Maddie Doing a powerlifting warm up is SO important because it will increase your performance AND decrease your risk of injury. Keep reading to see our favorite powerlifting warm up exercises!
I have been powerlifting for three years now, and prior to a year ago I never took warming up seriously (a huge mistake). Thankfully, I've never injured myself due to not warming up properly, but I do want to save you and others from a potential injury in the future. Even warming up for just five minutes can make a world of a difference.
Here is everything you should know about powerlifting warm up stretch.
Powerlifting warm up:
What we'll cover...
After reading this post, don't forget to check out...
The Ultimate Guide to Powerlifting for Beginners
9 Important Things You NEED to Know When Starting Powerlifting for Women
5 Crucial Aspects of Powerlifting Programming: The Ultimate Guide
*Note: This post includes several Amazon affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link (at no extra cost to you). Please read full disclosure here. Also, I am not a doctor or dietician. I am a personal trainer. It's always best to speak with your doctor before making any changes to your diet and/or lifestyle.
The importance of warm up sets
Alongside preventing injury as mentioned above, warming up for powerlifting will greatly increase your performance. You'll be able to move better and won't feel as tight throughout your lifts. Seriously, what have you got to lose?!
In addition to doing warm up stretches, you should also do some warm up sets with the barbell.
For example, let's imagine you're at the gym and about to squat–you'd want to start with some dynamic stretches (see below), and then you'd want to squat a few reps with an empty barbell while gradually adding weight up to your working weight.
My current squat max (as of me updating this) is 365 lbs/166 kgs, and my barbell squat warm up looks something like this:
1x8 @45 lbs (the barbell)
1x5 @135 lbs
1x5 @185 lbs
1x3 @225 lbs
1x2 @255 lbs... and so on.
There's no perfect one size fits all warm up. Ultimately, you'll just want to experiment and find what works best for you.
Static vs. dynamic stretches
You'll always want to begin your powerlifting warm up with dynamic stretches. Static stretches should be saved for after your lifts.
Dynamic stretches are those that use continuous movement to stretch your muscles (ex. luges w/ torso twists). Whereas, static stretches involve stretching your muscles to the maximum and then holding that specific stretch for 20+ seconds (ex. seated toe reaches).
You NEVER want to warm up with static stretches because they don't actually warm up your muscles. There's evidence that static stretching can reduce strength and power if it is done prior to your workouts. These effects are obviously detrimental for powerlifters.
However, there is definitely room for static stretching–save it for after your lifts just to be safe. Doing so can actually help prevent post-workout stiffness.
Lastly, keep in mind that if you have limited time, you should prioritize dynamic stretching over static stretching during any given workout.
The best powerlifting warm up exercises
Your dynamic warm ups will largely be determined by what lifts you'll be doing that day (squat, bench, and/or deadlift). Let's say I'm squatting and benching on the same day. Ideally, I won't do both my squat and bench warm ups before I start the actual lift. Instead, I'll do my squat warm ups first, follow that with my actual squat sets, and then I'll move onto bench press warm ups right before I start benching.
Hopefully that makes sense!
Here are the best powerlifting warm up exercises for each of the "big three:"
Squat & deadlift dynamic stretches
Bodyweight squats are considered a great dynamic stretch, but I like to add a band around my thighs to force me to keep solid positioning throughout each rep; it helps me warm up my hips and glutes more effectively. Because of the specificity, these are an awesome warm up for a squat.
Leg swings (forward and lateral) are another great dynamic warm up that allows me to open up my hips. Warming up the hips is SO important for powerlifting because it will help increase your hip mobility; this is CRUCIAL for a good squat and deadlift.
Cat cow is awesome for helping you warm up your lower back, AND it is great for teaching you what it feels like to extend your spine and engage your lats. Because of this, a cat cow warm up carries over really well to the deadlift specifically.
Yet again, the 90/90 stretch does a wonderful job of increasing hip mobility which directly translates to a bigger squat and deadlift. In addition, this stretch will help keep your hips healthy and injury free.
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Lunges are perfect for warming up your lower body muscles, and the twist is important for warming up the stabilizing muscles in your core. You want to warm up your stabilizing muscles because they are used A TON when you squat and deadlift.
Bench press dynamic stretches
Band pull aparts are a staple in my powerlifting upper body warm-up routine. You can also try the overhead variation if you would like. These are both great for warming up and mobilizing your shoulders.
These are essentially the same twists that appear alongside the lunges above, just without the lunges, of course. If you want to bench press to your greatest potential, it's always a good idea to warm up your stabilizer muscles prior to bench pressing.
Cat cow was featured above for one of the best squat and deadlift warm up exercises, but it's actually really good for a bench press warm up also. It does an excellent job of warming up your shoulders as well as your back.
- Dynamic cobra stretch (to stretch out your arch)
The cobra stretch is great for warming up your lower back. This is awesome for the bench press, as a warmed up lower back correlates to better positioning and a larger arch.
- Additional: Foam rolling upper back/stretching out lower back
I LOVE to foam roll before benching because it helps loosen up my upper AND lower back. I never actually roll out my lower back like I do my upper back, but I do use the foam roller to stretch out my lower back. Stretching it out helps me increase mobility and ultimately have a better arch.
The takeaway
If you got one thing from this post, I hope you now realize just how important warming up for powerlifting is. Not only will it decrease your risk of injury (HUGE win), but it will also increase your performance considerably. If you decided to try any of these warm ups out, let us know what you thought!
