Your warm-up isn't cutting injury risk the way you think

5 minutes on the exercise bike isn't the most useful warm-up before squats

For a long time, any warm-up — even 5 minutes of light cardio — was assumed to cut injury risk equally before a workout. More recent research shows it's less about 'raising body temperature in general' and more about prepping the specific joints and muscles for the movements you're about to do.

Specific warm-ups — lighter or bodyweight versions of your working exercises, plus mobility work for the joints you'll be using — reduce injury risk and improve working-set performance noticeably more than 5–10 minutes of generic cardio. The reason is that your nervous system 'rehearses' the movement pattern before the working weight, and your joints get loaded through the exact ranges of motion they're about to work in.

A good warm-up before squats isn't the bike — it's an empty bar or a light barbell, gradually building up to your working weight. General cardio is fine for getting your heart rate and sweat going, but it does almost nothing to prep the specific muscles and joints you're about to load.