Arnold Schwarzenegger is well-known to advocate the power of the pyramid. You can also adopt the principles and practices that has made him one of the most famous professional bodybuilders in modern history.
You can choose from among three types of pyramid principles and then alternate them to challenge your muscles. Keep in mind that the key to successful bodybuilding lies in confusing your muscles, so to speak, so that its muscle growth can be optimized instead of plateauing much too soon. You should also perform these exercises in a fully-equipped commercial gym like Equinox so that you have a wide range of equipment to choose from.
Ascending Pyramid
In this type, you will basically increase the weights and decrease the reps – or increasing the weight lifted with each successive set. You will then have a great mix of high-, moderate-, and low-rep training resulting in your muscles being thoroughly exhausted after your workout.
For example, if you are doing 4 sets of shoulder presses, your workout will consist of:
- First set – Choose a weight that will allow for 16 reps easily
- Second set – Increase the weight by at least 10 pounds for 12 reps
- Third set – Add more weight so that you fail at 8 reps
- Fourth set – Select a very heavy weight so as to fail at 4 reps
Descending Pyramid
In a descending pyramid, you will decrease the weight but increase the number of reps. The rationale behind it is that you will get a combination of low- and high-rep training but with a difference than in an ascending pyramid – your muscles are relatively rested for your low-rep set, thus, allowing for more weight.
During your first set, you should lift the heaviest weight for your session and limit to 5 to 6 reps. For each successive set, you will decrease the weight but perform more reps such that by the fourth set, you are already doing 15 to 20 reps.
Triangle Pyramid
In this type, you are combining the ascending and descending types for a giant pyramid of strength training session. Keep these tips in mind:
- Begin with a lighter weight and perform an ascending pyramid of 4 reps.
- Go back down in t weight in the same manner that you came up.
- Get more sets while getting a higher volume, which means building more muscle.
In time, you will observe more gains in muscle mass and size than with other workout programs. You can thank The Terminator for giving you the idea for it!