This is part two of an article where I will be discussing staying in your strength zone when using precision point training methods. Staying in your strength zone simply refers to doing reps and sets as long as you are at full strength, but no longer.
In the last article, I explained that the number of sets you can do within your strength zone is based upon repeating sets as long as you are as strong as you were on your first work-set. You should stop doing sets for a body part when reach a set where your strength drops. This is easy to figure out when repeating sets of the same exercise with the same amount of weight because you will eventually reach a set where the number of reps you can do will drop, which signals a decrease in strength. If you choose to vary the amount of weight used on each work-set, the number of sets that you can do at full strength will be about the same as when you don’t vary the weight on each set. (See the previous article for a full explanation)
Your Strength Zone When using More Than One Exercise
The same concept also holds true if you want to use more than one exercise for the same body part during a workout. For example, if Jim decides to train his legs, and he already knows that he can stay at maximum strength for a total of three sets of squats, he’ll find that if he does a total of three different exercise for one set each, he will still be in his strength zone. However, one thing that can factor into doing different exercises for the same body part is the issue of warm-up sets. One concept is to only do warm-up sets for the first exercise. Since the body part being worked should already be warmed up from the first exercise, you can go straight into work-sets for the other exercises without warm-ups. The other concept is to do warm-up sets preceding each exercise of the same body part. The pyramid method is a very popular way to accomplish this, but if it is not applied correctly, it can take you out of your strength zone before you ever reach the first work-set of your first exercise. Further explanation is needed which will be given in part 3.
Part 3: Pyramiding Properly
The pyramid method of working up in weight from one set to the next is about the easiest thing to goof up when it comes to staying within your strength zone. You must put your ego aside when warming up correctly because it means starting out with light weights; way lighter than many lifters want to be seen lifting in public. The idea is not only to warmup your muscles, but to add extra training volume to your workout without compromising your strength when you eventually build up to a work-set where you push to your marker rep.
Start Out Light and Easy
I have shown this video of Ronnie Coleman doing squats in a previous article, but what I’m trying to point out on this occasion is that he is starting out with 135 pounds in the squat. This is easy for Ronnie as it is less than 20% of 800 pounds which is his best squat. I would advise anyone who pyramids their weights to start out with a very easy weight like Ronnie does.
Even when Ronnie works up to 400 pounds, it is still only about 50% of what he can lift when he’s at peak strength. The point is to use weights that are easy for you to lift on your warm-up sets so that you don’t tire yourself out by the time you work your way up to a heavier weight where you are going to push yourself.
Warm-Up Sets Add Extra Training Volume
We can look at an example of warm-up sets that allow you to stay within your strength zone across three different exercises. A lifter may choose to do three warm-up sets for squats, three warm-up sets for leg presses, and three warm-up sets for front squats. This adds up to nine warm-up sets which is a good way to raise your total training volume without burning out. Some people don’t think that light warm-up sets have any training effect at all in regard to helping a person gain strength, I hugely disagree. I believe warm-up sets are an actual part of the workout, especially if you perform the reps forcefully in combination with high frequency training.
If you were going to use the pyramid method for each of the three leg exercises we’ve discussed, and one of your goals is to stay within your strength zone through the entire leg workout, an example of using the pyramid method for each exercise would be as follows:
First set: 1 x 12 reps using 25% to 30% of your one rep max weight.
Second set: 1 x 8 reps using 35% to 40% of your one rep max weight
Third set: 1 x 5 reps using 50% to 55% of your one rep max weight
Forth set: 1 x 8 reps: Use a weight where you hit your marker rep on your 8th rep.
Notice the low weight percentages when warming up, and that the number of reps must be low when warming up with over 50% of your one rep max. If you truly follow this advice, your warm-up sets should feel easy. This is very, very important. Do warm-up sets, but don’t burn yourself out when doing them! If you are working up to a weight of more than 75% of your one rep max, you may want to add in an extra warm-up set of two or three reps in addition to the warm-up sets I listed. Lifters who have a huge one rep max may require more warm-up sets.
Summing it Up
To summarize all of this discussion about staying in your strength zone, if you are doing more than one exercise for the same body part, warming up for each exercise is not always necessary. You can warmup for the first exercise and move straight into the other exercises without warm-up sets. However, if you want to warmup for each exercise, you may find some benefit from the extra training volume as long as you are careful not to burn yourself out on warm-up sets before you ever get to your main work-sets. Until next time, consider whether or not you are training in your strength zone and best of training to you.