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I wanted to put out a workout challenge to whomever would like to join me.
A pyramid workout is simple...but it isn't easy. It consists of a set number of body weight exercises. It can be as little as three (3) exercises or as many as eight, ten or twelve depending upon your fitness level and goals.
Here is an example of my current staple routine:
Squat *
Plea squat **
Lunge
Push up
Chin up
One-leg calf raise
Inverse row***
Dip
Hanging crunch
Good morning****
* = ATG (***-to-grass). In otherwords, I go as deep as I am able to squat, preferably the back of my leg touching my calf. I go down slow and come up slow, never locking out my knees.
** = A plea squat is where you place your feet a little more than shoulder width distance, toes pointing straight out to your sides.
*** = This is where I have a bar across my power rack and a rope hanging from the bar. I place my feet on my bench and hang underneath the bar holding the rope and pull myself up, keeping my back straight.
**** = This is simply bending over, keeping my back straight and then straightening back up.
Bold = These exercises are performed with a military 4-count i.e. 1-2-3-1, 1-2-3-2, 1-2-3-3 etc. In otherwords, I double the actual number of reps performed.
Now this is what a pyramid consists of; pick your exercises and perform one repetition of each one with good form, this is one set. Then go back and perform two repetitions of each one with good form, this is the second set. Continue up to the number of your goal. This is going UP the pyramid. Then, start back down the pyramid by decreasing the number of reps with each set.
For example, a pyramid that goes up to 5 sets and back down would look like this; 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1. If you've gone up to 5 sets and then back down to one set you've done a total of 25 total repetitions of each exercise.
I would suggest enough individual exercises to give yourself a complete full-body workout. If you look at mine above, I have four lower body exercises, four upper body exercises and two core exercises. And of course, the core is used in the other upper/lower exercises as well. I've broken them up just a bit to give myself a bit of a rest during the set.
A pyramid has a natural warm up since you start with just one rep of each exercise and progress slowly upward. It has a natural pre-exhaust built in whether you're going up or down the pyramid. And it has a natural cool down on the way down the pyramid.
Do no more than every other day or 3 times per week.
You WILL sweat and you WILL get a good pump (depending on the exercise selection. Stay hydrated and it is okay to take short breaks at the end of a full set.
My goal is 1-10-1 on the 10 exercises I've listed above. Due to my schedule, I will have to occasionally do a shortened pyramid routine during a break at work.
Today I started back into the 10 exercises above and did 1-5-1.
My sig line will have a link for the ongoing log.
A pyramid workout is simple...but it isn't easy. It consists of a set number of body weight exercises. It can be as little as three (3) exercises or as many as eight, ten or twelve depending upon your fitness level and goals.
Here is an example of my current staple routine:
Squat *
Plea squat **
Lunge
Push up
Chin up
One-leg calf raise
Inverse row***
Dip
Hanging crunch
Good morning****
* = ATG (***-to-grass). In otherwords, I go as deep as I am able to squat, preferably the back of my leg touching my calf. I go down slow and come up slow, never locking out my knees.
** = A plea squat is where you place your feet a little more than shoulder width distance, toes pointing straight out to your sides.
*** = This is where I have a bar across my power rack and a rope hanging from the bar. I place my feet on my bench and hang underneath the bar holding the rope and pull myself up, keeping my back straight.
**** = This is simply bending over, keeping my back straight and then straightening back up.
Bold = These exercises are performed with a military 4-count i.e. 1-2-3-1, 1-2-3-2, 1-2-3-3 etc. In otherwords, I double the actual number of reps performed.
Now this is what a pyramid consists of; pick your exercises and perform one repetition of each one with good form, this is one set. Then go back and perform two repetitions of each one with good form, this is the second set. Continue up to the number of your goal. This is going UP the pyramid. Then, start back down the pyramid by decreasing the number of reps with each set.
For example, a pyramid that goes up to 5 sets and back down would look like this; 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1. If you've gone up to 5 sets and then back down to one set you've done a total of 25 total repetitions of each exercise.
I would suggest enough individual exercises to give yourself a complete full-body workout. If you look at mine above, I have four lower body exercises, four upper body exercises and two core exercises. And of course, the core is used in the other upper/lower exercises as well. I've broken them up just a bit to give myself a bit of a rest during the set.
A pyramid has a natural warm up since you start with just one rep of each exercise and progress slowly upward. It has a natural pre-exhaust built in whether you're going up or down the pyramid. And it has a natural cool down on the way down the pyramid.
Do no more than every other day or 3 times per week.
You WILL sweat and you WILL get a good pump (depending on the exercise selection. Stay hydrated and it is okay to take short breaks at the end of a full set.
My goal is 1-10-1 on the 10 exercises I've listed above. Due to my schedule, I will have to occasionally do a shortened pyramid routine during a break at work.
Today I started back into the 10 exercises above and did 1-5-1.
My sig line will have a link for the ongoing log.
