Warmup calculator.

How the ramp is built

The first loaded set lands at 40% of your target and the last at 90%, whatever else you change. Only the spacing in between is up for grabs, and there are two defensible answers.

Even spaces the sets linearly, which means every jump is the same weight: five sets to 200 kg gives 80, 105, 130, 155, 180 — 25 kg each time, then 20 kg into the working set. It is the simplest to remember, it is what PrimedLifter's meet-day page generates, and for most lifters it is fine.

Tapered shrinks each jump to 80% of the one before, so the ramp closes in as the bar gets heavy: the same five sets to 200 kg become 80, 115, 140, 162.5, 180 — jumps of 35, 25, 22.5 and 17.5. The argument for it is that a 25 kg jump costs almost nothing at 105 kg and quite a lot at 180 kg, so the increments should not be equal. The argument against is that it puts more loaded sets in the heavy end, which is where warmups start costing you.

Adding sets does not change the endpoints either way — it just narrows the jumps. Three even sets to 200 kg gives 80, 130, 180; seven gives 80, 97.5, 115, 130, 147.5, 165, 180. Pick the count from how much time you have and how heavy the target is, not from a rule.

Warming up on meet day

The ramp is the same; the constraint is the clock. You get roughly a minute per attempt in your flight, so count backwards from when you are called rather than from a set number of warmups. Most lifters take their last warmup around eight to twelve attempts before their own opener, then keep moving rather than sitting down.

Deadlift is where ramps go wrong. It is the most fatiguing of the three and usually deserves fewer loaded sets than the squat — plenty of lifters take three, not six. Bench tolerates the most warmup volume of the three.

If you find you need warmups above 90% to feel ready, treat that as information about the opener rather than about the ramp. An opener you have to rehearse at 95% is not an opener.

Plate maths

The plate column shows what goes on one side of the bar, heaviest first. In kg it assumes 25 / 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 2.5 / 1.25 discs and by default a 20 kg bar; set the bar to 15 kg for a women's bar or 45 lb when working in pounds, where the plates become 45 / 35 / 25 / 10 / 5 / 2.5.

If a weight cannot be made from those plates the row says so rather than quietly rounding — most commonly when the rounding is set to 1.25 kg and you only have 2.5s. Coarsen the rounding and the whole ramp becomes loadable.

Frequently asked questions

How many warmup sets should you do before a heavy single?

Four to six loaded sets is the usual range for a competition lift. Fewer than four means big jumps that leave the heaviest attempt feeling unfamiliar; more than six starts adding fatigue you would rather spend on the working sets. On meet day most lifters use five or six because the platform gives you time between attempts anyway.

What percentages should warmup sets be?

Start the first loaded set around 40% of the target and finish around 90%. Spacing the sets evenly between those two points is the standard answer and gives you equal jumps all the way up. The alternative is to taper: make each jump smaller than the last, on the reasoning that 25 kg costs nothing at 105 kg and quite a lot at 180 kg. This calculator will build either.

How many reps per warmup set?

Reps come down as the weight goes up: around five reps for the light sets, three in the middle, one or two for the last set or two before the working weight. The point of the heavy warmups is to rehearse the groove at close to the real load, not to accumulate work.

Should you warm up to more than 90% of your opener?

Generally no. A set above ~90% costs nearly what the opener costs and tells you nothing new, and on meet day it eats into the attempts that actually count. If you feel you need a heavier warmup, the more likely problem is that the opener is too heavy.

Does the same ramp work for squat, bench, and deadlift?

The percentages transfer fine, but the timing does not. Deadlift warmups are usually the most fatiguing and are often cut to fewer sets; bench tolerates the most warmup volume. On meet day, work backwards from your flight timing rather than from a fixed number of sets.

Why does the plate breakdown sometimes say the weight is not loadable?

Because it is showing you the truth rather than rounding it away. If the calculated weight cannot be made from standard plates on a standard bar, you need to pick the nearest loadable weight — change the rounding to 2.5 kg (or 5 lb) and the whole ramp becomes loadable.

Percentages and rep counts are conventional practice, not measured prescriptions. Plate breakdowns assume standard competition discs and a symmetric load.