Thread: I have a very stupid quesition about pyramiding

I think either way is is pyramiding, but there's also stripping, when you're doing reps with a given weight and you can't do anymore, then you lower the weight and do some more reps, lower, more reps.

As I said though, I think up or down is pyramiding, as long as when you increase the weight you decrease the reps, vice versa.

they both are .. pyramiding up and pyramiding down...

both ways work ... there are no stupid questions only stupid answers ...

which 1 is best for what?

i'm guessing pyramiding up is better for building as your adding weight each set, pyramiding down better for toning as the weight iss goin down and your either adding reps or your having little rest so its getting more intense

actually pyramiding is when you go up and then down in weights.

example: 4x10, 4x12, 4x15, 4x12, 4x10reps

We used to d a "pyramid" at school we're we'd go like 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps, 2 reps, and a max. We would increase the weight at as went so we would be doing a max lift by the end. Most of the guys on the team saw some good results from this, both in size and strenght, but you have to be disciplined and not pussy out on the first few sets. I've actually seen guys do better maxes at the end of a pyramid then if they did it only after 1 warm up set or so, but I can't explain it. What I will say is if you wanna put on some serious size fast then workouts designed for HS football players could be just what you're looking for.

Originally posted by dumbell
Are you supposed to go up in weight or down in weight when pyramiding? Told you it was a stupid question.

The only stupid question is the question not asked.

95% of the time when you read something where they say to pyramid your sets they mean going UP in weight. If it were to mean going down in weight it would be an inverted pyramid.
Dropping weight every set are called: DROP SETS

ok it's official and not just my assumption, I just looked up Pyramiding in the "Dictionary of Bodybuilding Terminologies" Sorry kids but again FIRE HITS the Target!!!
"Pyramiding: The act of increasing your poundage while decreasing your repititions on successive sets of a specific excercise."

I said that ;/
I just figured that since it's pretty much the same ideology only reversed it might still be considered pyramiding :P

We need less bricks on the top of pyramid right. If the bricks were the poundage...

In my understanding pyramiding is starting an exercise with a fairly low weight on the first set and increasing weight every set thereafter to max load then coming back down.Of course lower reps at max weight.Sometimes I'll do 12-10-8-6-8-10 but depends on how many sets.I also might do a couple different exercises for same muscle in a stack.Which means up with one position and down with a slightly different one.
It's fun to try different ways to pump up.Or the whole group workout can be pyramided with one muscle group at a time.I like to reach max and stay there with different exercises as long as possible using heavy weight.But this is just me of course.It can get boring doing the same old workout every time.
I say build a strong foundation and put some heavy stones on top.

kdwa1...yep thats what i was thinking too i will get to the bottom of this

Originally posted by kdwa1
In my understanding pyramiding is starting an exercise with a fairly low weight on the first set and increasing weight every set thereafter to max load then coming back down.Of course lower reps at max weight.

and you're correct!

hence the term "pyramid", think of the shape.

J'Bo :P

Originally posted by NOTD
I said that ;/
I just figured that since it's pretty much the same ideology only reversed it might still be considered pyramiding :P

And ya want to know something???? Honestly,,,who cares what you call it as long as you know what your doing! As far as I'm concerned Your correct too. Wether you call it a pyramid or an inverted pyramid,, it's still a pyramid regardless.

The only importand thing really is that the person hearing the term used by lets say a "trainer" or a written workout from a book is that they understand that persons definition of the word.

If I were say: go do 3 sets of standing curls and pyramid your sets you would have to either be able to read my mind or assume what I'm asking you to do.

Originally posted by moon
We need less bricks on the top of pyramid right. If the bricks were the poundage...

or if the bricks were the reps! "point to ponder" lol

Definitions give us a common understanding and guideline in relation to a subject thus the creation of terminology as a basis for communication.So I would say that it does matter what we call everything pretty much.Just an idea to ponder.

pyramiding is adding the weight lowering the reps (think about it, more bricks/stones on the bottom so you start with more reps, as you go up you need less bricks so reps decrease)

dropping the weight and increasing reps are drop-sets

i think firestorm has it sussed

Well I agree with young d. who also agrees with me. WE WIN!!!! HAHAHAHA

I see...pyramiding is building and lifting a pyramid piece by piece.
but who is the king everytime we build a pyramid..

A normal pyramid scheme would look like this.

12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps etc.
4 reps etc.
2 reps etc.

In reverse pyramiding you would do the opposite. , you would start with a heavy weight that you could lift 2-4 reps with, and then progressively get lighter and lighter.

I think we got it all figured now pretty much whatever you want to call it and however you choose to define it.Happy lifting guys.