Switching from Reverse Pyramid to Normal Pyramid?

[dt79]

@Vanch

The way I’ve been using pyramids though is by taking every set to failure or at least close to failure. Granted, doing this may cause me to have to use lower weight for my heaviest set, but from a volume point of view I get a lot more volume doing it this way than I would if I treated the first several sets as warmups. I tend to keep my warmups separate from my work sets, and don’t like the idea of having them built into the exercise itself, and only having ONE true work set right at the very end.

You are vastly overthinking this shit. I don’t normally have a fixed plan on what exercises I have to do when I go to the gym. If I use a cable exercise that I’ve not done in a long time, I’ll start at a light weight with higher reps to see how the weight feels. Then I gradually add a couple of plates each set until I reach a weight which is challenging. Then I may do another set or 2 with the same weight, or add weight in smaller increments than previous sets depending on how I feel. If I reach failure during the next set, then it’s over. If not, I will do another set.

It’s this simple. I don’t count the number of sets. My reps can range from 6-15 for the top sets depending on how I feel that day. I may just work up in sets of 10 reps because I sometimes forget what number comes after 10, decide the next set will be my final set, and get 12 reps for my top set. When I know I’m done, I’m done.