Warmups: Do We Actually Need Them?

If you’re about to compete, warming up feels like common sense. You don’t go straight from couch to running a race. (Okay, maybe couch to my super low‑key church pickleball session — where, come to think of it, we do always knock the ball around for a few minutes first.)

But I’m not talking about competition here. I’m talking about routine workouts — the everyday stuff most of us do. I’ve always felt like warmups are probably a good idea, but I don’t do anything formal. I used to do dynamic stretches before runs, but I stopped mostly because… time. Now I walk a bit, start my run slowly, and call that good enough.

Strength training? I typically do nothing formal. I’ve been going to the gym for years and just dive right in. Advice always seems to say “warm up first,” but adding more time to my workout is not appealing. And my husband never warms up — although, as I like to remind him, his training knowledge is based on what his high school coaches told him in the 1970s. So I started wondering: are we harming ourselves by not warming up at the gym?

1970's Training Wisdom

1. Stretch before everything. Feel the burn.

2. Jog a lap and call it a warmup

3. Lift weights only if you want to be muscle bound

4. No pain, no gain.

5. Injury prevention: 'Walk it off'

6. Recovery: 'You're fine'

What the Research Actually Says

Short answer: it’s fuzzy.

There’s a lot of research on injury‑prevention protocols for high‑level athletes. But these are full workouts more than warmups - and they’re designed for people who need to perform at the highest levels. Great if you have the time, but not exactly practical for the average gym‑goer. One day I’d love to add the  FIFA 11 protocol to my routine. It’s well‑supported by evidence that it is effective at reducing injuries. But it also adds 15-20 minutes and has a learning curve. (There’s even a kids’ version for under‑14 athletes – maybe I could do that one.)

Then there are smaller studies on warmups and injury prevention in college athletes, high school athletes, military recruits, and a few recreational runners. The theme is consistent: warmups are usually recommended, but the evidence for injury prevention is minimal at best. There is some evidence that pre‑run warmups help performance — but not necessarily injury risk.

Strength Training Warmups: The Confusion Continues

When I asked an AI bot “do I need to warm up before lifting,” it shouted YES at me and sent me to a Men’s Health article that also said “Yes!” Then it referred me to this Men’s Health article which also told me “Yes!” and referred me to this article which admitted:  “Although a general warm-up is often employed, evidence is limited as to its contribution to strength training.”

So… not exactly a slam dunk.

There is evidence that a good warmup can improve your 1‑rep max. So if you’re planning to lift heavy, an exercise‑specific warmup seems useful. But most of these studies are done on young, fit men. I think the findings are probably generalizable, but I do wonder how applicable they are to grandma‑me.

What I Actually Do (and Why It Counts)

I typically do 3–5 sets of each lift — Smith machine (aka barbells for dummies), machines, dumbbells. For Smith machine exercises, I always do a set with just the bar to get the motion flowing. Then I do a lighter first set, then a working set, then sometimes a challenge set.

And from what I can gather, that first lighter set counts as a warmup. So I am doing a warmup.

Sometimes I also hop off the machine and move around between sets - arm circles, walking in place, whatever keeps things loose. The fancy term for this is active recovery. What I really want to do is dance but I’m afraid of getting the side eye at the gym.

So… Do We Need Warmups?

For elite athletes: yes. For people lifting heavy singles or doubles: probably. For the rest of us doing normal workouts: your lighter first sets and slow start to cardio already are warmups.

And the evidence doesn’t strongly support adding a whole separate warmup routine unless you enjoy it or it makes you feel better.

I’m not changing anything for now. I consider my minimal lighter effort at the beginning — walking or lighter weights — a warmup.

Do what feels right for you. If you love a warmup, go for it. If you don’t, it seems probably OK for us amateurs to keep things simple.