Whats the best way to warm up before i max out?

[Ch7isDodson]

Tomorrow I am going to max out on bench and I wanna know what the best way to warm up is without expending too much energy. Like, what % of my 1rm should i use and how many times?

[Mad_Dog_Divine]

If you are 14 you should focus on the basics and not worry about maxing out. Maxing out is very stressful on the body and not always a good thing. A 3RM would be a better bet or even a 5RM if you are dead set on this.

I dont go by percent of 1RM when I max out because if you are maxing out its probably because you dont know what your 1RM is. Just warm up with light weights and gradually increase the weight on the bar with each set, doing just a few reps each time to save it all for the final set. So it could go like this

bar x 10
bar x 10
55x5
65x5
75x3
95x3
115x1
125x1
135x1

Don't try to rush to the bigger weights because it will feel too heavy and you won't be warmed up properly. Do more sets with lower reps and when it gets really heavy don't do more than 1 rep. Get a spotter to help you.

Once more, it doesn't matter what your 1RM is at 14 years old. At this age it will increase without even training because of you growing up. Stick to the basics and try to learn good habits and good lifting technique. Also, make sure you perform other lifts like deadlifts and squats to work the whole body.

[Tommy W.]

yes, you need to ramp before going "heavy". light warmup of 10 reps then sets of 3 in increments of 20% of what your 1R max is going to be.
The first light set warms and lubricates. The ramp sets prepare your Central Nervous system for your next heavier set.

[megaman77]

If you are 14 you should focus on the basics and not worry about maxing out. Maxing out is very stressful on the body and not always a good thing. A 3RM would be a better bet or even a 5RM if you are dead set on this.

I dont go by percent of 1RM when I max out because if you are maxing out its probably because you dont know what your 1RM is. Just warm up with light weights and gradually increase the weight on the bar with each set, doing just a few reps each time to save it all for the final set. So it could go like this

bar x 10
bar x 10
55x5
65x5
75x3
95x3
115x1
125x1
135x1

Don't try to rush to the bigger weights because it will feel too heavy and you won't be warmed up properly. Do more sets with lower reps and when it gets really heavy don't do more than 1 rep. Get a spotter to help you.

Once more, it doesn't matter what your 1RM is at 14 years old. At this age it will increase without even training because of you growing up. Stick to the basics and try to learn good habits and good lifting technique. Also, make sure you perform other lifts like deadlifts and squats to work the whole body.

^this, exactly


1rm is typically pointless unless your are a powerlifter/strongman competitor and they are the hardest on your body--aka your body will be much more prone to injury. especially at 14, you should not 1rep maxing any time soon. I understand you wanna lift the heaviest weight possible and be able to brag to everyone about how much you bench (I was exactly the same way at 14), but you would be much better off spending most of your time around the 8-12 rep range. If you really feel the need to max, do a 3rm.

[Mad_Dog_Divine]

Tomorrow I am going to max out on bench and I wanna know what the best way to warm up is without expending too much energy. Like, what % of my 1rm should i use and how many times?

So, how did it go? Did you go for 1RM, 3RM, 5RM or something else? How did you feel during and after?