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Pyramid Training

Pyramid Training For Safely Building Muscle And Strength

If you are looking for a safe, effective way to build muscle and increase your strength when bodybuilding, look no further than pyramid training. This unique training method not only minimizes the likelihood of injuries but also makes it possible to see fast muscle gains.

The basic concept behind pyramid training is fairly simple. It has to do with the relationship between the amount of weight that you lift and the number of reps that you do. In essence, the "base" of the pyramid starts out with light weights and a lot of reps. With each successive set, the amount of weight increases and the number of reps decreases.

The best way to understand this concept is probably with an example. Imagine, if you will, that you are doing dumbbell bicep curls. You might use the following training routine:

Set 1 - 12-15 reps with 15 pounds
Set 2 - 10-12 reps with 20 pounds
Set 3 - 8-10 reps with 25 pounds
Set 4 - 4-6 reps with 30 pounds

As the amount of weight increases, the number of reps decreases. Not only does this challenge the muscles enough to build strength but it also helps prevent injuries by allowing the muscles to fully warm up before you start lifting extremely heavy weights.

As an added bonus, because the early sets help increase blood flow to your muscles, you will be at your full lifting strength by the time you reach the heavier sets. This will allow you to put maximum effort into each rep, getting the greatest possible gains each time you work out.

There are, however, some essential tips that you need to keep in mind. First, the light sets that you start out with need to be light enough that you don't reach muscular fatigue. If you work too hard during the early sets, your muscles will be overworked by the time you get to the heavier sets and you won't be able to give them your full effort. You may need to experiment with different weight combinations to find out which ones give you a good workout without causing your muscles to fatigue too early.

You can also experiment with doing descending pyramid sets. In essence, you simply reverse the process, doing heavy sets with very few reps at the beginning of your workout. Then, slowly decrease the weight and increase the number of reps with each subsequent set. The benefit of this is that it allows you to do your heavy reps at the beginning of your workout when your muscles are still fresh. Of course, you still need to thoroughly warm-up before you start in order to minimize the risk of injury.

If you are looking for a way to quickly build strength and increase the amount of muscle mass in your body, pyramid training could be a great solution. The next time you work out, give this technique a try. You may be surprised by just how quickly you start seeing results.

Jan Jattne is a weight loss and health professional and the CEO of fit80. Check out Your3WeekDietSystem.com to learn more about his fast and effective weight loss plan.

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