How to Warm Up Your 5 Rep Max
There are two simple pieces today: the High Bar Back Squat 5 Rep Max, and the classic benchmark “Annie”. Totally different skill sets on display in each of them, but (surprise surprise) keeping your core braced is key for both of them.
Unlike days where we go “sets across”, today we’re going to warm up to a heavy 5-rep set and then keep going up. What does a proper warmup look like? Well, let’s consider this example.
“Liberty’s last 5-rep Back Squat sets across (from Thursday, June 26th) was at 225 pounds for all 5 sets. Except the 4th set, where Liberty got scared and only did 4 reps, but then managed to do the 5th set properly. What should Liberty’s warm-up and working sets look like today?”
WARM UP SETS: 45#x5, 95#x5, 145#x5, 175#x3, 205#x2
WORKING SETS: 225#x5, 235#x5, 240#x5, 245#x5, 246#x5
What is the formula?
WARM UP SET 1: Empty Bar x5
WARM UP SET 2 & 3: Still light, but with big steps to get you within about 2/3rd of your targeted first working set. Five rep sets, intended for you to work on your positioning and get your joints lubed up properly.
WARM UP SET 4: A 3-rep set, as we decrease volume nearing our working sets. A smaller jump in weight, to cross about 1/2 of that remaining gap between Set 3 and your Working Weight
WARM UP SET 5: A 2-rep set just to get the feel for this weight. About the same jump, calculated so that your final jump to working weight is NO GREATER than any of your prior increases.
WORKING SET 1: (your previous “sets across” weight)
WORKING SET 2-5: add between 2.5#-5# per set as you feel you can.
Ideally that fifth working set is your “real” 5 Rep Max, and that’s something you’ll find today.
Strength:
High Bar Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5
WOD:
“Annie”
50-40-30-20-10
Double-Unders
Sit-Ups
295# squat. Off by at least 20#s. wasn’t feeling it this morning, I’m guessing from the quick turn around of my return to summer bball league last night.
14:09. For some reason I kept spazzing out on the doubles in the first 2 rounds. Really frustrating.
Awesome job 5:30. We’re all just working for the weekend.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UmvZnX8aUtg&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUmvZnX8aUtg
Best video link of the week.
MARALENE!!! Thanks to some bad ass coaching, I have now officially done double unders in a workout, and strung together 5, no less. I haven’t reached any milestones in a while, so this feels crazy awesome. Sometimes you’re the windshield…
HBBS: 110#
WOD: 11:58 with half the rx double unders
well done, 5:30! I am sure we all feel like we have chiseled abs right now.
Back squats felt pretty good today, 255# which was my 3 rep max from a couple months ago.
I really want to be able to do double unders, I just need more practice. Good suggestion from Maralene to jump like I was spinning the rope twice, I got into a good rhythm doing that for singles. Finished at 10:14, that’s a lot of situps.
HBBS 145# not a Max, got 4 reps at 155# then bailed. That has happened at that weight before so it wasn’t a 4rm either
WOD 9:07 singles. Single under Annie is hoarder cat lady depressing… For this reason I did a WOD from another box to warm up which was much more in my wheelhouse: 15 burpees, run 1 mile, 30 burpees. 10:01 for that one. My goal going in was 10:30 so I was quite pleased.
hbbs: 240#
wod: 9:(47 or 57), can’t quite remember….
…rx
Haven’t sworn that much at myself during a WOD in a long time – Rx