Second go at S.E.T. & pyramid training

Press play to hear this Turbo song on while you read: Beyonce's "Runs The World (Girls)" with a long intro...



On the schedule for today:

• 15 minutes biking
• 8:30 24 S.E.T.
• 9:30 Turbo Kick
• 10:30 30-minute Amp'd Abs

The S.E.T. instructor was much better. She wasn't smiley AT ALL, but she was fit and made me tired. I conversed with a fit chick on the weights to use. I've realized I'm pretty strong. :) We only used free weights in a pyramid. It's pretty easy to understand:

The strength training pyramid means starting with a lighter weight and higher reps, then as you increase weight you decrease reps. - Strength Training Woman

I looked it up and Fitness Health 101 gives a great bullet-pointed section on reasons why pyramiding has been around for so long.

• Muscles are exhausted with the first set then required to adapt.
• Warm up muscles with lighter weights.

There are benefits, but of course, I had to look for some problems as well: I was exhausted by the time we got to heavier sets.

I've actually heard more about the reverse or inverted pyramid. If you start with heavier weights, you're fresh and more able to lift. Also, your medium and light weights will be easy even if they're really not.

Though I want to use the word pre-fatigue, apparently this is incorrect. Pre-fatigue actually starts with a single-joint movements and moves onto multi-joint movements.

The most productive way to perform an anaerobic exercise is to tire a particular group of muscles as quickly as possible, and keep them tired during the course of the exercise. - Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution via Getting Stronger

I heard this term in a weight lifting class at my previous gym when we did push-ups before chest flys and chest presses.