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Exercises

Warm up routine: the same start, a different finish for each day

Published October 24, 2026

A warm up routine you can repeat every session: 4 easy minutes on the rower and 10 arm circles each way, then a two-drill block for the day. Push day gets dumbbell external rotations and band scapular retractions before the overhead press. Pull day gets scapular retractions before lat pulldowns. Leg day gets lateral band walks and clamshells before the leg press. Close every routine with three ramp-up sets of the first lift.

  1. Rowing Machine Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats
  2. Arm Circles Shoulders
  3. Dumbbell External Rotation Shoulders
  4. Band Scapular Retraction Upper Back
  5. Lateral Band Walk Abductors
  6. Clamshell Abductors
  7. Barbell Overhead Press Shoulders
  8. Leg Press Quads, Glutes

The part that never changes

Every routine starts the same way so you do not have to think: four minutes of easy rowing and arm circles. Habits stick when the first step is fixed.

Daily cardio start

Rowing Machine

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats

It warms the legs for leg day and the back and arms for upper days, so one machine serves every routine.

How to do it

  1. Strap your feet in and sit tall holding the handle with arms straight.
  2. Push with the legs, then lean back slightly and pull the handle to your lower ribs.
  3. Return arms, body, then legs, and keep an easy stroke rate.

Cues

  • Legs drive first, arms finish.
  • Breathe easily; you should be able to talk.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with the arms before the legs have pushed.

Swap for: Ski Erg, Stationary Bike

Build a session with Rowing Machine

Daily shoulder opener

Arm Circles

Shoulders

Thirty seconds of circles after the row gets the shoulders moving before any pressing or pulling.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with both arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height.
  2. Draw small circles forward, then grow them until your hands sweep past your hips and overhead.
  3. Reverse direction and run the same small-to-large sequence backward.

Cues

  • Arms stay long from shoulder to fingertip.
  • Shoulders stay down, away from your ears.

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging up as the circles get big.

Swap for: Plate Halo, Band Pull-Apart

Build a session with Arm Circles

Push and pull day block

Two light drills for the shoulder: rotations for the rotator cuff and retractions for the shoulder blades. Push day does both; pull day keeps the retractions.

Rotator cuff

Dumbbell External Rotation

Shoulders

Slow rotations with a very light dumbbell warm the small muscles that steady the shoulder overhead.

How to do it

  1. Stand or kneel with a very light dumbbell, upper arm out to the side at shoulder height and elbow bent to 90 degrees.
  2. Rotate the forearm up until it points at the ceiling.
  3. Lower slowly back to level.

Cues

  • Elbow stays where it started.
  • Go light enough to move slowly.

Common mistakes

  • Arching the back to finish the rotation.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lying External Rotation, Band Face Pull

Build a session with Dumbbell External Rotation

Shoulder blade control

Band Scapular Retraction

Upper Back

Pinching the blades against a light band rehearses the first part of every row and pulldown.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light band in front of you at chest height with straight arms.
  2. Without bending your elbows, pinch your shoulder blades together.
  3. Release slowly and repeat.

Cues

  • Small movement from the shoulder blades only.
  • Neck stays relaxed.

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging toward the ears.

Swap for: Band Pull-Apart, Push-Up Plus

Build a session with Band Scapular Retraction

Leg day block

Two band drills for the side glutes, which keep the knees tracking over the toes as you squat and press.

Side glutes, standing

Lateral Band Walk

Abductors

Stepping sideways against the band works the glutes in a half squat, the position leg day uses.

How to do it

  1. Put a mini band just above your knees or around your ankles and sit into a quarter squat.
  2. Step sideways, keeping tension on the band.
  3. Take every step one way, then come back.

Cues

  • Toes point forward.
  • Stay low; do not stand up between steps.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the trailing foot snap in.

Swap for: Band Standing Hip Abduction, Clamshell

Build a session with Lateral Band Walk

Side glutes, lying

Clamshell

Abductors

A slower, isolated finish that you can feel working before heavy leg work.

How to do it

  1. On your side, bend your knees and line your heels up with your hips.
  2. Keeping your feet together, lift the top knee.
  3. Lower slowly and finish the side.

Cues

  • Hips stacked; do not roll back.
  • Pause at the top.

Common mistakes

  • Rolling the pelvis backward to lift higher.

Swap for: Fire Hydrant, Lateral Band Walk

Build a session with Clamshell

Ramp-up sets of the first lift

Three sets, rising from about half to about 85 percent of the working weight, with fewer reps each time. RIRLift logs them as warm-up sets so the routine stays the same week to week.

Push day opener

Barbell Overhead Press

Shoulders

The press needs the shoulders warm and the ribs locked down, which the push block prepares.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bar on your front shoulders with hands just outside them.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and press the bar straight up, moving your head back out of the way.
  3. Lock out overhead, then lower to the shoulders.

Cues

  • Ribs down the whole set.
  • Bar finishes over your midfoot.

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to press the light sets.

Swap for: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Push-Up

Build a session with Barbell Overhead Press

Pull day opener

Lat Pulldown

Lats

Light sets let you find the full stretch at the top before the weight goes up.

How to do it

  1. Sit with thighs under the pad and grab the bar a little wider than shoulders.
  2. Pull the bar to your upper chest, driving elbows toward your ribs.
  3. Return with control to straight arms.

Cues

  • Chest up to meet the bar.
  • Full stretch at the top.

Common mistakes

  • Swinging back to pull the weight.

Swap for: Inverted Row, Band Pull-Apart

Build a session with Lat Pulldown

Leg day opener

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

The machine makes ramping fast: add plates, cut reps.

How to do it

  1. Sit in the machine with feet hip width on the platform.
  2. Release the stops and lower until your knees bend deeply without your lower back lifting.
  3. Push back to nearly straight legs.

Cues

  • Same depth on every set.
  • Whole foot stays on the platform.

Common mistakes

  • Short reps on the light sets.

Swap for: Goblet Squat, Barbell Back Squat

Build a session with Leg 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

Push day routine

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

You run a push, pull, legs split and today is push.

The fixed start plus the full shoulder block, because overhead pressing asks the most of the rotator cuff. Three ramp-up sets on the press.

Push warm-up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rowing MachineSeconds. Four or five easy minutes. 5 × 60 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 15 s
Dumbbell External RotationPer arm, very light. 1 × 12–15 4 15 s
Band Scapular Retraction 1 × 12–15 4 15 s
Barbell Overhead Press3 warm-up sets first 3 × 5–8 2 2:30 min
How to run it
Same order every push day.
How to progress
Progress the press when every working set reaches 8 reps at 2 RIR.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Pull day routine

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentRowing Machine, Resistance Bands, Lat Pulldown

Today is pull day.

Pulling needs the shoulder blades moving more than the rotator cuff warmed, so the block keeps only the retractions and adds a second set of them. Three ramp-up sets on the pulldown.

Pull warm-up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rowing MachineSeconds. Four or five easy minutes. 5 × 60 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 15 s
Band Scapular Retraction 2 × 12–15 4 15 s
Lat Pulldown3 warm-up sets first 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
How to run it
Same order every pull day.
How to progress
Add weight when every working set reaches 12 reps at 2 RIR.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Leg day routine

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentRowing Machine, Resistance Bands, Leg Press

Today is leg day.

The fixed start, then the glute block and three ramp-up sets on the leg press. The rower already loads the legs gently, so no extra cardio is needed.

Leg warm-up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rowing MachineSeconds. Four or five easy minutes. 5 × 60 4 0 s
Lateral Band WalkSteps each way. 1 × 10–12 4 15 s
ClamshellPer side. 1 × 12–15 4 15 s
Leg Press3 warm-up sets first 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
How to run it
Same order every leg day.
How to progress
Add a plate when all working sets reach 12 reps at 2 RIR.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is a good warm-up routine for the gym?

Four minutes of easy cardio, arm circles, two drills for the muscles the day uses, then three ramp-up sets of your first lift.

How do I warm up for squat day?

Rower, lateral band walks and clamshells, then four ramp-up sets of the squat starting with the empty bar.

Should the warm-up be the same every day?

The start can be. The middle should change with the day so the drills match the joints you will load.

How many ramp-up sets should I do?

Three for most first lifts. Add one before a very heavy barbell lift.

Do I need to warm up for my second exercise?

Usually one ramp-up set is enough, since you are already warm.