What is proper warmup sets leading up to one rep max?

[wevie]

I've been curious what's the most optimal sets and reps ramping up to a one rep max.

If I'm looking to try for a 500lbs squat, what's best?

[StrongCopeITT]

Plate by plate, some quarters and 1/2's. 45, 135, 225, 315 and then add a bit slower after maybe 350?
Also very important to warm up inner thighs and get yourself limber.

[DrewDarden]

People may differ slightly, but something like:

45x5
135x5
225x3
315x3
405x1-2
455x1

Deadlift is often a lot less reps, maybe 1-2 all the way up.

[wevie]

Plate by plate, some quarters and 1/2's. 45, 135, 225, 315 and then add a bit slower after maybe 350?
Also very important to warm up inner thighs and get yourself limber.

Warm up inner thighs how?

[DrewDarden]

Warm up inner thighs how?

I can’t answer for the poster you quoted, but I do something very similar to what this woman is doing in the video. I’ve spend five or ten minutes stretching hamstrings, groin, and IT band. This also indirectly stretches out your lower back.

I just use a heavy band instead of a strap like she’s using.

[StrongCopeITT]

Warm up inner thighs how?

Deep bodyweight squats, I meant more like getting yourself limber.
Google "3rd world squat".

[golli1982]

I used to warm up with 2 sets of light leg extensions and leg curls and then as follows

45x5, 3 sets
135x5
185x3
225x3
275x1
315x1
365x1
405x1
455x1
500x1
And so on

[PhDPepper1111]

I used to warm up with 2 sets of light leg extensions and leg curls and then as follows

45x5, 3 sets
135x5
185x3
225x3
275x1
315x1
365x1
405x1
455x1
500x1
And so on

I would do very similar to Golli - both in gym and comp (depending on the day, maybe skip the empty bar), but as several have said, spending 10-15 minutes stretching my entire body first. I use a percussion massager to loosen up any tight spots and then hit them again after each single.
Finding the sweet spot for you as you increase weight towards the 500 goal means limbering up first, then doing enough of the heavy weights to remind yourself what it feels like to lift something heavy and groove your form without spending too much energy.

[wevie]

Deep bodyweight squats, I meant more like getting yourself limber.
Google "3rd world squat".

oh wow! I actually already do that each time before squatting

[DoMoreWeighLess]

Take this with a grain of salt since I've never squatted 5s....but it's personal preference imo. The main thing is getting your muscles warmed/flexible, and then prepping your CNS.

For me I:

Quick stretch
Short run/jog
Stretch more exclusively below the waist
Start warmups slow with light weight while focusing on form(normally don't squat more than 3 reps per warm up weight)
Add a plate at a time to increase load until I'm about 100lbs from the target.

Biggest thing is if you ever feel like you weren't prepared for a 1 rep, reevaluate your warm up.

[Benchpresser350]

Here is how I would go about it.

============
Think about wearing some raised heel squat shoes.
Think about wearing a squat belt.
Think about wearing squat knee wraps.
Think about using squat Chalk on your shirt and hands
Use collars with all weights.
============

Not Train for 7 days before, and eat good.

Do it in a power cage with the pins set to bottom of the squat
so the bar dings the pins at the bottom of the squat.

Bare Bar 5 reps (if I'm feeling stiff up to 20 reps)
Bare Bar 5 reps (if I'm feeling stiff up to 20 reps)
(More Bare Bar sets if I feel I need to be looser that day)

Add 15 lbs to the bar for 1 set (could be collars) = 60 Lbs x 1 (+ 10)<--(then add 10 lbs)
70 Lbs x 1 (+ 10)<--(then add 10 lbs)
80 Lbs x 1 (+ 20)
100 Lbs x 1 (+ 20)
120 Lbs x 1 (+ 20)
140 Lbs x 1 (+ 30)
170 Lbs x 1 (+ 40)
210 Lbs x 1 (+ 50)
260 Lbs x 1 (+ 50)
310 Lbs x 1 (+ 50)
360 Lbs x 1 (+ 90)
450 Lbs x 1 (+50)
500 Lbs x 1

If anything feels weird, lower back, shoulder, oblique, etc
during any of the sets--call it off for that day and come
back a week later once the weird feeling part has healed.

Pull the 5 lb, 10 lb, and 25 lb coins off the bar and replace them with 45 lb wheels as soon as possible
To prevent the weight from being too far out on the bar (stability issues).

Rest as much as needed between sets, even 30 mins or more.

Drink a carb/protien MRP type drink during the whole lift.
Leave the gym when done, and not train for at least a week to heal up.

Tell a few other STRONG guys your going for a (1) Rep Max once you get
to about 260 Lbs, and ask them to keep an eye on you in case you need help.

That's 14 singles once your past the bare bar. Many lifter like 3 sets of 5 which is 15, but that's not why it's 14.
If you wanted to squat 600 it would be the same progression up to 500 and then a couple more single rep sets up to 600.
If your max was 210 then you'd only do 8 sets past the bare bar.

That's the training progression I use.

[illmortalized]

I do:

55% - 5 reps
65% - 5 reps
70% - 3 reps
75% - 3 reps
80% - double
85% - double
90% - single
95% - single
100% - single (this is my training max)
105% - single (this would be my single PR/Max)

[Garage Rat]

Its certainly very individual.
Some people need more than others.
I would say do enough to warm up the muscles and neurologically,good groove technique every set.
Dont do to much to tire you out.
I like more with lighter poundages and less as i get close to PR weight.
Make sure you can easily smoke those heavier warm ups.
It will give you confidence on your max attempts.

[jademonkey]

I think older people tend to need more warm up.

When I go for a 1rm in the gym I warm up the same way I always do up to a point, but I'll adjust my last one or two singles to make sure my last single is close enough to the target to properly evaluate whether the target is reasonable, but not so hard to get fatigued. Usually I like to do my last single at a weight I work with fairly regularly, a good hard weight but still a "perfect form" weight that I can get smoothly.

My current maxes are a bit lower after cutting, but this is what I do for my maxes:

Squat, been working a lot at 345, aiming for 365 1rm:
45x10 / 135x6 / 225x3 (all those are typical) then I usually do 295x1 but I wanted my last single before 365 to be 345 and felt a bigger jump would be appropriate for submaximal loads, so I went 315x1 / 345x1 / 365x1

Bench:, been working a lot at 265, aiming for 285:
45x10 / 135x6 / 225x1 / 265x1 / 285x1

Deadlift tomorrow, may aim for 475 or 485. Will go by feel.
45x10 / 135x5 / 225x3 / 315x1 / 405x1 / maybe 445x1, then target. or 425x1 / 455 or 445x1 / target. Depends how I feel.

[Forelight]

I've been curious what's the most optimal sets and reps ramping up to a one rep max.

If I'm looking to try for a 500lbs squat, what's best?

Not sure for squat.

For deadlift I'd do
135 x 2
225 x 2
315 x 1
405 x 1
500 x 1

I think it would be the same for squats apart from starting with the bar for a few reps above 135 x 2.

[RonyBaltazar23]

My opinion is to increase plate for 30kg.

But reps small numbers just to activate the muscle.

Thats my method when used to make 1 rep.

Have a nice day.

Stay strong 💪