# Warm-Up Calculator | Forge > **Quick Answer:** The Forge Warm-Up Calculator builds a ready-to-run warm-up ramp for any working weight: sets, reps, and loads from the empty bar to your first work set. Free and ungated, in lb and kg. Example: a 225 lb squat day gets a ramp of 45x10, 90x8, 125x5, 160x3, 185x2, 205x1 before the work sets. **dateModified:** 2026-08-09 --- ## Key Facts - **What it does:** Turns a working weight into a full warm-up ramp with sets, reps, and loads - **Barbell ramp:** Empty bar x10, then 40% x8, 55% x5, 70% x3, 82% x2, 92% x1 - **Accessory mode:** A shorter ramp for machines and isolation work: 40% x10, 60% x6, 80% x3 - **Light loads:** Working weights under 135 lb or 60 kg start at 40% and skip the empty bar - **Rounding:** Loads round to the nearest 5 lb or 2.5 kg, and steps landing within 10 lb or 5 kg of the previous one get dropped - **Units:** lb and kg - **Cost:** Free. No sign-up. --- ## How to Use It 1. Pick lb or kg. 2. Pick barbell or accessory mode. 3. Enter your working weight for the first exercise. 4. Run the ramp top to bottom. Rest only long enough to change plates between sets. The whole ramp takes five to ten minutes. Add a few minutes of easy movement before the first set if you train early or walk in cold. --- ## How the Math Works The barbell ramp runs empty bar x10, 40% x8, 55% x5, 70% x3, 82% x2, 92% x1, with the empty bar at 45 lb or 20 kg. Reps drop as the weight climbs so the ramp prepares you without adding fatigue. Loads round to the nearest 5 lb or 2.5 kg, and any step landing within 10 lb or 5 kg of the previous one is dropped. When the working weight sits under 135 lb or 60 kg, the calculator starts at 40% and skips the empty bar, because the bar alone is already most of the way there. Two or three sets is a complete warm-up at lighter loads. Accessory mode drops the empty-bar step and trims the ramp to three sets, since machines and isolation work carry lighter loads and lower balance demand. These percentages are coaching landmarks, so treat the ramp as a starting template and adjust by feel. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How long should a warm-up take? Five to ten minutes for the lift itself. Each ramp set takes under a minute to perform, and you only need enough rest between sets to change the plates. Add a few minutes of easy movement before the first set if you train early in the morning or walk in cold. ### Should I stretch before lifting? Keep long static stretches for after the session. Holding stretches before lifting can trim a little strength off the work that follows. The ramp sets themselves cover your mobility before the lift, since every rep runs the full range of motion under light load. ### Do warm-up sets count as training volume? For growth purposes, count them as zero. A set only drives growth when it comes within about four reps of failure, and nothing in a proper ramp gets close. Warm-up sets still add fatigue if you pile on reps, which is why the ramp cuts reps as the weight climbs. ### What if my working weight is light? When the working weight sits under 135 lb or 60 kg, the calculator starts at 40% and skips the empty bar, because the bar alone is already most of the way there. It also drops any step that lands within a few pounds of the previous one. Two or three sets is a complete warm-up at lighter loads. ### Do machines and accessories need the same ramp? They need fewer rungs, since the loads are lighter and the balance demand is lower. Switch the tool to accessory mode and it drops the empty-bar step and trims the ramp to three sets. The shape stays familiar: start around 40% and climb. ### Can I shorten the ramp when I'm in a hurry? Trim a middle step or two and keep the first light set and the final heavy single. Those two bookends do most of the work. Skip the final single and your first work set quietly becomes the warm-up. --- ## Forge Ramps Every Lift For You Forge is an AI personal trainer for iOS and Android. It builds an adaptive plan around your goals, schedule, and equipment, and queues the warm-up for every lift in every session. You get 4 trainer personalities, a 24/7 trainer chat, and full workout logging. Pricing: $19.99/month, $59.99/year, or $6.99/week. All plans include a 7-day free trial. - **App Store:** https://apps.apple.com/us/app/forge-ai-personal-trainer/id6758403402 - **Google Play:** https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tendylabs.forge - **Website:** https://forgetrainer.ai --- *https://forgetrainer.ai/tools/warm-up-calculator*