A series of progressive increases of any training variable can be referred to as a training ramp for that variable.
A Loading Ramp
You can ramp up on weight which most people refer to as loading.
Ramp Up on Sets
You can ramp up on sets by doing more sets per muscle group over a series of workouts.
Ramp Up on Frequency
You can also ramp up on frequency by doing more workouts per muscle group over time.
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A Triple Ramp
If you were to ramp up on load, sets, and frequency at the same time, you would be doing a triple ramp.
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A Triple Ramp Requires Careful Planning
The procedures for implementing a triple ramp into your training will be explained in this article.
Of course, some will ask if it is wise to incorporate a triple ramp into a training plan. Wouldn’t it lead to overtraining? The answer is that it can definitely lead to overtraining unless you are very careful in regard to how you plan your triple ramp.
There is a minimum amount of training that is needed to trigger strength and muscle size. There is also a maximum amount of training that you can tolerate while still maintaining the ability to gain strength and size. If you can start a three-week training cycle with the minimum amount of training that you need to trigger strength and size, and work your way up to the maximum amount of training that you can tolerate while still gaining strength and size, then you can create a triple ramp that stimulates strength and size. So how do you do this? You must start with training thresholds including the strong rep threshold and the strong set threshold. The thresholds must also be combined with the correct training frequency. These thresholds will be explained one at a time within the context of how to use them when designing a triple ramp. This will be followed by a discussion of how training frequency should be adjusted throughout a triple ramp.
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The Strong Rep Threshold
Strong reps are reps that can be repeated while maintaining a steady even rep pace within the same set. If you exceed your capacity to maintain a steady even rep pace, you will cross over the strong rep threshold and begin doing weak reps. Weak reps are the slower reps that occur at the end of a set when you can no longer maintain a steady even rep pace within the same set.
The Limit Rep and Marker Rep
If you perform as many strong reps as possible, it means that you will be doing as many even paced reps as possible before your rep speed starts to slow down. The last rep that you can perform while maintaining a steady even rep pace is called your limit rep as it is the limit of strong reps that you can perform in a set. If you continue past your limit rep, the next rep will be a weak rep and is called your marker rep. The marker rep marks the transition from strong reps to your first weak rep within a set. So how does this apply to a triple ramp?
Designing a Loading Ramp
The triple ramp is divided into three weeks. When training for the first week, you must select a weight that allows you to perform the number of reps you are planning on doing, while also causing you to stop your sets one rep before you reach your limit rep. This means if you are doing ten reps per set, the weight you select must cause you to stop one rep short of the maximum number of strong reps that you can perform using a steady even rep pace. When starting the second week, you should increase the weight by 2% to 3% (normally five to ten pounds). This will cause your tenth rep to be your limit rep, which is the last strong rep that you can perform within each set. When starting the third week, you should increase the weight by another 2% to 3% while doing ten reps again. The increase in weight should cause you to hit your tenth rep when you reach your first weak rep, which is your marker rep.
The process of adding weight across three weeks is what makes up the loading ramp portion of triple ramp.
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Guidelines and Summary of The Loading Ramp
To summarize the loading ramp process, we will imagine you will be performing ten reps per set for three weeks. Each week must grow progressively heavier, and you should select a weight for each week that causes you to stop your set according to the following guidelines:
Week 1: Choose a weight that causes you to stop your sets one rep short of your limit rep.
Week 2: Increase the weight enough to stop your sets when you reach your limit rep.
Week 3: Increase the weight enough to stop your sets when you reach your marker rep.
If you follow this three week plan for increasing weight each week, you will have created the loading ramp portion of the triple ramp.
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Ramping Up The Number of Sets
How many sets should you perform for each week of the three-week ramp? This will be based upon your strong set threshold, which refers to the number of strong sets you can perform before you weaken.
Strong Sets
Strong sets are sets that you perform while you are at full strength before you begin to weaken from repeating sets for the same muscle group. You will know that you are weakening when you can no longer perform as many strong reps within a set as you normally can perform when you are at full strength.
The Limit Set
When repeating sets for the same muscle group, the last set that you can perform at full strength is called your limit set, as it is the limit of sets that you can perform at full strength.
The Marker Set
If you reach your limit set and continue by doing another set, you will exceed the strong set threshold and will find yourself doing weak sets. A weak set is marked by the inability to perform as many strong reps as you could for your previous sets because you have accumulated enough fatigue to cause a decrease in strength. When repeating sets, the first weak set you encounter is called your marker set, because it marks the first weak set that you come to when repeating sets.
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Guidelines for Ramping Up on Sets
When ramping up on sets across a three-week time period, the pattern for the number of sets you should perform each week should be planned according to the following guidelines:
Week 1: Stop repeating sets one set before reaching your limit set.
Week 2: Stop repeating sets when you reach your limit set.
Week 3: Stop repeating sets when you reach your marker set.
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Ramping Up on Training Frequency
The next step of planning a triple ramp is to increase the training frequency each week. This is called a frequency ramp. We will look at the training frequency for each week of a three week ramp.
Week 1: Train Each Muscle Group Twice per Week
During week number one of the triple ramp, you should start with a moderately low training frequency by only training each muscle group twice per week
Week 2: Train Each Muscle group Three Times per Week
During Week number two of the triple ramp, you must increase the training frequency to three workouts per week for each muscle group.
Week 3: Train Each Muscle group Four Times per Week
When you reach the third week, the training frequency must be increased to four times per week for each muscle group.
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How Fred Plans a Triple Ramp
In order for all of the information in this article to make sense, it would be helpful to provide an example of how a lifter actually plans a triple ramp. We will do this by imagining that Fred is planning a three week triple ramp for squats. Fred will be doing ten reps for each set of squats for three weeks. He has enough experience to know that his limit rep normally falls on the tenth rep when he squats with 250 pounds. Since he is to stop one rep short of his limit rep for his first week, he will be lifting 240 pounds for ten reps per set. During the second week, Fred will again do ten reps but will increase the weight to 250 pounds which will cause him to stop each set right on his limit rep. During the third week, he will increase the weight to 260 pounds, which will cause him to stop each set when he reaches his marker rep.
Fred must also determine how many sets to perform each week. He has discovered through past training that he can repeat three sets at full strength when doing squats. This means that Fred’s limit set is his third set, and his marker set is his fourth set. Fred must now apply this information to the guidelines that have been discussed in regard to how many sets to perform. When applying these guidelines, Fred must stop one set short of his limit set his first week. This means he will stop after two sets. Fred will stop after performing his limit set during week two, which means that he will do three sets. He will stop after performing his marker set during week three, which means he will do four sets during week three.
Finally, Fred must set up a schedule that is based the guidelines for training frequency. This means he will perform two workouts for squats during week one, three workouts for squats during week two, and four workouts for squats during week three.
When Fred writes out his schedule for his triple ramp, it is written as follows:
Week 1:
Workout 1: Do 2 sets x 10 reps with 240 pounds for squats
Workout 2: Do 2 sets x 10 reps with 240 pounds for squats
Week 2:
Workout 1: Do 3 sets x 10 reps with 250 pounds for squats
Workout 2: Do 3 sets x 10 reps with 250 pounds for squats
Workout 3: Do 3 sets x 10 reps with 250 pounds for squats
Week 3:
Workout 1: Do 4 sets x 10 reps with 260 pounds for squats
Workout 2: Do 4 sets x 10 reps with 260 pounds for squats
Workout 3: Do 4 sets x 10 reps with 260 pounds for squats
Workout 4: Do 4 sets x 10 reps with 260 pounds for squats
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Questions and Observations
The ideal would be for Fred to gain strength throughout the three-week triple ramp, but that doesn’t mean that the ideal will translate into reality. This being the case, Fred should be asking himself how he feels each week in terms of energy and strength. Which week made Fred feel the best, and where did his strength actually peak during this three-week triple ramp? If he began to weaken slightly from over training in the last one or two workouts of week three, this is not necessarily bad as his energy and strength may rebound with added strength. This happens because he can he fully recover at the start of the easier training that is scheduled at the beginning of the next three-week triple ramp. In this case, the end result will be that he gradually gains strength from one three-week ramp to the next.
It is also possible that Fred’s strength and energy takes a big dive at the end of the ramp. In this case, he either needs to switch to a whole new strategy because a triple ramp does not fit his physiology, or he needs to make adjustments to his triple ramp. The triple ramp adjustments will be discussed in the next article. Until then, may God bless you with the best of training.