Warm Up Calculator
Enter your working weight and get a complete warm-up ramp: how many sets, at what weights, for how many reps — with the exact plates to load on each side of the bar for every set.
Calculator
| Set | Weight | Reps | % of work | Plates per side |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 lbs | 10 | — | Empty bar |
| 2 | 115 lbs | 5 | ~50% | 1 × 35 |
| 3 | 160 lbs | 3 | ~70% | 1 × 45 + 1 × 10 + 1 × 2.5 |
| 4 | 205 lbs | 1 | ~90% | 1 × 45 + 1 × 35 |
| 5 | 225 lbs | Work sets | ||
Plates use standard sizes. Loading something unusual? The plate calculator lets you pick exactly which plates your gym has.
How this warm-up scheme works
The ramp always starts with the empty bar for around 10 easy reps — the cheapest movement practice you will get all day. From there, the calculator places evenly spaced jumps that finish at roughly 90% of your working weight, with reps tapering as the bar gets heavier: fives early, a crisp single at the top. Every set is rounded to real barbell loads.
The number of jumps adapts to the weight. A 60 kg bench needs two stops between the bar and the work sets; a 220 kg deadlift gets five. That is what a good coach does on the gym floor — fixed four-set templates give silly 5 kg jumps at light weights and giant leaps at heavy ones.
Warm-up principles worth keeping
Warm up the movement, not just the muscles. General warm-up (a few minutes of light cardio and some mobility work) prepares your body; the barbell ramp prepares the specific lift. Neither replaces the other.
Speed stays high, effort stays low. Every warm-up rep should move fast. The heavy single at ~90% is there to prime your nervous system for the working weight — it should feel startlingly light, not like an attempt.
Later exercises need less. The full ramp is for your first barbell lift of the day. For the second, skip the lighter jumps and keep only what the new movement pattern needs.
Running 5/3/1? Wendler prescribes warm-ups at 40%, 50%, and 60% of your Training Max — the 5/3/1 calculator lays out the whole session. Not sure what your working weight should be in the first place? Estimate your max with the 1RM calculator and take your percentages from the percentage chart.
Frequently asked questions
How should I warm up for a heavy barbell set?
Start with the empty bar for around 10 easy reps, then take 2-5 progressively heavier sets up to about 90% of your working weight, dropping the reps as the weight climbs - for example 5, then 3, then 1. The goal is to groove the movement and prepare your nervous system without accumulating fatigue before the sets that count.
How many warm-up sets do I need?
It depends on how heavy the working weight is relative to the empty bar. Working near 60 kg / 135 lbs, two or three jumps are plenty; a 220 kg / 500 lb deadlift deserves five or more. This calculator scales the number of jumps automatically with the gap between the bar and your working weight.
What percentages should warm-up sets use?
A common pattern is evenly spaced jumps that finish around 90% of the working weight - for example 50%, 70%, and 90% for a moderate weight. The final warm-up close to 90% primes you for the top weight without taking meaningful energy away from it.
Should warm-up sets be taken to failure?
Never. Warm-ups should feel crisp and fast - the empty-bar set around 10 reps, mid jumps at 3-5 easy reps, and the heaviest jump a single or double. If a warm-up set feels grindy, that is information: consider lowering the day’s working weight.
Do warm-up sets count toward my training volume?
Most programs count only the working sets, and that is how Hardy logs them too. Warm-ups prepare you for the stimulus rather than providing it - which is exactly why they should stay light and low-rep near the top.
How do I warm up for the second exercise of a session?
You need fewer sets once you are generally warm. If the next barbell lift uses similar muscles, one or two jumps are usually enough - enter its working weight in the calculator and simply skip the lighter sets that feel unnecessary.
Why does the calculator show plates for every warm-up set?
Because that is the annoying arithmetic between you and lifting: every jump means reloading the bar. Each row shows the exact plates per side using standard plate sizes, so you can get through your ramp without mental math. For a specific plate inventory, use the plate calculator.
Hardy knows your working weights already
The Hardy app calculates your working weights from your Training Max and progression rules — so your warm-up target is always on screen when you start a session, with a built-in plate breakdown for every set.
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/r/HardyApp