Want some help building your best body ever? Here are 5 ways I can assist whenever you’re ready, including free fitness plans, coaching, books, and more:
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Is reverse pyramid training (RPT) the best way to periodize training for most people? What are the pros and cons compared to the double progression and linear progression schemes I recommend in my books? In what circumstances would I recommend reverse pyramid training instead? Find out in this podcast.
I’ve written and recorded a lot of evidence-based content over the years on just about everything you can imagine related to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy.
I’ve also worked with thousands of men and women of all ages and circumstances and helped them get into the best shape of their lives.
That doesn’t mean you should blindly swallow everything I say, though, because let’s face it—nobody is always right about everything. And especially in fields like diet and exercise, which are constantly evolving thanks to the efforts of honest and hardworking researchers and thought leaders.
This is why I’m always happy to hear from people who disagree with me, especially when they have good arguments and evidence to back up their assertions.
Sometimes I can’t get on board with their positions, but sometimes I end up learning something, and either way, I always appreciate the discussion.
That gave me the idea for this series of podcast episodes: publicly addressing things people disagree with me on and sharing my perspective.
Think of it like a spicier version of a Q&A.
So, here’s what I’m doing:
Every couple of weeks, I’m asking my Instagram followers what they disagree with me on, and then picking the more common or interesting contentions to address here on the podcast.
And in this episode, I’ll be tackling the following . . .
Reverse pyramid training is better than double progression and linear progression and is the best way to periodize your training.
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Timestamps:
0:00 – Join my podcast giveaway!
3:08 – What is reverse pyramid training?
10:58 – What are the benefits of reverse pyramid training?
19:52 – What are the downsides of reverse pyramid training?
32:26 – What are your final thoughts on reverse pyramid training?
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Mentioned on the Show:
I’m giving away over $1,000 worth of prizes to commemorate the 1,000th episode of Muscle For Life! Join the giveaway here:
Watch more new videos about Archeology | Synthesized by Mindovermetal English
Want some help building your best body ever? Here are 5 ways I can assist whenever you’re ready, including free fitness plans, coaching, books, and more: http://www.mikematthews.co/yt
Amazing thanks
I've followed BLS for 2 years now but if adapted it and modified it as I learned new things or got bored. The programming is pretty much the same as you wrote in your book for the 5 day M-Chest T-Back-Wed-Shoulders th-legs F-Arms but one of the things I changed was to incorporate both the reverse pyramid as well as the double progression. I think this does a good job of covering all the bases. After warmup I do 3 hard sets in the 4-6 rep range and stick with the double progression method for those sets. I then drop the weight to an 8 -10 rep range and double progress again for either 2-3 sets or until I can no longer get at least 6 reps. I may lower the weight one more time to stay in the 8-10 rep range if needed or I am feeling particularly energized that day and do one last set as many reps as possible and get a good burn going. I usually end up with 6-8 working sets for each big movement. This allows both heavy low rep work, a little ego boost going for that 4-6 rep PR and then some pumpish kinda work as well as getting the volume numbers up. The workouts are no more than 90 minutes, still use 2-3 min rests and I superset accessories toward the end of the workout when I can. Too much? Unnecessary, I dont know but it seems to work and I never have to worry about undertraining or NOT doing enough.
Mike would reverse pyramid be good for me ? I've been doing starting strength and doing same weight sets of weight across. For instance a 5×5 with no weight change. I'm 30, 6 foot and I got up to a fluffy 230 lbs and I'm just started to cut some body fat. Got to a 440 deadlift, 220 overhead press for singles, 305 bench, and a weak 375 squat. I e gained some good muscle and I want to get lean but I'm finding doing sets across is very taxing while being in a calorie deficit