Thread: Pyramid principle Stacking of weights - advice please

Hiya All,

Another question:

RE:Hard gainers
"Loads of warm up sets needed. Pyramid principle wrt to increasing the weights. then do 4 sets at max weight. Do AT LEAST 8 reps for best muscle growth effect - as opposed to strength gains......."


Right, thats what I read.... However....

Coming back to weights after Long layoff.... I'm running out of steam quite early. (Especially with regards to Bench Press and Barlbell press.)


Onto the last one or 2 sets, I'm not able to knock out 8 reps.....


What Should i do about this?:
1. Reduce my MAX WEIGHT, and adjust my pyramid warmups accordingly
2. Keep at that MAX WEIGHT, for max effort during session, and just reduce my last 2 sets accordingly - to push out at least 8 reps?


I've discovered that if I do reduce my weight for the last one or 2 sets, I get a really good set in. Max effort, keeping good form, and I can feel the exercised muscles burn!


Is this reducing of Max weight, for the last 2 sets, a false economy and just bit of an ego boost? Or is it a standard body building technique?


Pleae advise if I'm wasting my time with this idea.... and what I should be doing - as a hard gainer...


Cheers Guys
Martin

I always use the max amount of weight i can, while keeping in mind how many sets i am going to do for a given exercise so that i can finish all the sets without dropping the weight. I would kill a few of those warmup sets, probably 4 out of the 5. Not a bad idea to start off slow after a big layoff, but your going to want to lift as heavy as you can to maximize gains. Obviously gauge what you feel you can do to prevent a strain or a torn muscle. In my opinion, you last set should be as heavy as you can go, doing no more than 6 reps. If you can do more than 6 on you last set, i believe you not using enough weight.