How to Implement a Pyramid Weight Lifting Strategy

Lifting weights can be a very difficult process, particularly when it comes to waiting for results. Implementing a pyramid weight lifting strategy, however, can help any type of weight lifter to break through plateaus and achieve the best possible results. Here is how to implement a pyramid weight lifting strategy into any resistance exercise you currently do.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Determining Your Basic Information

1. First of all, you need to make sure that you’re healthy enough to begin high-stress weight lifting. See a doctor and make certain that you’re healthy enough to begin pyramid weight lifting at all. Only proceed to the next steps once you’ve made sure that your blood pressure is all right, and that all other relevant medical issues are cleared in your case.
2. Before beginning you must determine a decent starting point for you in terms of your pyramid weight lifting strategy. For example, let's take the bench press as our standard exercise. Go to the gym and do a workout in which you see what weight you can comfortably bench press 10 times. Whatever that weight is, it will be your pyramid’s starting point.
3. Make sure that you rest yourself completely before actually beginning the pyramid lifting. If you are at all sore on the first day it may vary your results a great deal.

Implementing Your Pyramid Weight Lifting Strategy

4. Now, to begin the actual pyramid weight lifting. Here’s our first set of what will eventually be a five-set strategy. Take your starting weight, let’s say 150 lbs, and do one set of 10 repetitions. After this set, take a 2-3 minute break to allow your muscles to recover.
5. For your second set, add about 10% to your initial weight. So, in our example, 10% of 150 lbs is 15 lbs. So, the second set of our pyramid weight lifting strategy would be 150 lbs plus 15 lbs, which equals out to 165 lbs. For this set, try to get in 8 repetitions.
6. The third set will add another 10% of our starting weight. Therefore, we end up with 180 lbs, because 165 lbs plus 15 lbs equals 180 lbs. For this set you ought to be able to do 6 repetitions.
7. For your fourth set, you will repeat your second set. This is where you really begin to see the essence of how a pyramid weight lifting strategy works. Once again, do a set of 8 repetitions with 165 lbs. You’ll find that this set is much more difficult in comparison to the second set, all due to muscle fatigue. If you cannot accomplish 8 reps, do as many as you can.
8. The final set, the fifth one, is simply a repeat of the first. Once again, try to do 10 repetitions at 150 lbs. Doing so will be far more difficult than it originally was. If you can’t do all 10, simply do as many as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep moving up your weight level from time to time as these exercises become easier.
• You’ll gain muscle and strength much faster by using a pyramid weight lifting strategy because it shocks your muscle tissue into growth.
• Also, if you seem to reach a plateau, then switch up your lifting strategy and come back to the pyramid strategy later.
• Always employ the use of a spotter for this, or any other, high-stress weight lifting strategy. Lifting weights is inherently dangerous, but using a spotter minimizes this risk immensely.
• As stated above, do not begin this exercise program, or any other, without first consulting a physician.