Warming up raises muscle temperature and rehearses the movement at heavier and heavier loads, so your first working set is not the first time you have done the lift that day.

How many warmup sets should I do?

Three sets at 50%, 75% and 100% of working weight (the last as a single feeler rep) cover most compound lifts. Start with a set or two on the empty bar if you still feel stiff.

Why does the calculator drop warmups for light weights?

If your working weight is barely above the empty bar, the warmup percentages land below the bar, which you cannot load. The calculator skips warmups when the working weight is at or under 1.25× the bar weight.

Should I warm up every accessory exercise?

No. Give the full ramp to the first heavy compound lift. An accessory that hits muscles you have already warmed needs one or two ramping sets at most.

Are warmup sets the same as ramp-up sets in 5/3/1?

They do the same job with different numbers. 5/3/1 prescribes 40%, 50% and 60% of the training max before the work sets. The MuscleBuddy default (50/75/100% of working weight) is a general three-set ramp you can use with any program.

Can I use this for pulling exercises like deadlifts?

Yes. Many coaches add a heavier feeler for the deadlift because the lift starts from a dead stop, typically a single around 90% between the 75% set and the top set on heavy days.

Warmup set generator

Free warmup set generator for barbell lifts. Enter your working weight, get a plate-friendly 50% / 75% / 100% ramp scheme tailored to your bar.

A warmup raises muscle temperature and walks the movement up to weight, so your top set feels familiar when you get to it. It should leave you ready to lift, not tired. A few minutes of ramping usually gets you a better first working set.

This generator builds a three-set ramp at 50%, 75% and 100% of your working weight (the last as a single feeler rep) and rounds each set to a 2.5 kg (or 5 lb) step up from the empty bar, so you can load it with standard plates. MuscleBuddy uses the same default ramp in a logged workout; in the app it also adds a lighter first set for chest and shoulder lifts and rounds to the plates your gym has. Use the plate calculator to work out what goes on each side.

UnitsWorking weight

Bar weight

Recommended warmup ramp

Set 1: 8 reps50 kg

Set 2: 3 reps75 kg

Set 3: 1 rep100 kg

How this works

The default protocol is three sets:

50% × 8 reps: practises the movement and the bar path while you warm up.
75% × 3 reps: a load close enough to your working weight to feel heavy, with few enough reps that you stay fresh.
100% × 1 (top single): the "feeler" rep. It tells you how today’s working weight moves before you start your working sets.

Each set is a fraction of working weight, rounded to the nearest 2.5 kg step (a pair of 1.25 kg plates), or 5 lb step (a pair of 2.5 lb plates), counted up from the empty bar, and rounded down where the nearest step would pass the working weight. A set that would land below the empty bar is set to the bar.

The calculator skips warmups when your working weight is no more than 25% above the bar (25 kg on a 20 kg bar). A load that light is already a warmup weight, and extra ramping sets would only add fatigue.

For lifts that start from the floor (deadlifts, snatches, cleans) many coaches add a heavier ramping set, around 90% for a single, before the working sets. It helps most when you're working up to a heavy single. For squats and presses the default three-set ramp is usually enough.

Give the full ramp to the first heavy lift of a session. Later lifts for the same muscles need one or two lighter sets at most, so the warmup doesn't turn into a second workout.

Frequently asked questions

Why warm up at all?: Warming up raises muscle temperature and rehearses the movement at heavier and heavier loads, so your first working set is not the first time you have done the lift that day.
How many warmup sets should I do?: Three sets at 50%, 75% and 100% of working weight (the last as a single feeler rep) cover most compound lifts. Start with a set or two on the empty bar if you still feel stiff.
Why does the calculator drop warmups for light weights?: If your working weight is barely above the empty bar, the warmup percentages land below the bar, which you cannot load. The calculator skips warmups when the working weight is at or under 1.25× the bar weight.
Should I warm up every accessory exercise?: No. Give the full ramp to the first heavy compound lift. An accessory that hits muscles you have already warmed needs one or two ramping sets at most.
Are warmup sets the same as ramp-up sets in 5/3/1?: They do the same job with different numbers. 5/3/1 prescribes 40%, 50% and 60% of the training max before the work sets. The MuscleBuddy default (50/75/100% of working weight) is a general three-set ramp you can use with any program.
Can I use this for pulling exercises like deadlifts?: Yes. Many coaches add a heavier feeler for the deadlift because the lift starts from a dead stop, typically a single around 90% between the 75% set and the top set on heavy days.

Related tools

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Free to use: paste this snippet into any page. It drops in a live, responsive warmup set generator with a small attribution link back to MuscleBuddy.

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    title="Warmup Set Generator by MuscleBuddy"
    width="100%"
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    style="border:0;width:100%;border-radius:16px"
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