free warm-up calculator

warm-up set calculator.

Enter today’s working weight and get a short ramp of warm-up sets, rounded to weights you can actually load, in pounds or kilograms.

Updated September 5, 2026 · Calculations stay in your browser

build the ramp

Enter today's working weight. The bar counts toward every set, and each warm-up is rounded to a weight you can load.

Warm-up sets before the working weight
SetWeightRepsOf working weight

how the warm-up ramp works.

A warm-up should rehearse the lift and raise the weight in a few clean jumps without tiring you out. The calculator starts with the empty bar for ten reps, then ramps through 40% × 5, 60% × 3, 80% × 2, and 90% × 1 of the working weight.

For a 225 lb working set with a 45 lb bar that gives 45 × 10, 90 × 5, 135 × 3, 180 × 2, and 205 × 1 before the working set. Every weight is rounded to the nearest 5 lb or 2.5 kg, and any set that would be lighter than the bar or a duplicate of another is dropped, so light working weights get a shorter ramp.

adjusting for the lift.

  1. Heavy squats and deadlifts sometimes want one more jump. Add a 95% single if the last warm-up feels far from the working weight.
  2. For a top single, treat the calculator's 90% set as the last warm-up and go straight to the attempt.
  3. If the working weight is light, fewer warm-ups are fine. The point is rehearsal, not fatigue.
  4. Rest briefly between warm-ups, then take a full rest before the first working set.
Training note: Warm-up sets prepare you for a load you already handle. They are not a reason to attempt a weight beyond your experience. Use a spotter or safety pins where the lift calls for them.

load each set.

Use the barbell plate calculator to see the plates for any warm-up weight, or estimate a working weight first with the one-rep max calculator.

warm-up calculator FAQ.

How many warm-up sets do I need?

Most barbell lifts need three to five. The calculator gives the empty bar plus up to four ramp-up sets at 40%, 60%, 80%, and 90% of the working weight, and drops any set that would be lighter than the bar or the same as another.

Should I warm up with the empty bar?

Yes for barbell lifts. A set with the empty bar rehearses the movement at no cost. Enter a bar weight of zero for dumbbell or machine work, and the ramp starts at the first percentage instead.

Why are the weights rounded?

So you can actually load them. Each set is rounded to the nearest 5 lb or 2.5 kg, which is one small plate on each side of the bar.

Do I warm up like this for every exercise?

Use the full ramp for your first heavy compound lift. Later exercises that use the same muscles usually need one or two lighter sets, or none for isolation work.