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Exercises

Pre workout warm up: from the locker room to your first set

Published October 24, 2026

A good pre workout warm up takes about eight minutes from walking in to your first working set: three minutes of brisk walking or treadmill, 30 seconds of mountain climbers, ankle circles, 12 band squats and 15 band pull-aparts, a 20-second plank hold per side, then two or three ramp-up sets of your first exercise. On lower days, ramp up the Romanian deadlift; on upper days, the dumbbell shoulder press.

  1. Brisk Walk Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves
  2. Mountain Climber Abs
  3. Ankle Circles Calves
  4. Band Squat Quads
  5. Band Pull-Apart Shoulders, Upper Back
  6. Plank Abs
  7. Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  8. Dumbbell Shoulder Press Shoulders

Warm up on the way in

Start moving the moment you arrive: a brisk walk around the gym or on a treadmill, then thirty seconds of mountain climbers to lift your heart rate.

Gentle start

Brisk Walk

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves

Three minutes of fast walking needs no machine and gets you warm while you look for your equipment.

How to do it

  1. Walk at a comfortable pace for the first minute.
  2. Lengthen your stride and swing your arms more each minute.
  3. Finish at a pace where talking takes a little effort.

Cues

  • Stand tall.
  • Heel to toe on each step.

Common mistakes

  • Shuffling at the same slow pace the whole time.

Swap for: Treadmill Walk, High Knees

Build a session with Brisk Walk

Heart rate and core

Mountain Climber

Abs

Thirty seconds right after the walk raises your heart rate and loads shoulders and core.

How to do it

  1. Start in a high plank with hands under shoulders.
  2. Drive one knee toward your chest, then switch legs in a running rhythm.
  3. Keep going for the set time.

Cues

  • Hips level with the shoulders.
  • Hands push the floor away.

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the hips up and down.

Swap for: Spider Plank, Plank Shoulder Tap

Build a session with Mountain Climber

On the mat: joints and bands

A quick block with a mini band and a long band: ankles, hips and knees, then shoulder blades. One set each.

Ankles

Ankle Circles

Calves

Fast to do while standing, and it gets the ankles ready for squats and hinges.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one foot, holding a wall if you need to, and lift the other foot just off the floor.
  2. Roll the raised foot in slow, full circles from the ankle, ten one way and ten the other.
  3. Switch feet.

Cues

  • Make the circle as big as the ankle allows.
  • Move the foot, keep the shin still.

Common mistakes

  • Rushing through tiny, fast circles.

Swap for: Leg Swings, Skipping in Place

Build a session with Ankle Circles

Hips and knees

Band Squat

Quads

Pushing the knees out against the band moves the hips through a full squat and wakes up the side glutes.

How to do it

  1. Place a mini band just above your knees and stand with feet shoulder width.
  2. Squat down while pushing your knees out against the band.
  3. Stand up, keeping the tension on.

Cues

  • Knees stay over the toes.
  • Hands clasped at chest height.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the knees cave as you stand.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Lateral Band Walk

Build a session with Band Squat

Upper back

Band Pull-Apart

Shoulders, Upper Back

Fifteen pulls set the shoulders back before you press or hinge.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light band at shoulder height with straight arms and hands about shoulder width.
  2. Pull your hands apart until the band touches your chest.
  3. Let the band bring your hands back slowly.

Cues

  • Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end.
  • Keep your ribs down.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows to make it easier.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, Band Scapular Retraction

Build a session with Band Pull-Apart

Trunk brace

Plank

Abs

A short plank lifting one arm and the opposite leg reminds the core to stay tight while the limbs move.

How to do it

  1. Rest on your forearms and toes with elbows under your shoulders and your body in one line.
  2. Reach one arm forward and lift the opposite leg, and hold without letting the hips tip.
  3. Lower both and switch to the other pair for the next hold.

Cues

  • Squeeze your glutes
  • Hips stay level as the limbs lift

Common mistakes

  • Hips twisting toward the lifted leg: lift lower and hold the line.

Swap for: Side Plank, Plank Shoulder Tap

Build a session with Plank

Ramp into your first exercise

Two or three light sets of the first exercise, with more weight and fewer reps each set. RIRLift records them as warm-up sets.

Lower day opener

Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

Light sets groove the hip hinge and stretch the hamstrings under a little load.

How to do it

  1. Stand holding the bar at your thighs with a shoulder-width grip.
  2. Push your hips back and slide the bar down your thighs until you feel your hamstrings stretch.
  3. Bring your hips through to stand tall.

Cues

  • Soft knees, flat back.
  • Bar stays in contact with your legs.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees into a squat.

Swap for: Barbell Deadlift, Kettlebell Swing

Build a session with Romanian Deadlift

Upper day opener

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Pressing light dumbbells first takes the shoulders overhead before heavier sets.

How to do it

  1. Sit against an upright bench back and a dumbbell at each shoulder.
  2. Press both bells overhead until your arms are straight.
  3. Lower back to shoulder height.

Cues

  • Forearms vertical.
  • Back stays against the pad.

Common mistakes

  • Arching away from the backrest.

Swap for: Barbell Overhead Press, Push-Up

Build a session with Dumbbell Shoulder Press

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

Lower-body day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Barbells

Your workout starts with Romanian deadlifts.

Hinges load the hamstrings and lower back, so the mat block keeps the band squats and plank and the ramp has three sets, the first with the empty bar.

Lower day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Brisk WalkSeconds. Three minutes. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Mountain ClimberSeconds. 1 × 30 4 0 s
Ankle CirclesEach direction, per ankle. 1 × 10 4 15 s
Band Squat 1 × 12 4 15 s
PlankSeconds. One arm or leg lifted, switch each hold. 2 × 20 4 0 s
Romanian Deadlift3 warm-up sets first 3 × 8–10 2 2 min
How to run it
Walk, climbers, ankles, band squats, plank, then RDL.
How to progress
Add 10 pounds when all working sets reach 10 reps at 2 RIR.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Upper-body day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Dumbbells

Your workout starts with dumbbell shoulder presses.

The mat block switches to the shoulders: pull-aparts and the plank, with ankles and band squats left out. Two ramp-up sets on the press are plenty with dumbbells.

Upper day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Brisk WalkSeconds. Three minutes. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Mountain ClimberSeconds. 1 × 30 4 0 s
Band Pull-Apart 1 × 15–20 4 15 s
PlankSeconds. Alternate the lifted limb. 2 × 20 4 0 s
Dumbbell Shoulder Press2 warm-up sets first 3 × 8–10 2 90 s
How to run it
Walk, climbers, pull-aparts, plank, then press.
How to progress
Move up a dumbbell size when every working set reaches 10 reps at 2 RIR.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Evening session after a long day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Barbells

You lift after work and walk in stiff.

Stiffness after a day of sitting calls for longer movement before load, so this plan stretches the walk to five minutes and runs the full mat block, then ramps the Romanian deadlift with one extra set.

Evening warm-up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Brisk WalkSeconds. Five minutes. 5 × 60 4 0 s
Mountain ClimberSeconds. 1 × 30 4 0 s
Ankle CirclesEach direction, per ankle. 1 × 10 4 15 s
Band Squat 1 × 12–15 4 15 s
Band Pull-Apart 1 × 15 4 15 s
Romanian Deadlift4 warm-up sets first 3 × 8–10 2 2 min
How to run it
Walk, climbers, all four mat drills, then RDL with four ramp-up sets.
How to progress
As the routine becomes habit, trim the walk back to three minutes.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is a good warm-up before a workout?

A few minutes of brisk walking, a short block of joint and band drills, then light sets of your first exercise.

How long should you warm up before the gym?

Five to ten minutes. Longer on cold days or before very heavy lifts.

Is it necessary to warm up before a workout?

Ramp-up sets of the first lift are the part worth keeping every time; they let you practice the movement before it gets heavy.

What are 5 warm-up exercises before a workout?

Brisk walking, mountain climbers, band squats, band pull-aparts and a plank.

Should I stretch before working out?

Moving drills, yes. Long held stretches fit better after the session.