does anyone around here still use pyramid training or is it kinda outdated?
I think if you were more specific it might help.
Do you mean adding weight and lowering reps like:
12 …8…6…4… (for your sets)
OR-
Adding 10 lbs per set… Also called Ramping up the weight
…each set prepares you for the last set or your true RM for that range
Same reps per set… Just increase the weight
5 X 185
5 X 195
5 X 205
…etc.?
Anyways there are a bunch of threads like this… just search ramping up, pyramiding, or “straight sets”…
I think there was a thread last week or so???
hope that helps.
k ill look and yea the first thing you said was what i ment. Not ramping
I think if it worked for bodybuilders before it should work for them now.
Most of the bodybuilders I know of pyramid most of their sets to a top working weight.
[quote]crod266 wrote:
does anyone around here still use pyramid training or is it kinda outdated?[/quote]
I fucking do… along with the occasional straight-set, waves of all shapes and sizes, flat-pyramids… i try use alot of loading patterns. It keeps it fun.
i like to use pyramid training
Both pyramiding and straight sets have given me results.
For me personally, I used pyramid style training when I first started training in the early 80’s.
I think there are better loading parameters out now, pyramid training and wave loading are inferior.
Check out this article by Eric Cressey:
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/performance_training/it_looked_good_on_paper&cr=
The loading parameters he describes are more beneficial.
However, I should note-my training is more geared toward power training and strength training. So I can’t commit to 100% accuracy if pyramid training works for bodybuilding.
[quote]varnish wrote:
For me personally, I used pyramid style training when I first started training in the early 80’s.
I think there are better loading parameters out now, pyramid training and wave loading are inferior.
Check out this article by Eric Cressey:
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/performance_training/it_looked_good_on_paper&cr=
The loading parameters he describes are more beneficial.
However, I should note-my training is more geared toward power training and strength training. So I can’t commit to 100% accuracy if pyramid training works for bodybuilding.[/quote]
For bodybuilding and strength, it is good every 6-8 weeks to “change it up” (i hate that saying) and the different loading protocols we have now compared to 20years ao-gives us a great way to change the density/~intensity/volume of a workout.
I do use pyramid loading, as i use others as i said, but i think it is the DIFFERENCE often that is the benefit.
For strength training alone however, there are simply more effective loading protocols available now over a linear pyramid (but i still like it, and use it [sometimes] for pure strength!)
But it still has its place in a session and always will i think - alot like straight sets still do.
Joe
[quote]Joe Brook wrote:
varnish wrote:
For me personally, I used pyramid style training when I first started training in the early 80’s.
I think there are better loading parameters out now, pyramid training and wave loading are inferior.
Check out this article by Eric Cressey:
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/performance_training/it_looked_good_on_paper&cr=
The loading parameters he describes are more beneficial.
However, I should note-my training is more geared toward power training and strength training. So I can’t commit to 100% accuracy if pyramid training works for bodybuilding.
For bodybuilding and strength, it is good every 6-8 weeks to “change it up” (i hate that saying) and the different loading protocols we have now compared to 20years ao-gives us a great way to change the density/~intensity/volume of a workout.
I do use pyramid loading, as i use others as i said, but i think it is the DIFFERENCE often that is the benefit.
For strength training alone however, there are simply more effective loading protocols available now over a linear pyramid (but i still like it, and use it [sometimes] for pure strength!)
But it still has its place in a session and always will i think - alot like straight sets still do.
Joe
[/quote]
Excellent points Joe.
If you think something like pyramid training would be out dated then you have bigger issues to worry about.
I’ll mix it up.
Some I do Straight 5x (x)
Other days I’ll do 10,8,6,4,2
I find if I switch it back and forth in a week when working the same muscle group 2x’s a week I get better results…
If you keep on adding weight, why wont pyramids work as well as any other method?
EDIT: I think that an often overlooked factor, is that there are some people who cant gain strength in great strides by doing the same exercises, in the same order, week after week.
Those people would benefit more of a scheme of rotating exercises in my opinion.
I know i do. If some of the posters already do this, and are looking for ways of further improving their strength gains, forgive my ignorance.
I acually asked this question becasue I was debating weather I should pyramid squats or not
Well, I do often.