Squat Warmups

[jtnolen91]

I’ve noticed my first set of squats is my worst of my 3x5 and I’m following a pretty standard warmup. Tonight was the first time I’ve missed a rep and it was on my first set. I made the reps on the 2nd set, then failed again on 2nd. Below is my standard warmup for tonight’s work sets, please let me know a better approach to feel more warmed up on my first set:

Warmups: 280x5, 300x3, 320x2, 340x1
Work sets: 360x4,5,3

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're doing about 3x too much warmup tonnage. This is a basic training principle. If I was going to 360x5x3, I would do 135x5x2, 185x3, 225x1, 275x1, 325x1, 360x5x3.

[Adriano Alves]

I always follow this warmup method:

2x10 empty bar
5 reps 45%
3 reps 65%
2 reps 85%

Rest 5 min and then begin the workout

[Martin Shenfield]

I don't know why you would do sets of 10 with the empty bar. You don't do 10 reps of anything. Just do a couple of sets of 5 with the empty.

Your warm up method that you always follow doesn't match what you posted.

[Maybach]

The purpose of squatting the empty bar is to get blood flowing to the muscles. 10 reps accomplishes this pretty well. You're not practicing 5s with the empty bar.

[Martin Shenfield]

The purpose of squatting the empty bar is to get blood flowing to the muscles. 10 reps accomplishes this pretty well. You're not practicing 5s with the empty bar.

While I get what you are saying, that's not what is in the blue book. Page 299. Every lift is 2 sets of 5 empty bar except the deadlift.

Warming up the tissue and practicing the movement are the two functions of a warm up. It makes no sense to me to do any 10s. He could do 3 sets of 5 if he needs to and save 5 reps. I'm not saying it's hard to do 10. For me, it actually would be hard to go from cold to 10 reps even empty. I'll stay with 5s.

[Martin Shenfield]

My apologies to Adriano and OP in this as I somehow mixed you up. I could blame my mobile viewing experience but really I just need to pay more attention.

That said, I'm still not doing 10 reps with the bar until Rip tells me that's what I should do, but every single video I have watched from SSC's, the training camp I attended and what is written in the blue book is a few empty 5's, then some low rep increasing weights until the working sets.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have never used 10s for warmups because they don't work as well as 5s.