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Great question and I answered this today at least 4 times. I need to make it a stick. Let's look at the squat:

OBJECTIVE

"For example, if I am aiming for 205 for 8 reps, my warmup might look something like 135 for 6, 160 for 4, 185 for 2, then 205 for 8 as the working set?"

A. Personally, I'd warmup as follows:

- Some light warmups with just the bar for say, a set of 10 reps. Do take care to limber up the lower back

- Rest 3 minutes
- 135 x 2
- Rest 3 min
- 155 x 2
- Rest 3 min
- 175 x 2
- Rest 3 min
- 185 x 1
- Rest 3 min
- 195 x 1
Rest 3 min
- 205 x 1
= Rest 5 minutes

Begin work set putting maximum mental and phsyical intensity into it as you can. This is a learned skill that will come with time..

You will notice that I limit reps during warmups and instead, favor working up to your target weight. I think this strategy makes for more sense for the following reasons:

1.) You don't deplete nearly as much muscle glycogen in your warmups
2.) The nervous system (CNS) has "seen" the weight you'll be working with at least once.

Doing so greases the groove so to speak given even a 10 or 15 lb jump into your working set from your last warmups can be problematic. Problematic insofar as muscular coordination, power output and your mental/phsycial perception of what "feels" heavy.

Give that a shot. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Ok firstly yu metioned this below:

OBJECTIVE

"For example, if I am aiming for 205 for 8 reps, my warmup might look something like 135 for 6, 160 for 4, 185 for 2, then 205 for 8 as the working set?"

The above was just a EXAMPLE right as we aint wroking for 8 reps on main set infact are just trying to find out our 1 rep max.

You said if U wa working at 205 for 8 reps, here you know the above weight for your main set, When maxing out tommarow What happens if i do allmy warmup sets thinking i can max at 130kg for bench and manage that easy then wha do i do ,, Do i take another 3 mins rest and attempt `135kg and then if i can do that with ease attamept 140kg and so on. If needed..

what i was saying above I dont knwo what weight I will mange for 1 rep max tommarow so i shouldnt fix my mind at I can only do 1 rep on 130kg,, Maybe i can do slightly more..

Ok I will work in Kg. Checj this for my warm up..
set1 20kg bar 10 reps
2= 40kg 8 reps
3= 70 5 reps
4= 90kg 3 reps
5= 110 = 1 reps
6 120=1 rep
7= 130 1 reps
8=135 1 rep of needed

I think If I warm up in 3 reps like I have been doing in the past 4 days of feast workouts I will not warm up properly in the chest and ticeps..

Yeah maybe I will edfinately burn my msucles out b4 I get to 130kg.. But really need to do my best.. I also feel byu using the above as warm up it will pump up the just which might help in strength.. Not sure/..

Check the above Or i might just woprk in 3 reps as u mentioned?

Ok so i go in do my run on treadmill and then just do each warm up set I dont superset it with pullovers do I?

Eg. like I have been doing in the past 4 workouts?ha

Hi Zee,

Nice to hear from you again!

I personally don't do cardio before any strength training. I do some light band work, some dumbell presses/flyes and some shoulder roation work. Then it's time to hit the barbell. Here's a typical warmup to say, a 3501RM:

225lbs x 2
250 x 2
270 x 1
280 x 1
290 x 1
300 x 1
310 x 1
320 x 1
330 x 1
340 x 1
345 x 1
365 (negative)
Attempt 350

I rest about 2 min between sets up until about 300/310lbs, at which point I move to 3 minutes or more. Prior to the max attempt, I rest at least 5 minutes and most times 10 minutes or more.

A lot of warmups? For sure. As you can see, I favor very low reps so as not to burn out muscle glycogen/prime the nervous system for what's coming. The 10lb weight jumps from 270lbs on up all me to get accustomed to the heavier weights while at the same time guage how close I'm getting to my limit strength.

The big jump to the negative is a personal favorite. I don't go super slow with it either. Just lower it at a normal pace. Does it feel heavy? Sure.

But the 350 feels quite light!

That's just my personal thing. You might want to graduate up to your 1RM and not do the negative. Just keep going until you can't push anymore. Don't be afraid to take long rests! The nervous system takes longer to recover than muscle substrate like ATP, etc.

Now, you might opt for higher reps in your warm up sets. I don't put much stock in these are the feel of a pump. If that's phsychologically important to you to achieving a 1RM, by all means do it!

And yes, you should take a break before moving to the pullovers. Then rest again prior to maxing out the squat.

Lastly, I want you to visualize the night before. Mentally rehearse the lift in your mind. See yourself pushing 130kg with ease! Same thing on the squat. Whatever it takes to be your strongest ON THAT DAY.

Because whatever your 1RM is on these lifts, they'll shortly be a thing of the past when you complete the GLP right after it.

Let's look at BeachPirate. Here are his numbers going into/coming out of the GLP#1:

"What a difference a day makes. I decided to go back to the gym this morning for my GLP#6 Squat day and had a good workout.

305 was my starting weight for this GLP and I increased my squat 60#".

Sixty F'in pounds! I believe you can do it, too!!

Hi I will try this warm up style above but why dont you recomend doing some light warmups from a 20kg bar working up to 100kg then upwards as you listed above?

I think going and starting straight from 225lbs might be too heavy as joints will or could be stiff, and muscle may be cold no blood rushing into , plus not being fully strecthed..

Any1 you know better.. I will follow up on the plan layout above for warm up sets//.

My question in the previous post was do I do a set of bench then a set of pullovers atfter each bench set like i ued to do for previous workouts in feast. Or shoudl I don all my bench sets then after complting my 1 rep max then do 5 pullovers with the ehaviest weight I can mange strecthing the muscle fully?

Rest Time
should I do all my bench sets using 3 mins rest and 5-10 if needed when going up to close to max. Is 5-10 mins ok so should i just stay within 2-3 or 3-5mins..

The after completing the Bench take 5 mins rest then do the squats with a finish of 5 reps of r dead lifts..

Also you said you dont do no run or jog on the treadmill to warm up and circulate the blood. You just do some band work dumbell presses flyes etc.

Would that warm up be something like this below..

Stretching And Warm Up On Chest Days:
Follow this simple routine to warm up your muscles, keep your joints fresh, and avoid injury. By warming up you are preparing for a great bench day. This part of the program is very important!

• Do some really light shoulder presses on a Nautilus Machine. Do about twenty reps. Don’t break a sweat just loosen up a little. If you don’t have access to a machine using dumbbells will suffice.

• Using a five-pound weight perform forward and backward Arm Circles.

• Stretch out your triceps. Touch the back of your neck with one arm, then grab your elbow and pull it behind your neck until you feel a stretch in the your triceps. Stretch out both arms a couple of times.

• Do a light set of dumbbell flys or just stretch out your pecks using a stationary object or use the assistance of a training partner.

• Using a five or ten pound weight in your left hand lay sideways putting your right shoulder against the bench. Keep your elbows locked against your body with a ninety-degree bend in your upper arm holding the weight. Keeping the angle of your arm, swivel the weight down towards your stomach and then back up again.

Keep your elbow against your side! Laying in the same position switch the weight to your right arm. Swivel the weight towards your stomach and back again. Now flip over and to the same thing on the other side. This exercise helps you strengthen your rotator cuffs, and helps deter any soreness in your joints that may occur from lifting heavy several weeks in a row. Are you confused? Check out the images to follow.

• It is recommended you stretch out other parts of your body as well, such as your back, neck and hamstrings. This helps decrease the likelihood of cramping during strenuous lifting.

• Many people like to do a really light warm up set with some 1/2 reps before their actual warm up set, which is outlined in your training log. Or you can do a set of push-ups prior to starting your working sets.

• The methods above are preventative. However if you feel that you may have aggravated a muscle apply the RICE principal. Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate. You should ice after exercise and heat before exercise if you are dealing with an injury. Don’t take the attitude of No Pain, No Gain. There’s a big difference between lifting hurt, and lifting injured. By seek a physician’s guidance you can be back in the gym much sooner.

Hi Zee,


I think going and starting straight from 225lbs might be too heavy as joints will or could be stiff, and muscle may be cold no blood rushing into , plus not being fully strecthed..

A. I didn't mean for YOU to use those weights.. they were just an example of what I use to get to a 250 max. Sorry if that confused you.

Hi I will try this warm up style above but why dont you recomend doing some light warmups from a 20kg bar working up to 100kg then upwards as you listed above?

A. That's fine, I have no objection to it. You need to warm up in a fashion comfortable that suites you, not me. That's all I'm trying to say..


My question in the previous post was do I do a set of bench then a set of pullovers atfter each bench set like i ued to do for previous workouts in feast.

A. You should do all bench sets then after complting 1 rep max do 5 pullovers with the ehaviest weight you can mange strecthing the muscle fully..



Rest Time
should I do all my bench sets using 3 mins rest and 5-10 if needed when going up to close to max. Is 5-10 mins ok so should i just stay within 2-3 or 3-5mins..

A. You should rest as long as you feel comfortable. Certaily at least 5-10 prior to the work set.

The after completing the Bench take 5 mins rest then do the squats with a finish of 5 reps of r dead lifts..

A. Correct

Also you said you dont do no run or jog on the treadmill to warm up and circulate the blood. You just do some band work dumbell presses flyes etc.

Would that warm up be something like this below..

Stretching And Warm Up On Chest Days:
Follow this simple routine to warm up your muscles, keep your joints fresh, and avoid injury. By warming up you are preparing for a great bench day. This part of the program is very important!

• Do some really light shoulder presses on a Nautilus Machine. Do about twenty reps. Don’t break a sweat just loosen up a little. If you don’t have access to a machine using dumbbells will suffice.

• Using a five-pound weight perform forward and backward Arm Circles.

• Stretch out your triceps. Touch the back of your neck with one arm, then grab your elbow and pull it behind your neck until you feel a stretch in the your triceps. Stretch out both arms a couple of times.

• Do a light set of dumbbell flys or just stretch out your pecks using a stationary object or use the assistance of a training partner.

• Using a five or ten pound weight in your left hand lay sideways putting your right shoulder against the bench. Keep your elbows locked against your body with a ninety-degree bend in your upper arm holding the weight. Keeping the angle of your arm, swivel the weight down towards your stomach and then back up again.

Keep your elbow against your side! Laying in the same position switch the weight to your right arm. Swivel the weight towards your stomach and back again. Now flip over and to the same thing on the other side. This exercise helps you strengthen your rotator cuffs, and helps deter any soreness in your joints that may occur from lifting heavy several weeks in a row. Are you confused? Check out the images to follow.

• It is recommended you stretch out other parts of your body as well, such as your back, neck and hamstrings. This helps decrease the likelihood of cramping during strenuous lifting.

• Many people like to do a really light warm up set with some 1/2 reps before their actual warm up set, which is outlined in your training log. Or you can do a set of push-ups prior to starting your working sets.

• The methods above are preventative. However if you feel that you may have aggravated a muscle apply the RICE principal. Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate. You should ice after exercise and heat before exercise if you are dealing with an injury. Don’t take the attitude of No Pain, No Gain. There’s a big difference between lifting hurt, and lifting injured. By seek a physician’s guidance you can be back in the gym much sooner.

A. This is good advice and not unlike what I'm recommending. In other words, they use warmups with SOME RESISTANCE involved. That is the key. Stretching with NO resistance reduces strength. Stretching WITH resistance increases it!

All the best Zee. I know you're going to do well..

P.S. - Check out DaCookie's latest entry here.

He just set new PR's on Squat, Deadlift and Bench press all in one workout!! The key? He's resting AT LEAST 10 minutes in between heavy sets.

Success leaves clues. That's one of them...

RobRegish wrote:P.S. - Check out DaCookie's latest entry here.

He just set new PR's on Squat, Deadlift and Bench press all in one workout!! The key? He's resting AT LEAST 10 minutes in between heavy sets.

Success leaves clues. That's one of them...

Wait What..

His doing all 3 bench squats and deadsll I thought I read that you can only do 2 of the barbell lifts? So I chose banch and squats If i knew i could do 3 I t wouldnt havent also been deadlifts Man..

Oh well..

Is his log on thsi forum..?

Yes but don't panic, he's on a different program.

You're right on track Zee. His log is on this forum. He's using Super Squats.. So no worries.

Another clue for you from Mick Mar's jounal: He hit new PR's today

"One thing that I realize is the frequency of workouts; before this I would rather kill myself than have more than 2 days in between workouts as I think it would effect my overall performance and strength. Boy was I wrong, I feel even much stronger than before... all this extra rest days do really help ALOT!"

It is frequency. We get that right Zee and you're golden...

Check thsi calculations below..

Its asks for workout 1 to do the following:

Workout 1: 6 sets as follows- 50%x10, 54%x8, 61%x8, 66%x8, 73%x8, 78%x8

As my 1 rep max for bench is about 130kg so that would be:
Im using the formula %/100x130kg=

50%x10= 65kg
54%x8= 70.2 In this case I would round it off to just 70kg right.
61%x8= 79.3 rounded off 80kg
66%x8= 85.8= 86kg
73%x8= 94.9= 95
78%x8= 1001kg

How does that look. I will then use the same figures for the squat day as you have to use the same %.

My question is as it states to do 10 reps on 65kg for set 1.. Can I do warm up sets or should I be starting from the weight?

Also how much rest should be taken inbetween each set?

Actually my 1 rep max for squats is mre higher so will have to re calculate, right.

I'll double check these figures in the morning. Kg's are killing me

You can and should do your warmups. I like 5 minutes in between work sets going up to 10. More info to follow..

Your figures look good Zee. I do include warmups for this routine but with the caveat that I don't do barbell warmups since the opening weight is so light. Just the lighter elbow/shoulder/pec band and dumbell work.

If chub is of any concern, consider rotating 100% of maintenance calories and 80% of maintenance on non-workout days. That should be just enough of a decrement to get fat loss rolling while still providing "enough" to support your new 1RM's, which are coming

To be honest Im not following the daily calories % mark recommeded. I feel its difficult here and there as I go work and sometimes can eat,. therefore I just eat When I can. Plus Im still topping up with peanuts and almonmds here and there between meals or snacks.. Im taking e-bol and uniliver tabs with them.