Warmup Sets, Stetching, etc…

As you know, I’m a fan of Reverse Pyramid Training.

Doing the heaviest set as your first set for 4-6 reps.

Rest for 3 minutes.

Reduce the weight by 10-15%.

Then perform one more set where you stop one rep short of failure… typically 6-8 reps.

Here’s the thing…

I don’t go straight to this heavy set without warming up.

I perform warmup sets first.

The best way to warm up is to just perform lighter sets of that exact same exercise.

Most people make the mistake of fatiguing themselves with these warmup sets.

You don’t want to do that.

Here’s how I like to do it.

Let’s say you are using 225 pounds as that first heavy set of 4-6 reps.

Here’s how I’d recommend warming up.

• 135 pounds for 6-8 reps
• 165 pounds for 4-5 reps
• 195 pounds for 2-3 reps

The idea is to do 3 sets that don’t fatigue the muscle at all.

If you are doing compound lifts stick to 3 sets like this.

For isolation exercises, 1-2 sets are sufficient.

For instance, if I’m doing 50 lbs incline curls, I may just rep 35 lbs for 6-8 reps… then rest and do my heavy set with 50s.

Also…

Studies show you shouldn’t stretch before lifting weights.

What happens is that stretching reduces muscle power.

In this study, it found that stretching reduced muscle power by 8% and decreased lower body stability by 22%.

So save your stretching for AFTER lifting.

Keep it simple.

Just perform 3 sets of whatever movement you are training.

A light set of 6-8 reps, slightly heavier for 4-6 reps, slightly heavier for 2-3 reps…

Rest for a good 3-4 minutes.

Then, crush a PR for 4-6 reps.

Works like a charm.

Talk Soon,

Greg O’Gallagher