RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Full body warm up: one routine for every joint

Published October 24, 2026

A full body warm up works from the whole body down to the details in about ten minutes: four minutes on the ski erg or air bike, which use arms and legs together; spider planks, IYTW planks and cossack squats for shoulders, hips and spine; side leg raises, face pulls and single-leg bridges to switch on glutes and upper back; then kettlebell swings or ramp-up sets of a trap bar deadlift to bring every muscle into one movement.

  1. Ski Erg Shoulders, Upper Back
  2. Air Bike Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Plank IYTW Abs, Upper Back
  4. Cossack Squat Quads, Adductors
  5. Spider Plank Abs
  6. Face Pull Shoulders, Upper Back
  7. Kettlebell Swing Glutes, Hamstrings
  8. Trap Bar Deadlift Quads, Glutes

Cardio that uses arms and legs

For a full-body session, warm up on a machine that works your upper and lower body together. Four minutes, easy to moderate.

Pulling plus hinging

Ski Erg

Shoulders, Upper Back

Every pull hinges the hips and drives the arms, so it warms the back, shoulders and legs together.

How to do it

  1. Stand facing the machine and grab both handles overhead.
  2. Hinge and pull the handles down past your hips, bending your knees slightly.
  3. Rise back up as the handles return.

Cues

  • Hips and arms finish together.
  • Easy pace for the first minute.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with arms only.

Swap for: Rowing Machine, Air Bike

Build a session with Ski Erg

Pushing, pulling and pedaling

Air Bike

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes

Arms and legs work on every stroke, and you can grade the effort minute by minute.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the bike and hold the moving handles.
  2. Pump the arms on the handles as you pedal at an easy pace.
  3. Lift the effort each minute.

Cues

  • Arms and legs work together.
  • Stay well below a sprint.

Common mistakes

  • Going all-out in the first minute.

Swap for: Stationary Bike, Ski Erg

Build a session with Air Bike

Mobility from shoulders to hips

Three drills in plank and squat positions move the shoulders, spine and hips while the core keeps you steady.

Shoulders in four directions

Plank IYTW

Abs, Upper Back

Raising one arm into each letter from a plank takes the shoulder through four positions while the other arm and core hold you up.

How to do it

  1. Set up in a high plank with feet a little wider than hips.
  2. Lift one arm and point it straight ahead, then up at an angle, then out to the side, then bent into a W.
  3. Put it down and repeat with the other arm.

Cues

  • Hips stay square as the arm moves.
  • Thumb points up on each shape.

Common mistakes

  • Twisting the torso to lift the arm higher.

Swap for: Plank Shoulder Tap, Band Pull-Apart

Build a session with Plank IYTW

Hips under a braced trunk

Spider Plank

Abs

Knee-to-elbow reps open each hip without letting the core switch off.

How to do it

  1. Start in a forearm plank with elbows under shoulders and body in one line.
  2. Bring one knee out to the side toward the elbow on the same side.
  3. Return the foot and switch sides.

Cues

  • Hips stay level as the knee travels.
  • Look at the floor, not forward.

Common mistakes

  • Hiking the hips up to make room for the knee.

Swap for: Mountain Climber, Walkout

Build a session with Spider Plank

Hips and knees side to side

Cossack Squat

Quads, Adductors

It covers the side-to-side direction most full-body sessions skip.

How to do it

  1. Set your feet about twice shoulder width with the toes turned slightly out.
  2. Sit down over one leg while the other leg stays straight and its toes point up.
  3. Push back through the bent leg to center and sink to the other side.

Cues

  • Bent-leg heel stays flat on the floor.
  • Go only as deep as you can keep your chest up.

Common mistakes

  • Rising onto the toes of the bent leg.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Leg Swings

Build a session with Cossack Squat

Activation for glutes and upper back

The two muscle groups that hold your posture in nearly every compound lift. Easy reps, one set each.

Side-of-hip activation, standing

Standing Side Leg Raise

Abductors

Lifting a straight leg sideways works the outside of the hip, which keeps the pelvis level and the knee in line when you land on one foot or cut.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, hands resting at your waist.
  2. Keep the leg straight and the toes facing forward as you lift it sideways.
  3. Lower it with control, finish the reps, then switch legs.

Cues

  • Toes point forward
  • Torso stays upright

Common mistakes

  • Leaning away from the lifting leg: a lower lift with a still torso works better.

Swap for: Clamshell, Lateral Band Walk

Build a session with Standing Side Leg Raise

Rear shoulders and upper back

Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

Fifteen light reps with the rope set the shoulders back for pressing and pulling.

How to do it

  1. Set a rope on a cable at forehead height.
  2. Pull the rope toward your face, splitting the ends past your ears.
  3. Let it return slowly to straight arms.

Cues

  • Elbows high and wide.
  • Pause a beat with hands by your ears.

Common mistakes

  • Using a weight that makes you lean back.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, Band Pull-Apart

Build a session with Face Pull

Glutes one side at a time

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Glutes

One leg at a time shows if a side lags and gets both working before hinges.

How to do it

  1. Face up, plant one foot and the other leg lifted, with a kettlebell resting on your hips if you want load.
  2. Push the planted heel down until your hips rise level.
  3. Lower and finish the set before switching sides.

Cues

  • Hips stay level, not tilting.
  • Push through the heel.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the pelvis drop toward the free leg.

Swap for: Glute Bridge, Hip Thrust

Build a session with Single-Leg Glute Bridge

A whole-body primer

Finish with one movement that uses everything at once. Swings at a light bell, or light sets of the trap bar deadlift if that opens your session. RIRLift logs the trap bar ramp as warm-up sets.

Hips, back and grip together

Kettlebell Swing

Glutes, Hamstrings

Ten crisp swings link hips, trunk and arms, and get you ready to move fast.

How to do it

  1. Set the bell a foot in front of you and hike it back between your legs.
  2. Snap your hips forward so the bell floats to chest height.
  3. Let it fall back and hinge to meet it.

Cues

  • Hips drive, arms just hold on.
  • Stand fully tall at the top.

Common mistakes

  • Squatting the swing instead of hinging.

Swap for: Romanian Deadlift, Glute Bridge

Build a session with Kettlebell Swing

First lift of a full-body day

Trap Bar Deadlift

Quads, Glutes

Its ramp-up sets load every major muscle in one pattern before the working sets.

How to do it

  1. Step inside the bar, feet hip width, and grab the handles.
  2. Drop your hips, flatten your back, and push the floor away.
  3. Stand tall, then lower with control.

Cues

  • Same brace on the light sets as the heavy ones.
  • Chest up, shins near vertical.

Common mistakes

  • Jerking the bar off the floor.

Swap for: Barbell Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift

Build a session with Trap Bar Deadlift

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Full-body gym day with trap bar

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets33 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentSki Ergometer, Adjustable Cable, Dumbbells, Trap Bar

Your full-body session starts with the trap bar deadlift.

The trap bar loads legs, back and grip at once, so the warm-up touches all of them in turn and then ramps the lift itself in three sets. The ski erg and face pulls warm the upper body that will hold the bar.

Full-body day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Ski ErgSeconds. Four easy minutes. 4 × 60 4 0 s
Plank IYTWRounds per arm, all four letters. 1 × 1–2 4 15 s
Cossack SquatPer side. 1 × 5–6 4 15 s
Face Pull 1 × 15 4 15 s
Single-Leg Glute BridgePer side. 1 × 8–10 4 15 s
Trap Bar Deadlift3 warm-up sets first 3 × 4–6 2 2:30 min
How to run it
Ski erg, IYTW, cossacks, face pulls, single-leg bridges, then trap bar.
How to progress
Add 10 pounds when all working sets hit 6 reps at 2 RIR.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Kettlebell full-body session

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentAir Bike, Kettlebells

You train with kettlebells and your session starts with swings.

With only kettlebells, the air bike does the warming and the swings become the primer. Two light sets of swings with the same bell rise in effort and act as your ramp-up.

Kettlebell day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Air BikeSeconds. Four minutes, a little harder each minute. 4 × 60 4 0 s
Spider PlankPer side. 1 × 6 4 15 s
Standing Side Leg RaisePer side. 1 × 10–12 4 15 s
Kettlebell Swing2 warm-up sets first 4 × 12–15 2 1 min
How to run it
Air bike, spider planks, side leg raises, then light swings before your working swings.
How to progress
Move up a bell size when 15 swings at 2 RIR feel crisp in every set.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Full-body warm-up with no machines

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home and want a warm-up for a bodyweight or dumbbell full-body workout.

No machine, so two rounds of plank and squat drills do the warming as well as the mobility. Side leg raises and single-leg bridges cover the glutes since you have no cable for face pulls.

Home circuit
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Spider PlankPer side. 2 × 6–8 4 15 s
Plank IYTWRound per arm. 2 × 1 4 15 s
Cossack SquatPer side. 2 × 6 4 15 s
Standing Side Leg RaisePer side. 1 × 10 4 15 s
Single-Leg Glute BridgePer side. 1 × 10 4 15 s
How to run it
Two rounds of the circuit with no rest, about eight minutes, then your workout.
How to progress
Add a third round on cold days.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are some good full body warm-up exercises?

Ski erg or air bike, IYTW planks, spider planks, cossack squats, side leg raises, face pulls, single-leg bridges and kettlebell swings.

What are four warm-up exercises for the whole body?

Ski erg, spider plank, cossack squat and kettlebell swing. Together they reach arms, shoulders, hips and legs.

How long should a full-body warm-up take?

About ten minutes: four of cardio, four of mobility and activation, and two of priming.

What happens to your body during a warm-up?

Your heart rate and muscle temperature rise and your joints move through the range the session will ask for.

Can I use this before a full-body workout at home?

Yes. The home plan uses only bodyweight drills in two rounds.