choosing work set weight?

drinkinmilk · 12-05-2007, 12:34 PM

I can not find anything in the book letting me know if we are supposed to pyramid up to one heavy work set or are all the work sets supposed to be the same weight?

stingo · 12-05-2007, 02:51 PM

Do some practice sets and determine the number of reps you can do with a given weight. When I choose my starting weight, I choose the one I can do the prescribed number of reps + 1. If 5 reps are prescribed, I could do 6, but not 7.

drinkinmilk · 12-05-2007, 03:00 PM

I understand how to select a weight, what I don't understand is with this program do you use the same weight for all your worksets or do you pyramid up to a max weight?

Aoife · 12-05-2007, 03:14 PM

You're trying to find a weight you're mostly able to do for all the sets. If you need to up the weight because it's too light or drop it because it's too much, that's fine... but you're looking for a consistent weight for the most part... One you can do for the number of sets shown.

Usually if you can do one set with a given weight, you can do more with the rest prescribed. Maybe your last set would need to be dropped, or maybe you don't get the last coupla reps, but by and large it should work out that way.

If you are lifting pretty heavy, you may want/need warmup sets, those would be before the sets written, the sets written are work sets.

Lisa~ · 12-05-2007, 04:21 PM

They're straight sets, not pyramid sets.

Bar weight increases are required as the prescribed reps are reduced as you go through the programs. But you're still doing straight sets for the prescribed set/rep scheme.

drinkinmilk · 12-05-2007, 04:27 PM

That is what I figured, then I looked at the sample training log and it jumped by 10 lbs. every set.
Thanks to everyone for their input

Lisa~ · 12-05-2007, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drinkinmilk

That is what I figured, then I looked at the sample training log and it jumped by 10 lbs. every set.
Thanks to everyone for their input

I think that the sample training log, which is a sample day for the Break-In workout, is trying to show a beginner how to find an appropriate weight and how to manipulate the set/rep scheme to find appropriate loads. It's showing how if you get all 15, you need to go up, you need to start the next time with a higher weight. On that sample, they didn't find an appropriate seated cable row load until the second set of the second workout. It's showing how the reps might drop off during a third set, etc. It's a teaching tool related to the Q&A's on the adjacent page teaching how to use trial and error to figure out appropriate loads.

If you've already been lifting (and just based on you knowing what pyramid sets ARE I bet you have been, lol) then I can see how that was confusing for you.