What Makes a Good Warm-Up? How to Prepare for Training Without Wasting 20 Minutes
Why a good warm-up should prepare you to perform—not just make you tired.
BMF Training
Walk into almost any gym and you’ll usually see one of two extremes.
One person spends 20 minutes foam rolling, stretching, and doing every mobility drill they’ve ever seen online before touching a weight.
The other walks through the door, loads up the bar, and starts lifting.
The best warm-up is usually somewhere in between.
A warm-up doesn’t need to be complicated, and it definitely doesn’t need to leave you exhausted.
Its job is simple:
Prepare your body for what you’re about to do.
If you’re going to squat heavy, your warm-up should prepare you to squat heavy.
If you’re going to jump, throw, or train power, it should prepare you to move quickly.
If you’re conditioning, it should raise your heart rate and prepare the movements you’re about to perform without unnecessarily tiring you out.
At BMF, we look at the warm-up as part of the training session—not something we randomly throw together while everyone walks into class.
Every part should have a reason.
What Is a Warm-Up Actually Supposed to Do?
A good warm-up should help:
Increase body temperature and blood flow
Prepare the joints and ranges of motion you’ll use
Rehearse the movements in the workout
Gradually prepare you for heavier loads or faster movements
Give you feedback on how your body feels that day
Mentally transition into training
Notice what isn’t on that list:
Getting as tired as possible before the workout even starts.
Sweating more doesn’t automatically mean you’re better prepared.
The goal is readiness—not fatigue.
Start General, Then Become More Specific
One of the easiest ways to think about warming up is:
General → Specific
You may start with easy movement to increase temperature and get your body moving.
Then, as you get closer to the main exercise, your warm-up should begin to look more and more like the training you’re about to perform.
A simple progression might look like:
Get moving → Improve the positions you need → Rehearse the movement → Add speed or load → Begin working sets
You don’t need 15 different exercises.
Usually, a few well-selected movements performed with purpose are better than a long list of drills that have nothing to do with the workout.
Your Warm-Up Should Match the Session
One of the problems with doing the exact same warm-up every day is that different types of training require different preparation.
Heavy Strength Training
If you’re preparing for heavier lifting, you may need more gradual ramp-up sets before reaching your working weight.
You want to feel:
Warm
Stable
Technically sharp
Ready to produce force
You probably don’t want to accumulate a bunch of fatigue before your heaviest work.
Power and Dynamic Effort Training
If the goal is speed or explosiveness, the warm-up should gradually become faster and more dynamic.
That might include:
Jumps
Throws
Swings
Short accelerations
Plyometric movements
The goal is to wake up the nervous system, not turn the warm-up into conditioning.
At BMF, we often use low-volume explosive work early in a session.
Think 2–3 sets of 3 high-quality reps, rather than doing jumps until your legs are tired.
If every rep is getting slower, it’s probably no longer accomplishing what we want.
Conditioning
A conditioning warm-up should gradually raise your heart rate and prepare the movements you’re about to use.
If the session includes rowing, sleds, carries, and step-ups, it makes sense to expose yourself to those patterns beforehand.
You want to start the first work interval feeling ready—not already exhausted.
Mobility Should Solve a Problem
Mobility work can be useful.
But doing mobility simply because you think every workout has to start with stretching isn’t always necessary.
If someone has difficulty reaching a position they need for that day’s training, we may use a movement that helps.
For example:
Someone who struggles to reach a good squat position may benefit from ankle, hip, or adductor mobility.
Someone preparing to press overhead may benefit from some upper-back or shoulder movement.
But not everyone needs the same drills.
That’s where individual coaching becomes important.
Two people may be doing the same workout, but one might need additional preparation for a certain movement while the other is ready to go.
The program gives us structure. The coach helps make it personal.
What About Static Stretching?
Static stretching isn’t inherently bad.
There are situations where a short stretch can help someone access a position they need.
The bigger question is:
What are you doing after the stretch?
Long periods of passive stretching probably shouldn’t make up the majority of your preparation before heavy strength or explosive work.
If you use static stretching before training, follow it with:
Active movement
Movement rehearsal
Gradually increasing load
More dynamic preparation
For example, if briefly stretching your calves helps you reach a better squat position, great.
Stretch them, then squat.
Use that range of motion.
The goal isn’t flexibility for flexibility’s sake.
It’s preparing your body to perform.
Your Warm-Up Sets Are Part of the Warm-Up
This is one of the most overlooked pieces.
You don’t need to finish a long “warm-up routine” before you begin preparing for the actual lift.
Your progressively heavier sets are part of the warm-up.
Let’s say you’re working toward a 315-pound deadlift.
Your progression might look something like:
135 → 185 → 225 → 275 → working weight
The exact jumps depend on the person, but those sets give you an opportunity to:
Practice your setup
Rehearse technique
Gradually increase force
Assess how your body feels
Decide whether the planned weight makes sense
Make corrections before things get heavy
This is also valuable information for a coach.
Maybe the program says you’re supposed to lift heavy today, but your normal warm-up weights are moving unusually slowly.
That may be a reason to adjust.
Or maybe everything feels great and you’re moving exceptionally well.
That may be a day to push.
The written program matters.
But so does what we see in front of us that day.
Do You Need to Foam Roll Before Every Workout?
Foam rolling can be useful.
Some people enjoy it, and some people feel that a little targeted rolling helps them move more comfortably.
That’s fine.
But it doesn’t need to become a mandatory 10-minute ritual before every training session.
If it helps, use it.
If you don’t need it, you don’t have to force it into every workout.
Foam rolling is a tool—not the centerpiece of the warm-up.
A Simple Warm-Up Template You Can Use
At BMF, our coaches have a larger toolbox of warm-up options, but for most people, a useful warm-up can be built from a few simple categories.
You do not need to use every category every day.
Think of this as a menu:
1. Release — If Needed
Foam roller or lacrosse ball for an area that feels restricted.
30–60 seconds is usually plenty.
2. Move
Use active mobility for the joints and ranges of motion you’ll need.
Examples:
Active straight-leg raises
Adductor rock-backs
Hip-flexor movement
Thoracic rotations
3. Stabilize + Activate
Prepare the trunk and key muscles.
Examples:
Bird dogs
Side planks
Glute bridges
Band pull-aparts
Face pulls
4. Prime the Movement
Perform a lighter version of what you’re about to train.
Examples:
Squat day: Goblet squat
Hinge day: Kettlebell RDL
Press day: Push-up or light dumbbell press
Pulling day: Light dumbbell row
Usually 1–2 sets of 5–8 controlled reps is enough.
5. Add Power — When Appropriate
If the session includes strength, speed, or athletic work, finish with a small dose of explosive movement.
Examples:
Box jumps
Med-ball throws
Plyometric push-ups
Swings or slams
Keep it simple:
2–3 sets of 3 quality reps.
Then begin your ramp-up sets for the main exercise.
Try These Three Warm-Ups
Here’s what that might actually look like.
Squat Day
Active Straight-Leg Raise: 8–10/side
Bird Dog or Side Plank: 1 round
Glute Bridge: 8–10 reps
Tempo Goblet Squat: 2 × 5
Box Jump: 3 × 3
Then: progressively load your squat
Deadlift or Hinge Day
Hamstring/Glute Mobility: 8–10/side
Bird Dog: 3 controlled reps/side
Glute Bridge: 8–10
Kettlebell RDL: 2 × 5
Box Jump or Broad Jump: 3 × 3
Then: begin your deadlift ramp-up sets
Bench or Upper-Body Press Day
Thoracic Rotations: 8–10/side
Band Pull-Aparts or Face Pulls: 1–2 × 10
Push-Ups: 5–8
Light Pressing: a few controlled reps
Plyometric Push-Up or Med-Ball Chest Pass: 2–3 × 3
Then: progressively load your press
Remember: You Can Simplify It
If you feel great and you’re short on time, your squat warm-up might simply be:
Dynamic mobility → Goblet squats → 3 × 3 jumps → Squat warm-up sets
Someone else may benefit from a few more steps.
Neither is automatically better.
The question is:
Does this prepare me for the work ahead?
That’s the entire point.
How Long Should a Warm-Up Take?
There’s no perfect number for everyone, but for many strength-and-conditioning sessions:
5–10 minutes of general and movement-specific preparation, followed by your ramp-up sets, is plenty.
Some people may need longer:
Athletes preparing for maximal performance
Older adults who benefit from a more gradual progression
Someone managing a previous injury
Someone training in a cold environment
Someone preparing for very heavy lifting
But longer does not automatically mean better.
You shouldn’t need a recovery day from your warm-up.
Instead of asking:
“Did I warm up for 15 minutes?”
Ask:
“Am I ready for what I’m about to do?”
Your Warm-Up Can Tell You How Ready You Are
A structured warm-up doesn’t just prepare you.
It also gives you information.
Maybe you didn’t sleep well.
Maybe you’re carrying more fatigue than usual.
Maybe your normal warm-up weights suddenly feel heavy.
Maybe your technique feels a little off.
That doesn’t automatically mean you need to skip the workout.
But it may mean the training needs to be adjusted.
The opposite happens too.
Sometimes everything feels great.
Warm-up weights move quickly.
Your positions feel good.
You feel recovered.
That can be a day where it makes sense to push a little harder.
A good training plan provides structure.
A good warm-up helps you understand how to apply that plan today.
What Does a Good Warm-Up Look Like at BMF?
At BMF, we don’t want the warm-up to be something we throw together just to fill the first few minutes of class.
It’s part of the program.
Our general framework is:
Release if needed → Move → Stabilize → Activate → Prime → Explode
But we don’t need to check every box during every session.
We select what best prepares our members for the work that day.
If you’re lifting heavy, we prepare you to produce force.
If you’re training power, we prepare you to move quickly.
If you’re conditioning, we prepare the movements and gradually elevate your heart rate.
And if you need something different from the person next to you, that’s where coaching comes in.
That is what purposeful training looks like.
The Takeaway
A good warm-up doesn’t need to be long, complicated, or exhausting.
It should answer one simple question:
What do I need to do right now to be better prepared for what comes next?
For most people:
Get moving.
Prepare the ranges of motion you need.
Create stability.
Practice the movement.
Add some speed when appropriate.
Gradually increase the load.
Then train.
The warm-up isn’t the workout.
It’s preparation for the workout.
And just like everything else in a good training program, it should have a reason behind it.
A good warm-up isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what helps you perform better when the real training starts.
Want to Learn How to Train With More Purpose?
At BMF Training, we build strength-and-conditioning programs around progression, coaching, and your individual goals—not random workouts.
Whether you want to get stronger, improve your conditioning, move better, feel more athletic, or simply build a training routine you can sustain, we can help you find the right starting point.
Start with a free 30 minute consultation.
We’ll talk about your goals, training history, schedule, and what you want your training to help you accomplish.
BMF Training | Huntington Beach
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