Your Warm-Up Probably Sucks

[@NicoleManu]

The throwback pics...dying 😂 Old high school and middle school pictures are ALWAYS the best lol!

[@annabirdseye2044]

Love this! I used to skimp on the warming up and stretching/foam rolling after lifting and then *sigh* I got old. It has all caught up with me. 10-15 minutes of something cardio (run on the tread, stair mill, bike, or elliptical) to get my heart pumping is ALWAYS where I start. Then, for squat and/or dead days, I do Hip Circle side walks, monster walks (forward and back), some animal flow (inch worm >> closed ape >> open ape >> crab w/ OH reach) and THEN I start with the bar. For bench days- 10-15 minutes of cardio, then band work (tears, face pulls, Ys and OHP), some light front & lateral raises and finally get to the bar and start my warm up. I get the machismo that says "I just lift the bar to warm up" but beat your body up for 35+ years, have a few surgeries, sit all day at a desk, and then tell me how "good" it feels. These warm-ups have been the only thing that have allowed me to continue lifting.

[@joshjohnston7388]

Anna Birdseye honestly, 98% of lifting advice and instruction applies to men under 35. Anybody else is gonna have to approach it differently.

[@myong2206]

10 min of cardio warmup on leg day is too much lol i do 5. i do the rest after

[@hollylawly]

Thank you for continuing to put out in depth lifting content instead of just falling into the repetitive lifestyle vlogging rut!

[@audreygracen1398]

That feel when you just...don't warmup. Ever. 😅

[@ashleyhamby7146]

I have a toddler so I definitely rush the warm up😂

[@saraalarid1265]

Same.

[@sd200man]

Great video. I love your style when Ryan is doing the camera work. So casual and fun, but I always know you are serious about the topic.

[@farrellsmall614]

Girl you are crazy . Love the dance moves . Thank you for info .You most likely kept me from hurting myself. very entertaining .

[@SKOOKM]

Thanks for the tips. I use yoga poses to warm up. More specifically forcing Chuck Norris into yoga poses against his will.

[@geo9_natt175]

Woah , Ω impressively strong skittle! Seriously! In some way like in distance jogging, with the endorphins, these legitimate chatvideos, you share are solid direct & directly enjoyful. Seriously glad to be subscribe, thanks for the friendly push @ megsquats

[@shikhapawar467]

this is just what I needed after 1.5 months of not squatting - the last 2 days I've been feeling super stiff and legs are jellyyyyyyyy !!! thanks for uploading this. as always thank you for having our back #strongstrongfriends.

[@Michouboo]

Love this!!! That’s for showing us an awesome warm up!

[@Megsquats]

Glad you liked it :-)

[@CaffeineAddict]

Does my warm-up suck? Yes, yes it does. Ain't nobody got time for that

[@SyedaHana]

your videos are always so entertaining no matter what they're about lol! Keep it up Meg :D

[@goldengoat1737]

You do the most important part of training every time and that is have fun! You are awesome!

[@landob3919]

I like the idea of a dynamic stretch. I will be adding most of what I see into an adjusted stretch routine going forward

[@MsZzzzz5]

Synthesizing the R.A.M.P.+ method to something that's less memorable, but kind of makes more sense for me. Start with 5 min of cardio (get heart rate up from resting, only stay in this stage long enough to keep your heart rate up through the rest of the warm up), then do dynamic stretches of some sort. Take some time to target weaknesses with non-intensive/ weight bearing exercises that train the muscles to react the way you want. Then begin your workout plan for the day, but start off with minimal weight (just enough to be able to tell what muscles are activating) and focus on form. Once you're happy with your form on that day, start your prescribed training routine, with "real" weights. I like it. Definitely going to have to start doing this. Now to find your video on cool down.

[@carlschultz9981]

In terms of straight injury prevention, if you do mobility work outside the gym and can move through the specific range of motion for the lift, you can go straight to potentiate and even work sets for sub-maximal loads. The spine will already be compressed from walking around, there is enough blood flow to start lifting straight away and the CNS will be primed through the first few reps of the set. However, the first working set itself will feel harder. For anyone with mobility issues though, the RAMP method/a solid warm up is the best option. I personally do a half and hour warm up before I train just because I have mobility issues and I just prefer to do it.

[@jaytouvelle2359]

I am a hard core lifter more years than your age by a lot but I learn something that can benefit me from all your videos. Thanks for the great videos

[@dianalovesr]

i soooooo needed this vid! thanks so much

[@omotheclowno25]

Great explanation of how to create a warmup plan

[@video123film]

I tend to still do all of the warmup stretches that I used to do in competitive cheerleading. So sitting in a straddle, stretching for the splits, doing bridges, stretching out wrists and shoulders, etc. For squats specifically, I also use just the bar and then some med/light weight (which for me is 95 lbs) and do tempo squats. I find that this warms we up pretty quickly for heavier weight (135+). I should really add in some treadmill time to actively warm up, but I hate cardio!

[@angelicaharrison1014]

Thank you so much for putting it into this perspective 😩🙏🏼 I participated in organized sports all growing up & THIS SHIT MAKES SENSE

[@derpindevon]

I needed this! Can you do one for bench and deadlift? For the A and P 😬😬

[@BecksE]

Couldn't agree more!! This would be so helpful to see activation and mobility for all the compound lifts.

[@michaeladiazjemera9616]

Awesome warm-up tips Meg!! I'm still new to powerlifting and this video definitely helps. 💗

[@SudItaliaWorkinout]

I love when you say, My strong strong friends :'D

[@AshleyTosh]

You crack my shit up. I love you, Meg. That is all!

[@abraxis20]

Being middle-aged I have to spend a long time on warm ups and a lot of time stretching post-workout. I must admit that I didn't bother in my younger days, partly because I had physical jobs that kept me pretty limber and warmed up.

[@Breadelicious]

4:39 holy shit??? meg can fold in half??? i'm so jealous of that mobility. wish i had it

[@Megsquats]

I've been recently getting more into yoga to address my chronic neck upper scap mobility issues/pain, so feeling 50% more limber

[@Breadelicious]

did not expect you to respond at all, haha. i appreciate that you take the time to read and respond to your viewers. subscribed!

[@RhinoViper]

I've only been lifting seriously for like 2 years...maybe a little less...but I've definitely been warming up longer and "better" the more into this I've been going. I used to think I'd wear myself out if I warmed up too much/too heavy but it's just the opposite really...you gotta wake those muscles up!

[@gordo608]

Julien Pineau was recently talking about valgus knee being caused by the interior head of the hammy not firing and your body searching for another stabilizer. Tension goes either to the addctor or the glute depending on which is stronger. I'm not saying that I fully understand his argument on it but I do know when I do kettlebell swings and banded goodmornings to warm up for squats my knees do a lot less caving and track over my foot much easier. Great warm up info

[@savn2314]

This is crazy. I was just looking through your videos yesterday looking for a video on warm ups. And boom.. you upload this.

[@Megsquats]

I GOT YOU!

[@ramezshkifi]

i love how u explain everything

[@daniellegood1178]

I just run a mile as a warm up. The glute activation before squat makes a lot of sense! I will have to try that!

[@boxerfencer]

Meg: so, Set 1: 10 reps with bar Set 2: 5 reps with 33% 1RM Set 3: 3 reps with 47% 1RM Set 4: 2 reps with 64% 1RM Set 5: 1 reps with 78% 1RM Work sets or for comp: Set 6: 1 reps with 86% 1RM Set 7: 1 reps with 95% 1RM Set 8: 1 reps with 100% 1RM That;s a huge jump between 47% & 64%: Do you think you could avoid some of that long warm up if you simply did more reps with each set up until set 5?

[@BoswelliaLuna8]

What about cooling down/stretching when done?

[@jessicatorres6299]

I ran track in high school and learned the importance of warm-up, workout then cool down & stretch. Back to basics. I’m 42 now and still do this stuff! Just started following Meg, she’s funny & practical!

[@danimcgeek]

Damn. My husband powerlifts and has been coaching/guiding me since I started a year ago. I do a 10-20 minute warm up before every lifting session, and didn't realize it's using the RAMP method. He's been such a stickler about me doing a decent warm up and practicing good technique/form on warm-up lifts. I was pretty lackadaisical about warming up with the bar too but he insisted on me taking all lifts, even light/warm-ups, seriously because of ingraining motor patterns and blah blah blah. Usually I'd just say, "GET OFF MY BACK, SATAN!" but I'm a jerk. My fave is going thru a sequence with the bar of 10 reps each barbell rows, romanian deads, cleans, overhead press, good mornings, and squats. Oooh and legs swings. And using a hip circle. Not in that order doe.

[@Megsquats]

I like using a nice general barbell complex that you mention too. Def have used leg swings in, esp when my hips are feeling tight. I'm loving the support and guidance your husband gives you :-)thank you for sharing!

[@Ofunes96]

Love this video. I feel like i just do a random whatever warmup in the gym and when time comes to do my main lift, it feels like dookie. I will try this!

[@AlicjaM6]

Looking good Meg!

[@KrystenJanzen]

Very helpful, Meg !!!!

[@dux_bellorum]

Wait! If +megsquats has weak glutes then we are all lacking......

[@LinetteArroyo]

Wellington Sturrup 🤣 right!

[@JessicaDanyaahla]

that's exactly what i was thinking 😂

[@mrsteeze3116]

Knees go in because the weight is getting near max. As you also mentioned, the lack of muscular activation in your squat. Personally, I squat high bar but activate both my glutes and hip flexors. If you get into the habit of activating your hips, your knees will also stay out. I altered and mirrored my squat technique from elite olympic lifters and strength has improved exponentially. At 80kg, I went from 140 to 170 BS in 10 weeks and 130 to 152.5 Front Squat. The number of people who don't warm up is ridiculous. I might try your warm up as a change. Nice video

[@natalieraper4837]

Thanks meg for the useful information. 👍

[@dogsmumm]

Really helpful. Thanks. I'll give you credit for squatting with 300 pounds on your back. You're awesome!

[@nox9223]

Warm-up is 30 mins of cardio followed by some stretching amd goblet squats, ramping weights up to work set. Makes a huge difference for recovery and being loose if nothing else.

[@Tiger-rw3od]

Doing warm-up is stupid. Yesterday I was in a rush and started squatting with a friend who did 2 sets already on 150. I decided to do 2 sets at once. Which would be probably fine if I warm-up a bit. Today I had a problem to get out from the bed. Yeah, a warm-up is stupid but not as stupid as I am..

[@mitasuomipolttaatanaan842]

Omg how much you need to warm up. Sometimes i get my hart rate up even before i enter the gym when i see that closest parking spot is more that 50 meters away from entry.

[@joecamilleri4013]

this girl knows her shit! great video

[@oldirtychel]

Do you have a video about breathing during your lifts?

[@leightonki6726]

oldirtychel hold heavy breath down and going up make the Tstt noise slowing letting out air

[@mariaLOVE1212]

oldirtychel id like to know too! I feel like I'm really good with my breathing but I can always learn more!

[@leightonki6726]

Tim ferris has a video on this

[@thispersonsdad7247]

just hold your breath for as long as you can during your lift, a 1/2/3/etcetera rep max is how heavy you can go for that many reps holding your breath. in fact just take a deep breath when you walk into the gym and hold it until you leave, best workout ever it's the secret of the Chinese Olympic weightlifting team

[@SinnedNogara]

Valsalva manuever....

[@Gabgabsolano]

Meg, I'm a power lifter too and have the same " problem" one thing that helps my flutes warmup like crazy is the sling shot hip circle which I know you know about. I do donkey kicks almost to burnout before my legs day like straight back and to the side and it helps soo much! Just a thought 🤗

[@brandonwendling7482]

one thing that worked for me and my knees turning in was to point my toes out more...Meg's feet are fairly straight forward, just like a good traditional start position but that never worked for me. Toes further out and a closer stance helped with my stability in the squat and kept my knees from caving in.

[@sachae321]

That's it? That's all you got? ;-) I can't believe there's anything else!! That's brilliant and motivating and super useful. Great mental attitude advice. Thanks for making that video - off to the gym to apply it and I'm sure I'll be more successful now. Have a great day!

[@LinetteArroyo]

Thanks so much for these warm up tips! I never activate or use bands, but will now! Also, I would love to see how you warm up for upper body movements. 😄 I do Crossfit, so more snatching, jerks, etc. warm ups would be helpful! Thanks again for sharing!

[@pizzaDhut]

Been lifting weights for 30 years, now my warm up takes about six minutes. I usually train two body parts at a time, say back and chest, so do a light set on bench press and pull downs, about 30 reps where the last few reps you really feel, then do a set about twice that weight for 10 -12 reps, the rest and then ready to go at 100%.

[@jayesophine]

Loved this super informative and helpful thanks meg! Makes me excited to do a squat session x

[@stephenkrieger7534]

Have you done any videos on accessory exercises? I too have a weak glute, so I have added lateral cable leg raises as an accessory. It seems to have helped. Thank you for the video though; I wouldn't have thought to use the band like that when I forget my hip circle.

[@dereknueveuno]

I do jump rope to get my body and muscles warmed up, then mobility work, hip and shoulders, then to stability stuff with resistance bands with the legs and hip, wall sit, getting the glutes firing and abductors ect. 3 min hangs letting the shoulders stretch and spin decompress a lil, then the last is some work BJJ stability ball movments.

[@mannemannen7211]

Warmups are always interesting to see, but im thinking if u could do more specific body mobilityexcersizes that focuses on the specific bodypart u will be training. Im thinking things like shoulders, back, arms, wrists etc. I definetly am looking for more and more mobility to be able to improve/change my technique and thus be able to lift more :P So any and all excersizes are always interesting to see id say.

[@nonamesinnombre666]

girl! you are goals

[@MrX-rk9or]

this is like a four year old going shenanigan allover the place... Megnanigan!

[@pandamayeux]

THANK YOU. I've been skipping the A&M for years now and it'll honestly help me if I were to do it. 😂

[@aaronjones7367]

1st? neat. Thanks for the great videos Meg.

[@en3rgygirl595]

I the order of the RAMP important? Example, can I do my mobility before raising my pulse? A lifting course I took when I first started out had a warm-up with a barbell. They called it 25 (but it's more like 125). It was 5 squats, 5 military presses, 5 good-mornings, 5 squats with push press behind the head and 5 barbell rows. So it was these 5 exercises, for 5 reps, for 5 sets without rest with an empty barbell. I'm still new but this gets my heart rate up. :)

[@Megsquats]

I think raising your heart rate and increasing look flow will better support any mobility work you do.

[@kallekallessons]

I don't know, I swing my legs, goddess pose, mountain climb, foam roll the back, roll my ankles and 5 minutes cardio. Is that enough of a warm-up before the 5 sets in potentiate?

[@sprint-shorts]

What seemed like car honking at her talking to the camera outside at the end

[@thuchicano]

Meg, u been avin dat der green good good sesh 🌿 b4 warm up/lift sesh?

[@siv21]

Hey Meg could you talk a little bit about weight cutting for a meet? How much you think is safe to cut? How you changed your diet for the cut and if you did a lot of cardio to drop weight. Its a topic i get asked by a lot of my clients who want to powerlift, so I figure I would ask you for some help! Thanks Meg!

[@renskorevaar5329]

This is really helpfull☺..i have a tendency to just go in without all this,do some leg swings and just squat.And mostly 'cold' Very informative.

[@projecktchaos]

Great info.

[@stepfaniemiller845]

Would you include specific warm up instructions if you wrote a powerlifting program for someone? What about cool down after lifting?

[@jessicawang6527]

Try a few traveling burpees and squat jumps for a warm up! Works so well for leg day!

[@thispersonsdad7247]

try instead going for your max first thing, that way you won't be tired or use up any energy stores you could have used for the lift please note don't actually do this I'm not being serious

[@jonathantate8103]

You are a crossitter, aren't you...

[@semiephemeral9]

5 minutes on the airdyne seems like a hell of a good idea.

[@sophiegibbs2047]

awesome video. Any upper body specific movements you would suggest for bench?

[@hayasulaiman6559]

so helpful thank you

[@DarkPennyJane]

the accent! 😂 by far one of your funniest videos!

[@FuMeistaMC]

Very helpful!

[@adyp5176]

i've been pulling various shit recently and it's not good - aka warm up sets are not enough jump rope going into the bag on monday

[@megandow3426]

I love doing sun salutations to warm up! Really gets my breathing synced to my movements! But I definitely could do better 😊

[@poojagb]

Hey @megsquats! I wanted to know when should you foam roll? I have very tight leg muscles in general due a a desk job. So I need to know when to foam roll for better workouts. Thank you!

[@FanaticOfMedia44]

Yo meg what do you think of burnouts like oh 5 × 3 heavy Dumbbell Rows then a burnout with 8 - 12 reps on the straight arm push down

[@azulsimmons1040]

Meg seems much happier in New York.

[@Megsquats]

We've been doing work son. I'm liking it so far. Just a lot more energy to feed off of.

[@berserkersam9118]

Megsquats, does standing outside in 90+ degree Kansas sunshine count as "warming up"? lol Ok, in all honesty this was a good topic to cover as I feel too many people rush their warm up time, I know I've been at fault for this before. Great video.

[@Kisyova]

Hey Meg! I have a question... Is your warm up the same for every workout, or is it depends if you're gonna deadlift or bench or squat. Much love :)

[@sincewayback77]

What types of stretching/mobility work should I do after a lower body workout? :)

[@grantcollins5805]

What kind of lifting shoes are you using

[@dgriffin9638]

These videos inspire me to lift heavy things.

[@KrystenJanzen]

right!?

[@dgriffin9638]

I just watched your video about why you became a fitness coach, Krysten -- excellent! Way to follow your dream, even while jumping through the hoops of "normal society." I'm an old fart who's been doing the same thing for a long time, and fitness is still a major part of my life even though I've put two kids through college, run a successful business, experienced injuries, depression, the ups and downs of life, etc. Staying strong has always seen me through. Good luck to you in whatever direction you go with this!

[@mizeloise5610]

what eyeliner do you use

[@kevindeaton5235]

meg you have very pretty eyebrows, just thought I would give you a compliment, keep up the good squats, hit up some zercher squats with chains

[@lizedwards158]

+megsquats what do you think of the MyProtein shorts? And what size are you wearing??

[@caramelshorty4154]

was this a high- or a low-bar squat at the end?

[@weswoolfall1547]

looking excellent xo

[@cmzy729]

Do you mention in any of your videos how to work on a buttwink??

[@sophiabarbella4343]

Christie McKerihan I know Alab thrall has a good one ☝️if that helps 😊

[@Megsquats]

Def would check out Alan Thrall's video as mentioned - I will work on this. Thank you for the idea

[@cmzy729]

thank you both i'll check it out!! :)

[@missmett]

Love the video and you look just amazing

[@Gourdinho]

How long does your warm up last ?

[@EZOnRaw]

Good warm up.

[@Rob-Awesometon]

I do a good 10-15min warm up but pretty much run straight out after my last set. How important do you think warming down is?

[@Megsquats]

I think slightly less important than warming up esp since most powerlifters/weightlifters ramp up to their highest/higher intensity exercises at the beginning of their session and then end with secondary variations or accessories. Kind of like a ramping down of intensity, overall load, and stress. The best time to really work on ROM weaknesses or improve flexibility would probably be post-lifting session, to allow ample time to recover.

[@MaleficentWriter412]

Hi, new sub. You say your a strength athlete? what exactly are you competing in?

[@Akoena]

very good and useful video, more like these!

[@JohnnyKoch]

Warming up with you.... It's amazing 😉

[@dylanl9532]

Maybe it's because I'm a noobie, but I'm afraid of trying one rep max.

[@BrotherJoe7046]

As long as you get a spotter, just go for it. Nothing is gonna make it less scary, you want to know where you stand.

[@RhinoViper]

If you don't have great form/technique it could be bad for you...some say wait quite a few months before bothering with max loads when you don't really have great form/technique. You can easily do a 3rep or 5rep max and then just calculate based off that what your 1rep max is...then once you know, or have a better idea, of what you are doing you can later try 1 rep maxes.

[@EZOnRaw]

Good tips, good advice, your a pro !

[@jamesdaley1852]

i refuse to disrespect your 300 lbs of weight on your shoulders while squating mainley coz i 've never been able to do that like you can and a use to bench press 280 lbs but i only did that once in my whole life ...