Hi Just a question about sets and different types of systems
Pyramids you up the weight and lower the reps , do you go to failure on each set???
I.E
Set 1x12 ( Much weight as you can handle to failure )
set 2x 10 ( Much weight as you can handle to failure )
set 3x8 ( Much weight as you can handle to failure )
Also what is the best method for mass building Pyramids or straight sets ( with each set to failure )
Ta
BIG_D
Search ‘ramping’. There are a few huge threads about this topic.
Well, there are, but the answers to the OP’s original questions will be rather buried in there. Most of the information will be on ramping methods differing from what he has in mind.
I am going to rephrase this away from “failure” and replace with “genuinely maximal or virtually maximal effort: highly likely that another rep could not have been obtained.” Or in brief, ME.
No, ordinarily when pyramiding, which generally means increasing weight and dropping reps, the sets on the way up are not ME and may or may not be all that close to it.
As an example, on the somewhat uncommon occasion where I do an old-school type pyramid, I’d typically do:
First set, 50% 1RM: 10 reps. Or a convenient weight that is close to that.
Weight increase per set: such that 5 increases will get me to what I want to use when I get to 5 reps.
The 5 rep set would be ME.
The others would be somewhat easier.