What is your warmup ritual before a heavy squat session?

[JamesW129]

For me, I usually do a few hip circles and fire hydrants to open up my hips because they are my trouble area, very inflexible and painful sometimes. I also roll out my t-spine and do shoulder dislocates because I sit hunched over a computer at work all day. Assuming you are fully mobile and have no injuries, would it be a good idea to just go right into warmups? Or are there some drills that you guys consider essential to have a good squat session?

[plsm]

Light squats. On rest days I do taekwondo with my sons, which includes a good 20 minute stretching session. I attribute that to not needing much else besides light squats. I workout at 6 AM.

[cirion0000]

I just jump into light squats, but just before my heaviest working set (AMRAP 5/3/1) I will usually do a few fire hydrant movements as well or a couple other quick stretches.

I still tend to get some major piriformis aggravation after my AMRAP set no matter what I do, but usually some prompt stretching/lacrosse ball pressure makes it go away.

Have you considered trying to get a sit/stand station going? I stand all day at work now. I will never EVER go back to sitting again all day. Part of that is due to semi-screwing up my back from bad lifting form, but even once I correct my form fully / fix lower back, I probably will still never go back to sitting. Sitting messed up my hips so bad.

[Anthony21]

Rumble roll & lacrosse ball.

Dynamic warm up w/Agile 8 & Limber 11 mixed.

I agree on the sit stand desk. I have one at my desk and it's a life saver being able to stand. Also if you're sitting sit in a proper upright position and not hunched over.

[sheed30]

Bike for 5-7 mins
Stretch for 5-10 mins
Glute and Abs for 5 mins
Body Squat, Bar Squat, then start adding plates until I get to my working set.

I've also injured myself tons of times. SO you prob shouldn't follow my advice. When I'm not injured I feel fantastic squatting after this though.

[Jason2459]

Rev. Hypers
Rolling Planks
Wall Squats
The bar a few times and start working up from there.

[phrali]

Caffeine

[mcapote3]

ramp ATG paused from open bar, 95, 135, 185, etc till i get to working sets.

[UberAlles]

i really like cossack squats, they are money for warming up your hips and ur lower body in general

[hammerfelt]

Swing my legs back and forth a few times.

Empty bar, 95, 135 then plates til I get to my working set. If big jump to working weight from last plate I'll toss a quarter on there.

[OmniStyx]

I put a mini or monster mini short band around my lower knee and work in a few different planes to improve femoral external rotation and abduction. If my shoulders are feeling tight I might do some wall slides to get some more external rotation ROM (and should be doing some posterior capsule smashing as well, but I hate it). Then I go to light squats.

[Trolltongue]

I walk to the gym or row a little, then some planks and then squatting the bar for a ton of reps and increasing weight by ~10% of max/jump and reducing reps every jump. I do all my stretching on off-days and after workouts although sometimes I'll also do hip circles before squats.

[BeastMode413]

Bike for 10 minutes or jump rope a few hundrend skips
Foam rolling quads, hams, IT band, glutes and back
Stretch hip flexors, hams, anything else necessary
Begin warm-ups sets

[otakumom]

After doing about 15 minutes or cardio (HIIT), I exercise my abductors and hamstrings to make my knees stronger.

I had a knee injury five years ago, and the physical therapist I had told me to always exercise those muscles individually before doing exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts.

[Big Poppa S]

Occasionally I'll do a 5 minute bike but usually I just do some very light stretching (both upper and lower body) then start doing 5 rep sets, 1 plate per side, 2, 3, I'll drop down to triples at 4 and 5 plates, after that it's singles for me...

[sashkaukraine]

stretch good for 3 or so minutes
135 x5
keep throwing on 30-50 lbs @ 5 reps each set till i hit my goal weight

[Link815]

45-135-225-315-405-work sets

[SaviorSelfJT]

The first thing I do is drink a couple beers, then do some light stretching. After that, I call my mother.

[SmallLats]

Banded hip flexors for 2 minutes a side, lacrosse ball my glutes, then at least 50 reps under 60% before heavy work.