you guys ever NOT go up in lb during sets?

[HERACLES]

So I was training triceps. Startd with rope extensions- elbows out- kinda how Jay does his elbows out press downs..gotta good warm up/pump and moved on to skullcrushers.

I slapped on 45s on each side..did like 10 burning reps...then i go stright to a close grip press with it, and get as many as I can get..thats a set.. I could of went up in 10 lb increments, but i stuck to the same weight because it was feeling really good- didnt think it was worth sacrificing a few reps and some form for heavier weight..

Thats the topic, im not gonna blaab about the rest of my workout..you guys ever do this? I wonder if pros ever do the same.. (not pyramid all the time)

Tim

[buffbong]

it depends on exersizes like squats and deads its kinda nesscary to prymid. yea its good on some exersizes if you can throw on a heavy wieght and do 3sets of ten. definatly a good technique to use say your gym has 120 pound dumbells and u can do them for 10. u maybe not be able to go any heavier but doing them for 3sets of ten is alot more work than one set. ok ill stop babling...

[pumpster]

Almost always I do what you've described, keeping the weight the same. Intensity can be achieved through increase in weight, increase in reps or changes in the amount of rest times. All should be tried for a while before deciding which is more effective.

As long as you warm up well first, an ascending pyramid as you mentioned in which the weight is gradually increased is no better than a descending pyramid in which the heaviest weight is done on the first real set, or sets where the weight's kept constant and the reps are the variable instead.

[sarcasm]

sometimes me and a friend of mine do a Beverly International type program where we take a big basic movement and do 5 sets of 6 and sometimes we'll go up in 5 or 10 pound increments and sometimes we'll keep the weight the same, yesterday i helped him with lying extensions and he started with a 45 per side then added a ten then another ten then another ten and kept the weight the same for the last two sets.

[HERACLES]

sometimes me and a friend of mine do a Beverly International type program where we take a big basic movement and do 5 sets of 6 and sometimes we'll go up in 5 or 10 pound increments and sometimes we'll keep the weight the same, yesterday i helped him with lying extensions and he started with a 45 per side then added a ten then another ten then another ten and kept the weight the same for the last two sets.

Yeah I usually go up to a quarter too, but those lying extensions sometimes give me a stinger in my elbow..so im afraid to go too heavy even if i can..I always wanted to get to 2 45s on each side, but the most was the 45 and a 25 on each side, for some reps..

But staying the same weight did feel good..trying to follow what jay does with form, reps, etc.. checking my ego at the door, working for lots of reps, and pump and burn...well see..

[gtbro1]

Yeah I usually go up to a quarter too, but those lying extensions sometimes give me a stinger in my elbow..so im afraid to go too heavy even if i can..I always wanted to get to 2 45s on each side, but the most was the 45 and a 25 on each side, for some reps..

But staying the same weight did feel good..trying to follow what jay does with form, reps, etc.. checking my ego at the door, working for lots of reps, and pump and burn...well see..

That is a great exercise,but if you are getting pain in the elbows,you should use caution.If you know your form is good,it could be that they are just an awkward exercise for your body...but seems like once you screw your elbows up,they are never right again...sorta like a shoulder injury.Just my opinion.

[BallzDeep69]

As a natrual trainer like yourself, I only pryramid up when I'm doing my warm-ups, and maybe a moderate set before I get to my heavy working weight.  That weight I will do for 2 sets, hitting complete failure on that second set, and sometimes I will lower the weight after that and do a drop set, or whatever.  By then I've stimulate that part of the muscle fully, and doing anymore is just burning up glycogen calories and prolonging recovery etc. 

[alexxx]

Only strong men like myself can pyramid up. Amateurs such as you herascels are not able to do that.

[HERACLES]

I pyramid all the time ( I.E squats- 135x2 for 20 then 225, 275, 315, 405,465) , but just saying I "stayed" and they felt good.

I dont get much pain anymore..I went nuts one day on pressdowns, I discovered on days you feel SUPER STRONG are the dangeroud injury days. I was pressing some big weight, felt good, but then laster in the week my elbow hurt...funny thing it never bothered me in pressing movements for chest or shoulders, only if i tried to do a skullcrusher, and heavy pressdowns.. thank god its gone now..and feeling fine..

[Sculpter]

Classic straight sets training!Train w/straight sets style for 3-4 mnths.Only up the weight once you can get your 10-12 reps w/a set weight for all 3-4 sets,not counting the warm ups.After this go back to a mass routine w/pyramidding of your weights & i'll bet ya you'll notice all your weights poundage from the last time you trained in the pyramid style will have gone up.

[BallzDeep69]

I like going heavy, like 2 sets of 6-8 reps for bench presses, so I use a weight I can do for atleast 2 sets of 6 meaning I just about hit failure on the second set.  I'll stay with that weight until I get 2 sets of 8.  This way I stay heavy and get the deep-down muscle fibers, and only go to failure on the 2nd set.  3-4 sets for 10-12 reps with the same light weight would feel like a waste of time, sure I'd get a great pump but that's about it.  I wouldn't expect any solid growth from reps that high.

[Sculpter]

Did I mention the weight being used? Should be w/as much weight as possible in good form.I'm 1 of those ppl. that believe you should go as heavy as possible in all your training as long as you show proper form, even on the so called sissy "shaping" exercises.

[GoneAway]

I'll stay with the same weight if I can't get the rep range I want by going higher.

[WOOO]

i think the key is "the ends justify the means"... if you exhaust the muscle completely by not increasing the weight then you have been successful... I had a squat day like this 2 weeks ago.  315 felt heavy and I just didn't want to go heavier, so I did 3 sets of 12 with it and moved on to heavy leg presses... it makes no difference how much weight you are lifting, what matters is how the muscle feels

especially when dieting (like you are Herc), the key is to get in enough reps, not using the most weight, to help speed the fat burning process

[dontknowit]

Only strong men like myself can pyramid up. Amateurs such as you herascels are not able to do that.

Try german volume, and reconsider your thought. 10x10 with a decent weight.

And strength is relative. An 160lbs kickboxer would kick your ass.
BB are like ferraricars missing an essential part,
the transmission.

[Oldschool Flip]

Depends, right now I'm doing the 8x8 method. 8 sets 8 reps with a 20 to 30 second rest in between to boost metabolism and get a lot of blood volume in the muscle. I use almost the same weight for all 8 sets.

[Dos Equis]

Depends on what your goal is.  If you're trying to add mass, then you have to pyramid (i.e., use progressive resistance).

[Beefy]

Depends on what your goal is.  If you're trying to add mass, then you have to pyramid (i.e., use progressive resistance).

 

[Lil Diesel]

For major exercises like bench press or dead lifts, I do 2 warm up sets, pyramiding the weight up. Then I go as heavy as I can for a certain amount of reps and go downwards (rep-wise) from there. Like a certain weight, going from 12-10-8-6 reps as the sets progress.
I do also pyramid, but not always. I prefer to go all out after warming-up if I can.

[BallzDeep69]

Did I mention the weight being used? Should be w/as much weight as possible in good form.I'm 1 of those ppl. that believe you should go as heavy as possible in all your training as long as you show proper form, even on the so called sissy "shaping" exercises.

My point is, that if you don't hit failure until your third set of 10-12 reps of a certain weight, what was the point in the first 2 sets?  They couldn't have been much of a challenge!?  I say go extra heavy after you're fully warmed, then do your lighter 10-12 rep sets after the heavies. 

[Hedgehog]

I will warm up with a light weight, then do a few acclimation singles "on the way up".

And then do all my working sets with the same weight, typically 5 sets.

YIP
Zack

[BallzDeep69]

So you don't hit failure till the 5th set?  Am I missing something here?  What exacly was the point in the first 4 sets then?  They couldn't have been hard.

[Hedgehog]

So you don't hit failure till the 5th set?  Am I missing something here?  What exacly was the point in the first 4 sets then?  They couldn't have been hard.

I never train to failure.

You could try doing 5 sets of 3 reps in the benchpress with a weight which is approx 10-15 lbs under your 3RM. Rest 4-7 minutes between sets.

Then you'll get a good idea of how I train.

YIP
Zack

[mombasa3]

    Even though I have always pyramided up, I will simply take a week where I leave the weight the same and try to get as many clean reps as I can.  There have been times, for no particular reason. on a certain movement, I will do exactly as you described. 
    My whole point is, I'm in it for the long haul, been lifting for over 25 years.  I'm doing this because I love it and I'm just having fun.  I tend to get bored easily and it helps with that. 
    If only I can make the dieting less boring.