Warm-up sets
Warm-up sets are the sets before the real work, with rising load and falling reps, that prepare the pattern and the nervous system for the target load. A typical ramp toward 100 kg runs 40×8, 60×5, 80×3 and 90×1. They do not count toward training volume because they never come close to failure.
Warm-up sets are the sets before the real work, with rising load and falling reps, that prepare the pattern and the nervous system for the target load. A typical ramp toward 100 kg runs 40×8, 60×5, 80×3 and 90×1. They do not count toward training volume because they never come close to failure.
Also written as: ramp-up sets · warmup ramp
In practice
They are also the cheapest diagnostic of the session: if the 80% ramp set felt heavier than last week, the day has told you before the first working set.
The common mistake
Counting them as volume. A plan quoting 20 weekly sets that includes the ramps is prescribing considerably less effective work than its number suggests.
