Up & Down The Rack: Study Compares Strength & Size Gains from Good Old Double-Pyramid and Reverse Loading

Image 1: Persian Wrestling Champions, Tehran, Persia (Iran), September 1949

Everyone who is following me on Facebook, will be aware that I am currently spending the little free time I have devouring Randy Roach's Muscle Smoke & Mirrors Volume 1 & 2. Aside from the fact that the two volumes are simply amazing (and can come handy, whenever you need some weights and have no dumbbell at hand ;-), they are - contrary to what you would expect from a historical approach to physical culture - full of practical training and nutrition tips. Stuff that - contrary to the results from the latest rodent studies - has worked for generations of bodybuilders and strength athletes, and exercise regimen, real foods and supplements of which scientists are still trying to figure out how they actually work.

The "Great Pyramids" - Ancient, Yet Still Around

And while our understanding of the "muscle building magic" of protein powders and individual amino acids is ever-advancing, my latest investigations (for the "Step by Step Guide to Your Own Workout Routine") into relevant (i.e. neither sports-specific, nor rehabilitative) research on strength training regimen for building size, gaining strength and losing fat did only confirm what I have been stating numerous times before: as far as training techniques are concerned, bro-science and the practical experience of generations of trainees is still way more valuable than the sum of all hitherto published studies (which are not too many, anyways ;-).

Figure 1: I don't know if the rest was literally "lost in translation", but the information on the exact workout (exercises, sets and frequency) is missing - all we have are the details on the loading pattern ( adapted from Mirzaei. 2012)

With the bad rep the testosterone driven urge of building muscle and getting stronger appears to have within the Western medical science community, it is actually no wonder that - just as with the "Strength, Cardio or Both" study from April, 4, 2012 - it is once more a group Iranian scientists (allegedly with one American aboard ;-) who conducted an 8-week controlled training intervention that was intended to elucidate the differential effects of a double-pyramid loading pattern (figure 1, left) and a reverse step loading pattern (figure 1, right) on the muscle strength and size of 22 trained wrestlers (again: I won't grow tired of pointing at the importance of having trained athletes, not obese sedentary couch potatoes as subjects, when you want to know something about your potential response to different training regimen... well, unless you consider yourself an obese sedentary couch potato ;-).

Double Pyramid vs. Reverse Step Loading - Round 1: Wrestle!

In view of what I have stated before, i.e. the superiority of broscience, or, in this case I should say anecdotal evidence vs. proscience, it is interesting to note that Mirazei et al. resort to the same experiential resources, when they comment on the purported advantages and disadvantages of these training techniques:

The  double  pyramid  consists  of  two  pyramids,  one  inverted  on  top  of  the  other.  Most  proponents  of  this  pattern suggest  that  the  last  sets, are  meant  to  improve  power.  On  the  contrary,  because  the  fatigue  may  impair rapid recruitment  of  the  fast-twitch  fibers,  the  outcome  of  the  last  sets  of  this  loading  pattern  will  be  development  of muscle hypertrophy rather than power. In the reverse step loading, the load decreases rather than increases from step  to step.  Performance improvements  are  possible  only  when  training  capabilities  have  increased.  Endurance improvements are much better achieved by step loading.

And as it turned out, the growth and strength response of the young male wrestlers (age, 17.30 ± 2.42 yrs, height, 170.41 ± 6.14 cm, weight, 72.29 ± 13.18 kg, BF%, 12.36  ±  7.39  %) in the pyramid and reverse loading groups seem to actually support the notion that the good old pyramid, technique - performed in the Schwarzenegger'esque "up and down the rack" way - makes a very valuable strength and hypertrophy workout.

Figure 1: Change in bench press and leg press strength, as well as changes in cross sectional area of the arms and thighs after 6 weeks of strength training using a double-pyramid or reverse loading scheme; note: there is no detailed information on the exercise selection and workout frequency available (data adapted from Mirzaei. 2012)

Upon closer scrutiny of the data, I plotted in figure 1 it does yet become evident that the initially impressive +2% greater increase in thigh size (if we make the hilariously unrealistic assumption that this continued over the course of a year, this would result in roughly ~20% more muscle mass!) is statistically non-significant and the increase in leg press strength (1-RM) goes at the cost of a reduced increase in leg press endurance (as measured by the maximal amount of repetitions that could be performed at 60% of the 1-RM).

Training for strength involves heavy weights, training for endurance higher reps

If we put these results into perspective, there are two distinct take home messages, none of which should actually surprise you:

1. The heavier weights used in the double-pyramid method elicit a favorable strength response.
2. The higher reps in the reverse loading protocol allow for greater increases in muscular endurance.

If we take both of these results and try to formulate an even more simplistic take home message, that would be: "Train sport-specific! As long as you are using heavy weights, hypertrophy will follow!"

Don't play soccer, if you want to become an NBA star!

Image 2: Do You want to take advantage of both high(er) and low(er) rep work in your routine, but have no idea of how to incorporate that into your workouts? In this case you should go back to the last installment of the "Step By Step Guide to Your Own Workout Routine" for a few tips on how periodization can help you make continuous progress - strenght- and size-wise.

This may sound stupid, but in the end, it should remind you of a common fallacy of many (if not all of these studies). I mean, would you expect to become a top basketball player if you trained with the local soccer team? I don't think so. In the same vein, you cannot actually expect to make great progress with respect to your one-repetition-max, when you never get even close to it in your training. If you wanted to take an objective measure of the strength gains you get from say a 5x3 vs. a 3x12 regimen, it would appear prudent to determine the 7-8RM max... if we do now take this a step further and simply add another gem from our treasure chest full of broscientific wisdom, namely that the 6-8rep range is where the greatest hypertrophy response occurs - what does this tell us about periodization? Well, right! It confirms what I have suggested in the last installment of the "Step By Step Guide to Your Own Workout Routine": For skeletal muscle hypertrophy it appears imperative to train in both the lower and the higher rep ranges.

Adelfo Cerame - Road to Wheelchair Nationals '12: Reviving an Ancient Training Technique - Intensified Reverse Pyramid Training For "Disgusting" Graininess and Vascularity!

Image 1: "The Rock", Dwayne Johnson, certainly looked less "disgusting" as the Scorption King in The Mummy Returns ;-)

If I had not seen his latest pics, which were taken after my friend Adelfo went on his new torture ... ah, pardon... I mean, training regimen, I would certainly voice more concerns about the latest increase in training volume by which he intends to bring his physique to yet another "next level", or as he would probably put it: "To make my muscle look even more disgusting"... I guess, in this regard, it is actually a very smart move to borrow some "torture techniques" from the past. I mean, the mummies from the pyramids are unquestionably "disgusting", right? But before I delve deeper into the history of ancient Egypt, I better hand over to Adelfo and let him tell you what kind of pyramid he had on mind, when he planned his latest routine...

7 weeks out and getting closer: Separation, veins and grainy muscle

I am now 7 weeks out and I have been very pleased with my progress. Day by day, I'm seeing more and more separation in my muscles and in certain parts of my muscle, the fibers begin to show through the the skin. In view of the current low carb craze and the notion that even the slightest amount of sugar will make you hold tons of water it is quite ironic that it was the re-incorporation of carbs into my post workout meals, which made my muscles not only look fuller, but also much harder. And while I cannot tell whether this is simply a result of the increase in muscle glycogen, the measuring tape tells me that my arms have grown! Last I checked they were 17 ¼ and when I measured today, they are now 17 ½ …  whatever the reason may be, it certainly feels and looks neat ;-)

Here are some current progress pictures, and will probably be the last that I post in a while until I get closer to show time. I feel I can still make some significant changes in my physique, and I want you, my dear readers to be able to see the difference from now and 7 weeks later…

Image 2: 7 weeks out - my arms are now at 17 ½ inches from 17 ¼ and my waist is down to a 28" from a 29". My BF% reads 4-5 % on my digital calipers but I’m pretty sure it’s a bit off so I’d like to say 6% or 7%... maybe 8%? Just to be on the safe side. Don’t know my weight either; last I checked during the holidays, it was 141 lbs.

As I already pointed out in several of my previous blogposts, here at the SuppVersity, I am a firm believer in constant progress. There is always room for improvements, and here are those I know I can and am determined to make in the seven weeks to the show:

• Although I am starting to notice that my lower back is coming up the way I want it (you may remember the issue if you listened to Dr. Andro's and my interview with Carl Lanore, last week). Still it seems like a long shot, but I’m making it a priority to do weighted chin-ups 2x a week to try and really stimulate my lower lower lats and maybe even the lower trunk muscles in the back... well, at least that part of those muscles, that actually still respond to the signals my brain is sending. It's somewhat awkward not to know if the whole problem is a result of the spinal cord injury or just me not paying enough attention to a muscle, I rarely use, as I simply cannot do those exercises which are the most demanding for the stabilizing muscles of the lower back.
   
• Despite the fact that my muscle separation has improved significantly over the last couple of days, I am positive that I can still improve it - particularly in the area where my biceps, triceps and side deltoids meet and tie together.
   
• The same is true for my abdominals. They look neat, already. The separations are showing, but still... I have even begun to include regular ab exercises in my regimen, this week. I know that I have mentioned before that you don't actually have to train your abs to get a six pack, and that diet alone will bring your abs out and shine in their full glory. For someone who cannot to squats or deadlifts, however, a few crunches could in fact make a difference. And since I don't want to leave anything to chance, I rather spent the additional five minutes on ab work then later see an "L" instead of a "Win" in the column on the score boards.
   
• At the same time, I am still trying to perfect that "super" vascular, grainy and disgusting look *lol* I got 7 weeks to make that happen and certainly will spare no effort.
   

I guess, it goes without saying that I am not going to achieve all that without some changes and those of you who have read last weeks installment, will be aware that I already felt that my body was getting use to the EDT and 5x5 regimen that I have been doing for the past couple months now. The intensity of the workouts just didn’t feel like earlier in my prep. And while I was not sure if my body just needed any type of change, or whether it actually needed to be pushed harder, the signals were pretty clear: There was something to be done to (re-)intensify my workouts, if I wanted progress, not stagnation - let alone regress.

A brief note for those who have not followed the whole series: For the past months my training regimen consisted of escalating density (EDT) and 5x5 training - low reps, heavy weights. Aside from what my diet obviously did, I feel that the low(-er) reps and heavy(-ier) loads have helped me a lot to increase my strength and gains, while still being able to cut significant amounts of body fat, something, which is obviously not common, when you are on a non-negligible caloric deficit.

So, I thought to myself… "How can I increase the volume in my training, yet still maintain lifting a heavy load as I did with EDT and 5x5 training?" From my experience with high volume training, you often think that you lift as hard as you can, but with the high amount of reps and sets on your mind, you are always leaving some gas in the tank, so to say, and end up settling for moderate weights and ever-increasing amounts of half-heartedly executed reps.

Reverse pyramid training - a routine about as ancient as the Pyramids on the Giza Plateau

I was not looking for a concrete routine, as you know that I like to build those around the moves that work best for me, but rather for a "training style", something like EDT, or 5x5, a "training paradigm", if you will, that would allow me to train at a higher volume, but still at maximal intensity. The thing that eventually caught my eye is something many of you will probably call an old hat: reverse pyramid training (RPT).

Image 3: In case you think there is something wrong with this picture, you probably have not heard of the famous "reverse pyramid",  right?

If you are familiar with pyramid training, (which, I assume, the average SuppVersity will be ;-), you already now what RPT is: It is basically just the opposite of the classical pyramid. Instead of beginning with your lightest weight, to then gradually increase the load, you start with the heaviest weight you can handle for 4-6 reps, then just pyramid down by dropping the load while increasing the reps, while continuously pushing yourself to list as heavy and do as many reps as you can... pretty straight forward, right? What attracted me to this regimen is that I can start out lifting really heavy. Compared to starting with a lighter weight, this allows for an overall greater workload (as in amount of weight x reps) and that was what I was looking for, eventually.

Making a routine "my routine": More sets, more reps more exercises

At least those of you who are not new to this series will yet know that whenever I "apply" a new method, be it diet or, as in this case, training-wise, I make a few tweaks and adjustments according to my contemporary goals. Therefore, you may be surprised to hear that the only real "adjustment" I made, is to add in even more sets and reps... and I know what you are thinking now: "Still more? Adelfo is going crazy! That's too many exercises, the sessions will be too long and at best this is going to be un- at worst counter-productive." In that, you are probably making some good points, but like I said: This is what I feel will work for me at this point in time... and if I am wrong? Then I will keep tweaking until it works ;-)

Tables 1-2: My new RPT routine; due to the fact that I do the Gironda dips unweighed, I don't use the pyramid in this particular exercise.

As you can see in table 1-2, each workout consists of 7 exercises total and 6 sets for each exercise, with a rep scheme starting from 4 reps, 6 reps, 8 reps and so on... increasing the reps while gradually decreasing load. For my first two sets of 4 reps, and 6 reps, I lift as heavy as possible - just as I would during an EDT or 5x5 session. And being able to do just that, is what makes the beauty of this routine. On the flat bench, for example, I start my first set with 275 lbs, then gradually drop the load by 5 lbs, each set, so that by the time I hit my 6th set, I am lifting 225 lbs for 14 reps. I try to drop the load by as little as possible (in this case 5lbs steps) from set to set, to ensure that the intensity does not drop and I still lift as heavy as I can.

My body was done after Monday and Tuesday’s workout! I haven’t felt that sore in a while.

Image 3: Adelfo during his firefighting days before the accident. While he was not exactly athletic, he never had weight issues with all the physical labor. If you want to know more, read up on Adelfo's SuppVersity Student Spotlight

In case you decide to try that out, yourself, you will notice that as you go through your sets, reps and exercises, the volume and the load begin to wear you down and muscular fatigue sets in, so that it is becoming increasingly harder to stick to just dropping 5 lbs if you want to really feel the muscle on your next set and not just to partial reps to get the work done. Mid-way through the workouts it is thusly advisable to start dropping the weight faster - like 10-15 pounds or more per set. Eventually you get to a point in the latter part of your workout where even the lightest load becomes unbearably heavy… I guess, you know this feeling you get when your mind tells you that you’ve lifted this weight time and time again with no problem, but your muscles just wont budge?! This is the price you have to pay, if you, just like me, want to increase pace and volume, without having to sacrifice the intensity of your workouts...

Even when I started out doing EDT training, I wasn’t that sore. The last time my body felt this... I guess, "painfully good" is the right way to describe it, was when I came home from work after a day of hiking mountains, digging fire lines, and fighting forest fires. So, in case you are someone with a masochistic vein, I suggest you grab your gymback and give my routine a try... ah, and if you can, let me know how you feel when you are done. A pros pos, I am done for this week, at least as far as my weekly blogpost is concerned. Until next Thursday, then - same time, same place!