why everyone is doing ramping sets?

for example 15x100, 12x120, 10x140, 8x150 instead of doing just for example 4x10x130 straight sets?

is this a maths question?
 
i'm sure Rightyho will be along shortly to make sense of this equation.

i do them because its fun.  and actually i can lift more that way, and i feel its alot safer as well

 Personally , I think it's about confidence. I have worried about it in the past and though "hmm , I am wasting loads of energy on the earlier sets"   .... and then tried warming up and then jumping to my heaviest sets , but I don't feel I got any benefits 
      I think that however much you try to convince yourself you are confident with a weight , you have to "confirm" that confidence in each and every workout in a way  -  as you work your way through the sets you are then able to forecast how the heaviest sets are going to go (the important ones !)  based on your performance on the earlier ones. 

I've never really stuck to a strict rep/set range I like variety both for my sanity and progress, I guess its what people enjoy and find works for them.
Its not I have no structure to my workouts they generally follow a pattern of some sort but and particularly as I've gotten older I've started to change my workouts to how I feel.

Dr Z


 Personally , I think it's about confidence. I have worried about it in the past and though "hmm , I am wasting loads of energy on the earlier sets"   .... and then tried warming up and then jumping to my heaviest sets , but I don't feel I got any benefits 
    I think that however much you try to convince yourself you are confident with a weight , you have to "confirm" that confidence in each and every workout in a way  -  as you work your way through the sets you are then able to forecast how the heaviest sets are going to go (the important ones !)  based on your performance on the earlier ones. 

 
totally agree!
 
well put!

i really enjoy a method known as 'wave loading' for my chest, i think mentally i have a block when it comes to training it as it's always seemed slow in terms of progress compared to other bodyparts, using this method means i can chart progress and achieve it qucicker, it breaks down my mental block.
 
 

They aren't, are they?
 
your example looks like pointless over-warming up
 
 

Because it works for me and has helped me grow without as many injuries that I used to get when going straight in heavy.
 
FWIW I tend to do something like for bench:-
 
65k x 20, 105k x 10, 145k x 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
 
I've torn my shoulder muscles before and sometimes if I have a slight tweak that I didn't realise I had, I could tear. 

wannagetbigmatt


is this a maths question?

i'm sure Rightyho will be along shortly to make sense of this equation.

The answer is - your joints will thank you when you're older.

lol @ righty!

Yes Im old and my joints are ok,Ive always trained like this and wouldnt try the Dorian /Mike Mentzer warm up then heavy set thing,I think you have to condition your body to heavier loads each set.Think I did a single 405 on bench a long long time ago and am glad I escaped without a pec tear, madness!
 
OLI