Cat-Cow
Spine
- Set up on all fours — hands under shoulders, knees under hips
- Breathe out and round your back, tucking chin and tailbone under
- Breathe in and lift your chest and tailbone, letting your belly drop
Preparation
The 10-minute gym warm-up routine
Updated 10 September 2026
Not twenty minutes of stretching — a short sequence that raises your body temperature, wakes up the joints you are about to load, and rehearses the first lift before it gets heavy. This is the exact routine the app schedules before every session.
Before every session
- Light cardio — 5 minutes of brisk walking or cycling to raise your body temperature
- Cat-cow — 10 reps
- Arm circles and band pull-aparts — 15 reps each
- Bodyweight squats — 15 reps
- Ramp-up sets — 2 light sets of your first exercise at roughly 50% for 8 reps
The ramp-up sets are the part people skip and the part that matters most: they rehearse the exact movement pattern you are about to load, at weights that cannot hurt you. Cold first working sets are where most small injuries happen.
After the session
- Hamstring stretch — 45 seconds × 2
- Hip flexor stretch — 45 seconds each side
- Doorway chest stretch — 45 seconds
- Breathing — 2 minutes — 4 seconds in, 6 seconds out
This is where the long static holds belong — after training, muscles warm, nothing left to lift.
Mobility work in the programme
Scheduled on active-recovery days. Cues below; the full detail for each is on the mobility exercises page.
Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Hip Flexors
- Kneel on one knee with the other foot flat in front, knee over ankle
- Tuck your tailbone under and flatten your lower back before you move
- Squeeze the glute on the kneeling side — it deepens the stretch considerably
Thoracic Rotation
Upper Back
- Lie on your side with knees bent 90° and stacked, arms straight ahead
- Rest your top knee on the floor or a cushion and keep it there
- Sweep the top arm across your chest and open it towards the floor
Hamstring Stretch
Hamstrings
- Sit tall with one leg straight and the other foot tucked towards your groin
- Point the toes of the straight leg up, knee soft rather than locked
- Hinge forward from the hips with your chest tall and back flat
Band Shoulder Pass-Through
Shoulders
- Hold a band or broomstick with a very wide grip, arms straight
- Stand tall with ribs down; do not arch the lower back
- Sweep the arms overhead and behind you without bending the elbows
Common questions
How long should a warm-up take?
About ten minutes. Long enough to raise your body temperature and rehearse the movements you are about to load, short enough that it never becomes the reason you skip training.
Is static stretching before lifting a bad idea?
Long static holds before training can temporarily reduce strength slightly and do not reduce injury risk on their own. Before lifting, movement-based preparation works better; save the long holds for after the session, when they help you wind down and work on flexibility.
Do I need to warm up for every session, even short ones?
Yes — especially the short intense ones. The first working set on cold joints is where tweaks happen. If time is tight, shorten the cardio portion, never the ramp-up sets.
Related guides
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