Short on time: what's your minimal warm-up before heavy lifts?
Gym time often gets squeezed to 30–40 minutes after work, so a 10–15 minute warm-up can feel expensive. If you lift heavy (squat, deadlift, bench), what’s your bare-minimum warm-up that still feels safe? Mobility moves, foam rolling, banded activation, or progressive empty-bar sets — what do you actually do and why?
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Keep it specific and short (5–8 minutes total): 1) 2–3 min general increase in heart rate (bike, brisk walk, or jump‑rope). 2) 1–2 min targeted activation (banded glute bridges or single‑leg RDL for squat/deadlift; banded pull‑aparts + scapular retractions for bench). 3) 2–4 progressive working sets with low reps, increasing load toward your working weight (e.g., empty bar → ~40% → ~60% → ~80% with reps dropping 8→5→3→1–2). Keep warm‑up reps low to avoid fatigue. Use extra mobility only if you have specific stiffness. Note: prefer dynamic moves; avoid long static stretching pre‑lift.