Warm-up

A warm-up spanking is a light spanking given in the beginning of a spanking session to warm up the spankee for a more severe spanking to follow. This is to help the spankee relax into the sensation of getting spanked, bring up their circulation, and to allow their endorphins to gradually build up, resulting in an increased pain tolerance which makes the spanking more enjoyable. Warm-ups also reduce the chance of marks.

Popular methods

For warm-up, usually a light hand-spanking is given, which after some time gets gradually harder. The idea is to build up slowly and to progress to harder spanks (given with the hand or with implements) no earlier than the bottom is really ready for these.

Warm-up spankings can be given on the bare bottom, but it is also popular to begin the spanking on a fully clothed bottom, then pull down the trousers (or flip up the skirt) to continue the spanking for a while on the briefs or panties, until the spanker feels is time to pull these down and to finish the warm-up.

At the end of the warm-up, the buttocks will show a nice light shade of pink, like a blush, but not as red as after a full-blown spanking. The spankee's bottom feels warmer to touch and is able to accept harder spanks much better than before the warm-up. Additionally, the warm-up spanking phase is also good for the spanker: as in sports, it is helpful to go light at the beginning to allow the spanker's muscles to warm up.

Long warm-up phases

A warm-up spanking can take anywhere from one minute to as long as an hour in shorter cycles before the "actual" spanking begins. It can be enjoyable for both partners to deliberately take their time and prolong the warm-up phase, knowing that this is "just the warm-up for a harder spanking". For longer warm-up spanking phases, the spanker may want to check from time to time whether the spankee (who may be naked or only thinly clad) might have cooled off at areas such as the back, arms, legs or feet. The spankee's state of dress should match the room temperature (except for the buttocks which won't be in risk of cooling off). Bare feet are nice, but cold feet can spoil an otherwise wonderful spanking session.

The transition to the main spanking

By definition, a warm-up is a portion of a session. After the warm-up, the main spanking begins, or what might be "level two" of three or more cycles. At this point, the spankee is often ordered to take a new positions in order to provide a break, and tell him/her that things are progressing. When the next cycle begins, the spanker will typically use a harsher implement, e.g. a paddle. At this time, the spanker can deliberately strike with a firm hand to clearly demarcate the new level. If the warm-up has been good, the spankee will often be found to take the harder swats and the implement surprisingly well and with appreciation.

Reasons for not warming up

Sometimes the partners may choose not to do any warming up, but go from zero to full power in a second. Reasons for that might be:

there is little time
it is meant to be a punishment spanking (for a real offense)
the "shock effect" is welcome for its intensity
marks are welcome (e.g. bruises, or specific marks that contrast with an otherwise unspanked pale bottom)

List of Spanking Implements