Pyramid Workout Routine for Mass


Pyramid training as it is the basic structure in any progressive resistance training method. In a nut-shell pyramid training is starting with a light weight and then increasing the weight on the sets you do after that.

Obviously this will probably mean the reps you are doing with the movement will decrease as the weight increases creating an inverse relationship between the weights and the reps used on any movement. But pyramids can be descending, ascending or reverse pyramids.

There are a few advantages to pyramid training which we will briefly mention below before listing a typical mix of all three pyramid routines below. The advantage of doing any ascending pyramid routine is that it includes a warm-up as part of the routine because it starts off with a light weight.

Ascending pyramids are great for strength gains used by power-lifters and bodybuilders but power-lifters will use a lot less sets by reaching failure shortly after a warm-up set, trying to reach maximum strength within one to three sets. This is not what pyramids were designed for.

Pyramids will usually include big volume like doing any ascending-pyramid routine you will be increasing the weight after each set. This ensures you do a lot of sets and a lot of volume which ensures muscle growth. It is important to note that when talking specifically about ascending pyramids, strength gain will result a lot more than muscle gain.

Pyramid Power Workouts

Below are a few typical ascending, descending and triangle pyramids to show a brief example of how different the routines would look. The triangle routine uses more reps with a lighter weight AFTER failure is reached. The routine below is training the chest, legs and back which would be done on 3 separate days:

Ascending-Pyramid Chest Workout:
Medium Grip Bench-press 5 sets for 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
Incline D/B Press 4 sets for 12, 10, 8, 8 reps
Leverage Decline press 3 sets for 12, 10, 8 reps
D/B Flyes 3 sets for 15, 12, 10 reps

Descending-Pyramid Leg Workout
Barbell Squats 4 sets for 6, 8, 8, 10 reps
Hack Squats 3 sets for 8, 10, 10 reps
Leg Press 3 sets for 8, 10, 12 reps
Leg Extensions 3 sets for 10, 12, 15 reps
Lying Leg Curls 3 sets for 8, 10, 12 reps

Triangle Method Back Workout:
Bent-over barbell rows 5 sets for 15, 10, 6, 8, 10 reps
Lying T-Bar Rowing 5 sets for 12, 10, 8, 8, 10 reps
Wide-grip lat pull-downs 4 sets for 12, 8, 8, 12 reps
Seated cable rowing 4 sets for 12, 8, 10, 12 reps

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