I’ve managed to stay largely injury-free by focusing on the things I can actually control. One of the biggest shifts was simplifying how I warm up.
I stopped doing all the extra nonsense.
No treadmill. No bands. No stretching. No foam rolling. No fancy crap that looks productive but just burns time and energy.
I don’t have all day. I train with intent and need to be in and out in about 90 minutes.
Now I walk straight to the bar. I warm up with the empty bar and then move through the same predictable jumps every time until I reach my top set. That’s the warmup.
For squats, it’s bar, 135, 225, 315, 365, 405.
For bench, it’s bar, 135, 185, 225, 275, 315.
Warming up in the exact movement pattern you’re about to load is the most specific and effective way to prepare. You’re practicing the lift, reinforcing positions, and gradually loading the tissues that actually matter.
For context: I do have a pinched nerve that flares up from time to time, but my doctor doesn’t believe it’s from lifting. It’s far more likely from 20+ years of sitting at a desk. I’m a digital marketer, designer, developer. That posture debt adds up.
I also had a lower lumbar decompression about seven years ago. Lifting turned out to be a game changer for my back pain, not the cause of it. Getting strong made my back more resilient, not more fragile.
Before I simplified things, I’d stretch first and then end up pulling something or tweaking a muscle once the weight got heavy. Stretching cold muscles made me feel loose, not ready.
Squat, bench, deadlift. Same approach every time.
Empty bar. Predictable jumps. Gradual load increases.
Save your energy for the work that actually builds strength.