Warm Up Sets: The Minimum Viable Protocol for Fighters

Warm-up sets should improve performance — not compete with it.

Yet most lifters spend 2–5 minutes before every exercise on incremental warm-up sets that don’t actually improve output… and quietly drain energy from the sets that drive adaptation.

As you get older, the instinct is to warm up more. More sets, more time, more preparation. But if you’re missing reps on heavy weeks, that instinct might be exactly what’s costing you.

Now, for submaximal training loads, recent research shows performance remains stable whether you perform zero, one, or two specific warm-up sets.

A 2025 crossover study found negligible to small differences in repetition performance and volume load across all three conditions.

In fact, the researchers found strong to very strong evidence against a dose-response benefit from additional warm-up sets.

Doing extra warm-up sets doesn’t mean better performance. But they do mean more fatigue.

And on high-workload weeks, that fatigue shows up exactly when the weight matters most.

I’ve tested this across hundreds of sessions with face-to-face clients — from novices to advanced lifters. The pattern is consistent: one warm-up set at 50–60% preserves performance on work sets, while multiple ramp sets create cumulative fatigue that shows up three to four sets in.

I’ve experienced this in my own training too. If I perform more than one warm-up set at just over half my working load, I accumulate just enough fatigue to miss reps later on high week on high week

But when I use the Minimum Viable Warm-Up protocol, the first work set can feel like a bit of a shock to the system — and then the second set feels easier.

After that, the sets gradually become harder, as they should.

And I see the same pattern with my clients. We get a lot of high-quality work done in very little time.

But here’s the thing — your warm-up is just one piece of the puzzle. If you’re not sure whether your overall training is actually moving you forward or just creating fatigue, take the free Muay Thai Performance Scorecard. It’s a 5-minute assessment that shows you exactly where you stand, what’s holding you back, and how to fix it. Link in the description.

Here’s the protocol.

Step 1 – Pattern Rehearsal

Bodyweight or empty bar.

Same reps as your work set.

Controlled down. Fast up.

Step 2 – Load Potentiation

50–60% of your target working weight.

Same reps as your work set.

Controlled down. Fast up.

Step 3 – Execute

Load your programmed weight.

Start your first real set.

That’s it. Two preparatory exposures — then straight to work.

How Hard Should Warm-Up Sets Feel?

Here’s a critical guardrail — and one most lifters ignore.

If you choose to perform warm-up sets, keep the effort well below a struggle.

Think of it this way: if the set starts to feel like work — if you notice any discomfort, fatigue, or effort creeping in — you’ve already exceeded the minimum viable threshold.

A useful rule of thumb is to stay at or below an RPE of 4. That’s a load that feels easy. Almost too easy.

The researchers who conducted the 2025 study were deliberate about this. They specifically avoided words like “effort,” “failure,” or “discomfort” in their warm-up instructions. Instead, participants were told to stop when they felt adequately warmed up — and to stop well before they felt fatigued.

That’s the standard to hold yourself to.

Not “did I do enough reps?” — but “do I feel ready, without feeling tired?”

Now, here’s some important context. For loads of 9 reps or more, research suggests you could skip specific warm-up sets entirely — the first few reps of your work set warm you up as you go.

The truth is, those initial repetitions already function as movement-specific preparation, priming your nervous system for the pattern and load.

Additional warm-up sets at moderate intensity don’t enhance this priming effect. They just add volume and time to your session without improving performance on the sets that drive physical adaptation.

However, the two-step protocol I’ve shared offers a practical middle ground: minimal time investment, psychological readiness, and movement rehearsal without performance-draining volume.

This approach saves at least 10–15 minutes per session compared to traditional progressive ramping warm-up sets — time you can reinvest in work sets, recovery, or simply getting out of the gym faster.

Over a year, that’s 16 hours or more of reclaimed training time with no performance cost.

A Note on Individual Discretion

The truth is, warm-up needs are individual.

If you genuinely feel that a generous warm-up better prepares you for your working sets, then perform one. The research supports that.

The key condition: it must’nt leave residual fatigue.

So rather than chasing a specific number of sets, use this as your internal cue: stop when you feel ready, not when you feel worked. The moment a warm-up set starts to feel like effort, it’s done its job — or exceeded it.

That’s the distinction between preparation and depletion.

Now, When to Adjust

If you’re lifting at 1–3 rep max intensity:

Add one additional set at 80–90% of your working load.

Perform 1–3 reps.

Rest 3–10 minutes.

Then hit your full working load.

At these intensities, high-load warm-ups induce what we call post-activation potentiation (PAP) — increasing motor unit excitability and force production in a way that lighter loaded warm-ups can’t. 

Now, Longevity and Injury Considerations

This approach applies to lifters in their 20’s to 60’s and beyond.

Higher intensities are still appropriate for older adults — if you’ve progressively built the capacity to handle them.

Now, if you’re working around injury:

Add extra warm-up sets if needed.

Keep pain no higher than 3–4 out of 10.

Modify load or exercise variation.

Or temporarily remove the lift if it causes you problems.

Efficiency never overrides joint or tendon health.

So wrapping up. Feeling prepared and being prepared aren’t the same thing.

Preparation is measured by performance on work sets — not by how fatigued you feel beforehand.

Use the minimum effective warm-up that allows you to hit your numbers cleanly.

Structure the session so each phase primes the next. Preserve energy for the work that drives adaptation.

Intelligent training isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing exactly what’s required — and nothing that isn’t.

Want to apply that same principle to your entire training program? Take the free Muay Thai Performance Scorecard — it’ll show you exactly what’s working, what’s missing, and what to focus on next. 5 minutes. Instant results. Zero fluff. Link in the description.

The Minimum Viable Warm-Up works inside any properly structured strength session.

But when the entire session is sequenced intelligently, you can train speed, power, and strength in the same session — without interference and without wasted effort.

Watch this video next to learn how.