Strength Science: Are You Using the Pyramid System?

Over the last fifty or so years the average number of set performed by elite weight lifters has been 32-45. Some it is as high as 50-52 sets. The change has occurred in the time or duration of each workout. In 1955-56 the total workout time was 2-2.5 hours, by 1963-64 workout took 3-3.5 hours. Since 1970 elite athletes divided the time into two sessions (some taking as long as six hours total workout time).

The biggest change has been in the study of chronic adaptations (or long term) and recovery time. Today an athlete will take as long as four to five minutes between sets on heavy days (some as long as 15 minutes). Why so long on heavy or intense days, recovery is the most important factor. The rest allows the body to recover ATP as well as reduce fatigue prior to the next set. This leaves the athlete "fresher" and able to produce greater adaptions.

Strength training studies show that the greatest adoptions occur when an athlete is not tired. Now we’re not talking about endurance strength we are talking about maximum strength. If you think about it why do sport coaches have a light practice the day before a game? Rest, recovery, bottom line is if the athlete is fatigued he or she will not perform to their maximum.

So here is a question. If fatigue is such a factor in performance why do coaches still us a pyramid-training model? That is a training philosophy that was used years ago. The philosophy used sets in ascending order (increasing weight) followed by a descending order of sets (lowering weight). Remember fatigue, well the ascending order led to premature fatigue while the descending portion was not effective since it was performed in a fatigued state. The fatigue led athletes to reduce the load they lifted leading to decreased performance as well as poor lifting technique. Elite lifters have not used this method since 1964.

Bottom line is strength training the best performance is when the athlete is fresh. Think less is more.