Warm Ups

[Major Twang]

Putting together my first HST routine to start next Saturday when we get back from holiday.

One thing that is concerning me is the relative lack of warmups.

I'm 45 years old & have many years of training under my belt. I'm used to doing 5 warmup sets before I hit the sort of weight that I expect to get 5 reps from - typically with 20%, 40%, 55%, 70% & 85% of my working weight.

How on earth do I fit in all the warmups, and still get through a full body routine in less than a couple of hours ?

 

[CDB]

How on earth do I fit in all the warmups, and still get through a full body routine in less than a couple of hours ?

You don't. Nor do you need to. If you feel you need that many warmups, split the routine. Or cut the number of warmup sets and do a steady low intensity 5 minutes on a bike or elliptical machine first.

 

[Major Twang]

You don't. Nor do you need to. If you feel you need that many warmups, split the routine. Or cut the number of warmup sets and do a steady low intensity 5 minutes on a bike or elliptical machine first.

I already warm up on a bike for 5 mins before every workout.

Don't want to split the routine - the whole point of me trying this is because I've been doing split routines since the late 1980's, and I want to go back to basics of a full body workout 3 times a week.

I'm cool with the idea of not doing much warmup on 15's, but I'm not at all happy about putting my knackered old knees through a heavy set of squats without plenty of buildup.

 

[CDB]

I already warm up on a bike for 5 mins before every workout.

Don't want to split the routine - the whole point of me trying this is because I've been doing split routines since the late 1980's, and I want to go back to basics of a full body workout 3 times a week.

Then you have to accept the time constraints of that method.

I'm cool with the idea of not doing much warmup on 15's, but I'm not at all happy about putting my knackered old knees through a heavy set of squats without plenty of buildup.

My knees are pretty shot too from years of racquetball, and I can say in my experience there's little difference between a few heavy sets with or without the warm ups. Perhaps do some unweighted warm ups. In Starting Strength there's a nice form check that's recommended for squats, try a few sets of those instead of throwing some weight on the bar right away. It'll be quicker and you're still doing body weight so it should still get you pliant and ready.

 

[Totentanz]

How many warm ups are you doing that you need a couple of hours to do a fullbody routine? Following even the example routine on the HST site, using warmups, you should be in and out of the gym in an hour. Keep in mind that if you did warmups for squats, you probably don't need a lot of warmup for SLDLs if you do them afterward. If you warmed up for rows and are doing chins or pulldowns now, why would you need to warm up again? Don't do warmups for every single lift.

 

[Major Twang]

Then you have to accept the time constraints of that method.

I was doing some try-outs this evening. I think that part of the problem is that I've become used to quite a bit of rest between sets, so a 5 set warmup is typically taking me quarter of an hour before I hit top weight.

What I tried earlier was hitting my usual bench weight after 25%, 50% and 75%, and it felt reasonably okay - if a bit 'twingey' in my shoulder, but perhaps I could get used to it.

I think I'm just going to have to reduce my rest periods & as you said, accept the time constraints of the system.

 

[CDB]

I was doing some try-outs this evening. I think that part of the problem is that I've become used to quite a bit of rest between sets

This is a major problem with me. I still lift at home, I find it more convenient, while doing cardio at the gym because I can use the pool or the elliptical or the bike or whatever I want. And, lifting at home, usually the lobotomy box is playing in the background and I find myself going from a 60 to 120 second rest period between sets to 5 minutes or more because something on the tube catches my attention. My solution was to use my iPhone's stop watch function and just set it for 2 minutes. When I rest, I start it, and when it goes off, I go to the next set. It helps me keep things in line.

I think I'm just going to have to reduce my rest periods & as you said, accept the time constraints of the system.

You could also rework your routine. I find that people these days do a whole lot of exercises when a few would suffice. It's like Arnold's volume routine permeated everything like a virus and now people think anything less than 40 exercises per body part is insufficient. About ten years ago I 'got back to the basics' and never left. Every workout I do is a variation on 5x5 these days. The most common routine I do is a two day split, day one is Squat, Bench, and Row. Day two is Deadlift, Clean and Press, and Back or Front Lat Pull Downs or some variation like a wide grip pull up. Right now it's Squat, Bench, Row, with day two being light weight Squats, Deadlifts, Clean And Press, Barbell Curls and Triceps Extensions.

I always recommend people take a look at their routines and trim the damn things once and for all. Few if any of us are going to be even mediocre body builders or power lifters, we don't need overly complex routines with numerous exercises to 'hit every angle' or any other such BS. If health and functional strength is your goal, simplify the routine to the major lifts with as few auxiliary/assistance lifts as possible and focus those on any perceived weak points, progress the weights over time, and taking a break every now and then, are all you really need to do.