Warm-ups attract a lot of ritual. Foam rolling, band work, long stretching circuits, activation drills—some people spend thirty minutes before touching the bar. Most of that is harmless, but very little of it is necessary, and time spent there is time not spent on the training that actually drives progress.
A useful warm-up does two things: it raises tissue temperature so muscles and joints move more freely, and it rehearses the exact pattern you are about to load, so the first heavy set is not the first time your body has done it that day.
Start general, keep it short
Five minutes of easy movement is usually enough to start: a bike, a rower, a brisk walk on an incline, or a few rounds of bodyweight squats and arm swings. You are aiming to feel warm and slightly out of breath, not tired.
On cold mornings, or if you are older or coming straight from a desk, a few extra minutes here is cheap and genuinely worth it.
Ramping sets do the real work
The most specific warm-up for a squat is squatting. Start with the empty 45 lb bar and build toward your working weight in a few jumps, doing fewer reps as the load rises. For a working set of 225 lb, that might be the bar for 8–10 reps, then 95 for 5, 135 for 3, 185 for 2, and 205 for 1.
Those sets let you check positions, find your groove and notice anything that feels off while the load is still light. They also stay short enough that you arrive at the working set fresh. For later exercises in the session, one or two lighter sets is usually plenty, because you are already warm.
Where stretching and mobility fit
Long static stretches held for a minute or more immediately before lifting can slightly reduce force output for a short period. Short holds mixed into a dynamic warm-up seem to have little effect either way, so if you enjoy them, they are fine.
Targeted mobility work earns its place when a specific restriction limits a position you need—for example, ankles that stop you reaching depth in a squat. Then a few minutes of drills for that joint is sensible. Twenty minutes of general mobility before every session, on the principle that it must be good for you, is not.
What to do this week
Time your current warm-up. Then try five minutes of general movement followed only by ramping sets of your first lift. If your working sets feel as good or better, keep the shorter version and spend the saved time on the training itself.