x smallest plate, because one plate goes on each side
Working 100 kg, bar 20 kg, smallest plate 1.25 kg, 80%
100 x 0.80 = 80, and (80 - 20) / 2.5 = 24, a whole number of steps
The loading assumes you own the common plate sizes down to your smallest: 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 kg, or 45, 35, 25, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 lb. That list is this tool's assumption and not a published standard, so the plates may differ if your gym lacks a size.
- Choose Training session or Max attempt.
- Enter the total weight on the bar for your first working set, or the max you expect to lift, and pick kg or lb.
- Pick a warm-up pattern, or a testing protocol for a max.
- Enter your empty bar and the smallest plate you own, then press Build my warm-up.
Which Warm-Up Pattern to Use
Two training-day patterns have a trial that found a benefit. Both used trained men and a handful of lifts, so the evidence is thin.
| Pattern | Source | What it showed | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| One set, 80% for 5 | Viveiros 2024[1] | More total volume than 60% for 10 or 40% for 15 over 3 sets to failure. | 15 men with 6 or more months of training. Bench press, inclined leg press and wide-grip pulldown. Percentages were of the 10RM load. |
| Two sets, 40% for 6 then 80% for 6 | Ribeiro 2020[2] | More bench press work than 40% alone. Low loads only were not enough. | 40 men aged 19 to 30. Squat and bench press, 3 sets of 6 at 80% of the max. Differences were small. In the squat, 6 at 80% beat 40% alone. |
| Three sets, 40, 60, 80% | Convention | No study cited here tested this ramp against the others. | The 8, 5 and 3 reps are a common choice, not a measured one. |
Warm-up patterns for a training day. Percentages are of the first working set unless the trial used a different base, noted in the last column.
Two other trials found nothing. In 15 men doing four sets to failure at 80% of 1RM on the bench press, squat and arm curl, reps did not differ between a specific warm-up, an aerobic one, both together, or none[10].
In 14 men doing back squats to failure, total reps and volume load did not differ across three warm-ups: 8 reps at 45%, 3 reps at 90%, or 6 fast reps at 45%[11]. The 90% warm-up did give a higher volume load in the first set only.
That is why the calculator does not call any pattern required.
What the trials did not measure
Plates per Side for Common Warm-Up Weights
These tables assume a 20 kg bar and a 1.25 kg smallest plate, or a 45 lb bar and a 2.5 lb smallest plate. The calculator takes your own bar and plates.
| Total (kg) | Per side (kg) | Plates per side |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 10 | 10 |
| 60 | 20 | 20 |
| 80 | 30 | 25 + 5 |
| 100 | 40 | 25 + 15 |
| 120 | 50 | 2 x 25 |
| 140 | 60 | 2 x 25 + 10 |
| 160 | 70 | 2 x 25 + 20 |
| 180 | 80 | 3 x 25 + 5 |
| 200 | 90 | 3 x 25 + 15 |
Total weight on a 20 kg bar, with the plates for each side, using the common plate sizes listed above, largest first.
| Total (lb) | Per side (lb) | Plates per side |
|---|---|---|
| 95 | 25 | 25 |
| 135 | 45 | 45 |
| 185 | 70 | 45 + 25 |
| 225 | 90 | 2 x 45 |
| 275 | 115 | 2 x 45 + 25 |
| 315 | 135 | 3 x 45 |
| 365 | 160 | 3 x 45 + 25 |
| 405 | 180 | 4 x 45 |
Total weight on a 45 lb bar, with the plates for each side, using the common plate sizes listed above, largest first.
The AIS equipment list names 20 kg and 15 kg Olympic bars[3]. Pairing them with 45 lb and 35 lb bars is a common US gym convention that is not backed by a cited standard, so check the weight stamped on your own bar.
Warm-Up for a 1RM, 3RM or 6RM Test
A max attempt needs a different build-up. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) prints a four-set warm-up as a percentage of your predicted max, then names the attempt steps[3]. The percentages are the same in its bench press, back squat, barbell deadlift and trap bar deadlift tests.
| Set | Percent of predicted max | Load used | Reps, 1RM test | Reps, 3RM test | Reps, 6RM test | Rest after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 to 60% | 50 kg | 10 or fewer | 12 or fewer | 15 or fewer | 2 min or more |
| 2 | 60 to 70% | 65 kg | 5 or fewer | 6 or fewer | 10 or fewer | 2 min or more |
| 3 | 70 to 80% | 75 kg | 5 or fewer | 6 or fewer | 10 or fewer | 2 min or more |
| 4 | 90% | 90 kg | 1 to 3 | 3 to 5 | 6 to 8 | 2 to 5 min |
AIS exercise-specific warm-up. The tool loads the midpoint of each range. Loads shown for a predicted 100 kg on a 20 kg bar.
After the warm-up, the manual adds weight in steps such as 95%, 97.5% and 100%, then above 100% until you reach your max. It aims for no more than 4 trials, with 2 to 5 minutes of rest between attempts[3].
It also says the full specific warm-up may not be needed for every lift in a testing battery, for example a bench pull after you have already tested chin ups and bench press[3]. A change smaller than the typical error of the test may not be a real change[3].
On safety, the manual recommends two experienced spotters during maximal bench press and squat efforts, and safety bars in the squat rack set as high as your depth allows. It suggests a qualified strength and conditioning coach supervise the squat and deadlift tests[3].
The ASEP procedure is shorter: 8 reps at about 50%, then 3 reps at 70%, then single reps in evenly spaced steps[4]. Rest is 1 to 5 minutes. It asks for at least two singles between the 3-rep set and the estimated max, which this tool reads as 80% and 90%.
Where the predicted max should come from
How Long Should the General Warm-Up Be?
No source gives a formula that turns your session, age or the weather into a number of minutes. The sources give ranges, and they were written for different settings.
| Source | Setting | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| ASEP 2001[4] | Before a 1RM test | 3 to 5 minutes of light activity using the muscles to be tested. |
| AIS 2022[3] | Before a strength test | Coach's choice of a dynamic upper, lower or full-body warm-up for range of motion and body temperature, with stretching optional. Its lift sections suggest 5 minutes on an ergometer, at an intensity that suits your strength and training age. |
| Expert consensus 2026[5] | Sport in general | A short warm-up is typically 5 minutes or less and a long one can exceed about 20 minutes. Duration depends on the sport, the athlete and the context. |
What each source says about general warm-up length.
The same consensus describes three layers: general exercise, specific exercise and conditioning activities. The general layer is predominantly aerobic, continuous or intermittent, sport-related activity, long and hard enough to raise the temperature and metabolism of the target muscles[5].
The warm-up sets above are the specific layer, which the panel says should prepare you physically, technically and psychologically[5]. Raising muscle temperature helped rate-dependent force such as power and rate of force development, but not maximum force, in a 2025 meta-analysis of 33 studies[12].
The panel calls the comprehensiveness of a protocol a key factor in how well it works. It also reports that stretches held longer than 60 seconds per muscle group tend to lower maximum strength[5]. The ASEP procedure from 2001 includes static stretching before the sets, so weigh it against that newer view.
Bench Press, Squat and Deadlift
For a max attempt, the percentages are the same for all three because the AIS prints identical warm-up sets in its bench press, back squat, barbell deadlift and trap bar deadlift tests[3].
For training-day patterns, the four trials used the bench press, squat, inclined leg press, pulldown and arm curl[1][2][10][11]. None tested the deadlift, so on the deadlift those patterns are an extension of what was tested.
To find a max for any of the three, use the 1RM calculator. For other rep targets there are the 3RM and 5RM calculators. To plan the working sets after the warm-up, try the bench press pyramid or the squat pyramid, and for the rest between them the rest time calculator.
Does Warming Up Prevent Injury?
The evidence is weaker than gym advice suggests. A review of randomised trials found five high-quality studies: three reported fewer injuries after a warm-up and two did not. It judged the evidence insufficient to endorse or drop routine warm-ups for injury prevention, though the weight of evidence leans toward fewer injuries[6].
The 2026 expert panel went further. Some exercise in a warm-up may reduce long-term injury risk, but there is no support for protection against injury in the moment[5].
Structured neuromuscular programmes have the better record. Applied consistently for more than three months, they cut lower limb injuries in young amateur female athletes and military recruits, with a risk ratio of 0.67 for the FIFA 11+ programme in young amateur female footballers[8].
A pooled analysis of footballers found a 39% lower injury rate for the 11+ and no reduction for the earlier FIFA 11[9]. These programmes combine stretching, strengthening, balance, agility and landing drills, so they are a different thing from ramping up the bar.
For performance, a review of 32 studies found warm-ups improved results in 79% of the criteria examined. Its abstract covers physical activities in general and does not single out barbell lifts[7].
What This Calculator Does Not Include
It does not work out a warm-up time in minutes from your session length, intensity, fitness level, temperature or time of day. No source supports a formula like that.
It also leaves out fixed phase splits, exercise lists, and percentage claims for performance gains, injury cuts and muscle temperature. None could be traced to a source that backs them.
Adjustments for age, training background, fatigue, hot or cold conditions, time of day and sport are left out too. The expert panel lists them as influences on warm-up design, but it gives no numbers to apply[5].
This is a training tool and not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, ask a clinician before you change how you train.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
- High-load and low-volume warm-up increases performance in a resistance training session. Viveiros L, Gioia K, Nasser I, Acetto V, Farias D, Willardson JM, Miranda H. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 40:1487-1491 (2024)
- The role of specific warm-up during bench press and squat exercises: a novel approach. Ribeiro B, Pereira A, Neves PP, Sousa AC, Ferraz R, Marques MC, Marinho DA, Neiva HP. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17(18):6882 (2020)
- National Protocols for the Assessment of Strength and Power, Version 2.0 (effective July 2022). Australian Institute of Sport and the National Institute Network. Australian Sports Commission (2022)
- ASEP Procedures Recommendation I: Accurate assessment of muscular strength and power. Brown LE, Weir JP. Journal of Exercise Physiology online 4(3):1-21 (2001)
- International expert consensus on warm-up protocols for athletes: a Delphi study. Boullosa D, Gil-Calvo M, Xenofondos A, Patikas DA, Blazevich AJ, Afonso J, et al.. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 21(9):982-995 (published online 20 July 2026) (2026)
- Does warming up prevent injury in sport? The evidence from randomised controlled trials?. Fradkin AJ, Gabbe BJ, Cameron PA. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 9(3):214-220 (2006)
- Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Fradkin AJ, Zazryn TR, Smoliga JM. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 24(1):140-148 (2010)
- The effectiveness of neuromuscular warm-up strategies, that require no additional equipment, for preventing lower limb injuries during sports participation: a systematic review. Herman K, Barton C, Malliaras P, Morrissey D. BMC Medicine 10:75 (2012)
- Effect of specific exercise-based football injury prevention programmes on the overall injury rate in football: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the FIFA 11 and 11+ programmes. Thorborg K, Krommes KK, Esteve E, Clausen MB, Bartels EM, Rathleff MS. British Journal of Sports Medicine 51(7):562-571 (2017)
- Effect of different warm-up procedures on the performance of resistance training exercises. Ribeiro AS, Romanzini M, Schoenfeld BJ, Souza MF, Avelar A, Cyrino ES. Perceptual and Motor Skills 119(1):133-145 (2014)
- Effect of warm-up protocols using lower and higher loads on multiple-set back squat volume-load. Souza D, Silva AG, Vale A, Pessoni A, Galvao L, Araujo MA, de Paula Junior C, Vieira C, Vieira A, Gentil P. PeerJ 12:e17347 (2024)
- The effect of muscle warm-up on voluntary and evoked force-time parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression. Wilson CJ, Nunes JP, Blazevich AJ. Journal of Sport and Health Science 14:101024 (2025)
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Disclaimer: This tool is for informational and personal journaling purposes only. Results are estimates based on published formulas and may vary based on individual factors such as genetics, training history, and measurement technique.