Reverse Pyramid Workout?

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: MrEko74
Date: April 28, 2009 at 05:32 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/reverse-pyramid-workout.13003/

Hey, I'm a pretty knowledgeable lifter, but this one confuses me. My coach in high school made us do 12 reps, 10 reps, 8 reps of weights that was hard for us (so at the 12th, 10th, and 8th reps we would be struggling). Then from 8 reps, we would repeat the same 10 rep set and 12 rep set again. What is the purpose of this type of weight training? Benefits? Cons? I tried looking for information on the net but couldn't find anything!

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Johnny419
Date: April 28, 2009 at 09:11 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/reverse-pyramid-workout.13003/

The recent issue of Muscle and Fitness just did an article on pyramid workouts, try to pick up a copy. If I wasn't in class right now and had it handy I would go more in depth.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Origin761
Date: April 28, 2009 at 06:10 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/reverse-pyramid-workout.13003/

This will be partially from knowledge I had and partially from the aforementioned article. I wouldn't consider that workout a reverse pyramid but a regular pyramid or triangle pyramid in the article. Obviously it is very high intensity and volume. Most people do 3-4 sets of about 10 reps which equals 30-40 total reps. This is 5 sets of 52 reps which is more total volume. Most high volume workouts are at a high intensity and low weight. This is a high volume workout with high intensity and heavy weight. Typically high volume = pump and endurance where high weight = strength, you get both with a pyramid. With this you get your muscles warmed up (first 12 reps) for your eventual heavy weight (from the article).
I use pyramid training from time to time (never like to do anything the same too much) and it works well. Last time I did a pyramid was on a chest day with smith machine flat bench (no spotter, don't need to drop a bar on me). It was an inverted pyramid where I went from reps of 4-6-8-10-10-8-6-4. If I were to do a regular pyramid it would look like 10-8-6-4-4-6-8-10 both of which equal 56 total reps.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: MrEko74
Date: April 29, 2009 at 01:12 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/reverse-pyramid-workout.13003/

Thanks a lot. Now I know why I'm doing what I'm doing.