Pyramid up or pyramid down

[MindlessWork]

Ramping or pyramiding warms up your muscles and joints and stimulates your nervous system. So when you get to your top set it won't feel as hard and won't be as hard on your CNS as if you just did a couple light warm ups and jumped to that weight. I suppose if you can only handle 135 on your major lifts then maybe ramping isn't as important, but once you get decently strong it's a must.

When I pyramid up I start with just the empty bar or the lightest db's (whatever the case may be) then go up to within 90% of my maximal weight then back down...that works well for me. As for pyramid down I have no experience with that but will be trying it next workout day.

Agreed on your heavy days it is wise to do a ramp up to avoid risk of injury.

 

[JinUwyne]

I start with just the empty bar or the lightest db's (whatever the case may be) then go up to within 90% of my maximal weight then back down...

That is a one way ticket to snap city and joint problems, if you can do 10 reps with more than 135. Ramping should be practiced for heavy and rep work IMO, ATLEAST for the FIRST EXERCISE of the day/bodypart. That is if you rep with more than 135, which I'm sure you and most here can on most compounds. Ideally you shouldn't jump more than 40-50 lbs per set. Of course on isolation exercises you don't need to do as many sets leading up to your heaviest rep weight, maybe just 1-2 lighter/moderate sets on curls, raises, flyes etc, since the weight is never all that heavy anyway.



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[MindlessWork]

That is a one way ticket to snap city and joint problems, if you can do 10 reps with more than 135. Ramping should be practiced for heavy and rep work IMO, that is if you rep with more than 135, which I'm sure you and most here can on most compounds. Ideally you shouldn't jump more than 40-50 lbs per set. Of course on isolation exercises you don't need to do as many sets leading up to your heaviest rep weight, maybe just 1-2 lighter/moderate sets on curls, raises, flyes etc, since the weight is never all that heavy anyway.


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Yeah ramping is useful for bench deads and squats IMO, and I do keep the increase in weight to 25lbs or so per set.

 

[JinUwyne]

Yeah ramping is useful for bench deads and squats IMO, and I do keep the increase in weight to 25lbs or so per set.

Oh my bad, I thought you meant you go straight from the empty bar, then straight to your 90% heavy work set. But yeah reverse pyramiding is good for some extra volume without resorting to doing multiple sets to failure with the same weight (which destroys your cns).

A decent ramp for someone who bench/incline presses 225 for reps would be:

Bar x 12-15
95lb x 10
135 x 8
185 x6
225 x 8-10 to failure (work set)

Most would be tempted to skip the 95lb set, but if you're wise you'll do that set and even add in a set of 205 x 4.

Then for your second pec exercise you may only need one moderate set before doing the heavy work set.

For isos you may not need any, but if you watch big guys train they pyramid every little exercise, why? Because they hate injury.

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[Thehogstwrs]

I see a lot of guys at the gym that pyramid up when they lift... I personally like starting heavy and going light way better results this way...
Anyone else...




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I'm with you bro. I do 5 To 6 warm up sets going heaver each set but don't count these as working sets. First working set is my heavest. Been doing this for years after watching an old Dorian Yates video. Why blast out working sets and then try to add weight? Makes no sense to me? If you go to absolute failure on each set (as you always should) then your only going down hill each set. Might as well make your best set your heaviest!

 

[Nogichute]

Since I've changed over from 531 to give my joints a break and focus more primarily on size. Im a huge fan of preexhaust rest pause drop sets. Holy hell it leaves me fried and knees and shoulders feeling great.
Definitely in the pd camp.