[quote]BrickHead wrote:
[quote]jt339 wrote:
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
[quote]jt339 wrote:
I use straight sets on pretty much everything, try to change the range when I stall which is usually quite quickly.
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This might very well be one of your biggest problems, especially if you are doing it with compound exercises you have decent strength levels for.
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I had thought of this too. I just don’t understand the pyramiding shit of 20, 15, 12, 10 and then top set. That seems like you would be greatly weakened by the time you hit your working weight. Something I might do would be 10, 8, 5, 3 then my work sets of 3x8.[/quote]
Pyramiding like that is outdated and not what most experience people do. Look at training videos of top bodybuilders, Dorian Yates for example, to get a gist of what working up to a top set or two looks like. What they usually do a is a flat pyramid. That is, after a few light warmup sets, doing all sets of a compound exercise with the same reps but increasing the weight, in the same way Spidey talks about ramping up with a 5 x 5 protocol.
Just for example, say for your main set you use 300 pounds for ten reps.
Perhaps you might work up like this.
95 x 10
135 x 10
185 x 10
225 x 10
245 x 10
275 x 10
300 x 10
The first few set are very light and are true warmup sets. The rest are “working warmups” and only the last two are difficult. The last set is a good, difficult set, but not a grinding death set.
For less strenuous exercise you can do straight sets with weights that allow you to perform all sets in a given rep range. It’s easier to repeat sets with the same weight for the same reps with less taxing exercises, face pulls or triceps pressdowns say.
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Gotta say I’ve seen plenty program in a pyramid like you said was outdated. JM and Shelby both love doing them. Works well IMO
OP write out your workouts for a week with weight and youe diet