How should I warm up before heavy lifting?

Before heavy lifting, get warm and rehearse the movement without tiring yourself out:

• Start with 5–7 minutes of dynamic, whole-body movement—move through a range of motion and involve the joints relevant to the lift. Use closer to 10 minutes if you’re stiff, achy, or slow to warm up. 1
• Ramp up with specific warm-up sets for your first heavy lift. Begin with a lighter load, then use progressively heavier sets with fewer reps. For strength and power, keep warming up until your joints and mobility feel ready and you can move powerfully; avoid accumulating so much fatigue that it compromises the lift. 2 3
• Adjust to the day and the lift. Use enough practice to move with good position and technique; soreness, stiffness, or a complex or unfamiliar movement may call for more preparation. You usually don’t need a full new warm-up for every later exercise once you’re warm, unless it’s a different complex movement or one you’re learning. 4 5

The goal is to feel ready to lift heavy—not to turn the warm-up into a fatiguing workout.