Research

Mixed

Performing 1 or 2 sets of 3-4 repetitions at 55-75% of 10RM as a specific warm-up provides no performance benefit over no warm-up for resistance-trained individuals performing multiple sets to failure at ~10RM loads.

If you are training with moderate weights (around 10 reps max) and doing multiple sets to failure, you likely do not need a specific warm-up. Skipping it saves 2-5 minutes per exercise without hurting your performance. However, if you are lifting very heavy (1-3RM) or are concerned about injury, you may still want to warm up. Listen to your body, but don't feel obligated to warm up if it's just for performance gains at moderate loads.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
Our findings indicate that SWU protocols are similar to CON regarding RT performance and perceptual responses. The results suggest it is possible to achieve greater time efficiency in RT sessions by forgoing a SWU when training at ~10RM loads.
Alysson Enes et al. · 2025

Why this rating

Randomized crossover design with trained participants, though it is a preprint and uses Bayesian statistics which may be less familiar to some practitioners.

Source

Warming up to improved performance? Effects of different specific warm-up protocols on neuromuscular performance in trained individuals

Alysson Enes et al. · 2025

DOI 10.51224/srxiv.559

preprint · n=29Cited 1×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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