Warm-up sets
Warm-up set calculator.
Enter your working weight. Get a 5-step warm-up ramp with a plate breakdown for every set — rounded to loads your plates can actually build.
Adjust plate inventory
Use − / + to match what you own. Two plates make one usable pair. Results update instantly.
How a good warm-up ramp works.
A good warm-up climbs toward your working weight in steps — heavy enough to groove the movement, light enough not to tire you out before the work sets. LiftLoadout builds a 5-step ramp: the empty bar, then roughly 40%, 60%, 75%, and 85% of your working weight, with reps dropping from 10 down to 1 as the load climbs. Each step adds weight while volume falls off, so you arrive primed instead of fatigued.
Every step is rounded to a load your plate inventory can actually build, and each set gets a per-side plate breakdown — leave the big plates on, add change as you climb. For the thinking behind the percentages and rep scheme, see how many warm-up sets you need. To check any single load, use the plate calculator.
Worked example: warming up to 225 lb
Set 1 — 45 lb × 10
Empty bar. Blood flow and groove, nothing more.
Set 2 — 95 lb × 5
~40% of working weight. A 25 per side.
Set 3 — 135 lb × 3
~60%. One plate per side — the weight starts to feel real.
Set 4 — 165 lb × 2
~75%. Doubles, staying crisp.
Set 5 — 185 lb × 1
~85%. A single to prime the nervous system, then rest into your work sets at 225 lb.
Common questions.
How many warm-up sets do I need?
LiftLoadout builds a 5-step ramp: the empty bar, then roughly 40%, 60%, 75%, and 85% of your work weight, with reps dropping from 10 to 1 as the load climbs. Big compound lifts deserve the full ramp; isolation work can skip steps.
How long should I rest between warm-up sets?
Just long enough to change plates and feel ready — 1 to 3 minutes is plenty. Save the long rests for your work sets.
What if a step can't be loaded with my plates?
Every step is rounded to a load your plate inventory can actually build, and the calculator shows the true weight. No 2.5 lb fantasies when your rack bottoms out at 5 lb plates.
Should warm-up sets use the same plates as work sets?
Load biggest plates first for both, and the calculator's per-set breakdown makes it easy: leave the big plates on and add or remove change as you climb toward your working weight.