How should I warm up before lifting weights?

Combine a few minutes of dynamic mobility and muscle activation — like this routine — with lighter ramp-up sets of your first exercise. The mobility frees your joints; the activation switches on the muscles you're about to load.

Do I need to warm up before every lift?

A short warm-up before each session is worthwhile, especially before heavier or lower-body work. It mobilises your joints and helps you move through a fuller, safer range.

Will this tire me out before my workout?

No — it's deliberately light. The goal is to wake the right muscles and free your joints, not to fatigue them. Keep the effort easy.

Workouts & Recovery · Strength

Pre-lift warm-up

A guided warm-up for the gym that switches on the muscles a lifting session leans on — glutes, the upper back and the shoulders — and frees up the spine. The app names each move and previews the next, taking you through bridges, scapular push-ups, the world's greatest stretch and rotations. A few minutes that make your working sets feel stronger and safer.

Moves: 5
Length: ≈ 4 min
Level: All levels

Also known as gym warm up, warm up before lifting, strength warm up.

How the session works

1Lay out a mat and give yourself room to lunge and lie down.
2Press start. The app names each move, previews the next, and keeps it flowing.
3Move with control and feel the right muscles switch on; this primes the lift, it doesn't fatigue it.
4Run it once at the 3 or 5-minute length, then start your working sets.

The moves

Glute bridge35s
Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes at the top.
Scapular push-ups30s
Arms straight — pinch and spread your shoulder blades.
World's greatest stretch30s · each side
Lunge deep, drop your elbow inside your front foot, then reach the top arm up.
Standing torso twists30s
Feet planted, rotate from the waist with loose arms.
Arm circles30s
Small circles building to big — both directions.

What it's good for

Switches on the glutes, upper back and shoulders before you load them.
Frees the spine and hips so your lifts move through a fuller range.
Coached move by move — no standing around wondering how to warm up.

The evidence. Activating the posterior chain and mobilising the shoulders and spine before lifting is a common, sensible way to prepare; it complements, and doesn't replace, ramp-up sets with lighter loads.

Safety

Keep it light — a warm-up primes the muscles, it shouldn't tire them before your sets.

Frequently asked questions

How should I warm up before lifting weights?: Combine a few minutes of dynamic mobility and muscle activation — like this routine — with lighter ramp-up sets of your first exercise. The mobility frees your joints; the activation switches on the muscles you're about to load.
Do I need to warm up before every lift?: A short warm-up before each session is worthwhile, especially before heavier or lower-body work. It mobilises your joints and helps you move through a fuller, safer range.
Will this tire me out before my workout?: No — it's deliberately light. The goal is to wake the right muscles and free your joints, not to fatigue them. Keep the effort easy.

Gear we recommend

Optional kit that pairs with a home practice — for tracking recovery and effort. We may earn a commission on purchases made through these links.

WHOOP

WHOOP 5.0

Screenless · Strain & recovery

$239Read review

Oura

Oura Ring 4

~7-day battery · Sleep staging

$349Read review

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Disclaimer. This guided session is low intensity and intended for healthy adults, but it is not medical advice. Move within a comfortable range, stop if anything hurts, and check with a clinician first if you're pregnant, recovering from injury or surgery, or managing a heart, joint or blood-pressure condition. FitHQ may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page.