Why do people ramp up there weight?

[Silvercrank]

I never do this, and wondering why people do. After a couple warmup sets, i start with the heaviest possible weight and drop down for example

Bench press
set 1 - 260 x 10
set 2 - 230 x 8-10
set 3 - 200 x 8-10

With ramping i see people doing something like this
set 1 - 200 - 10
set 2 - 230 - 10
set 3 - 260 - 8-10

It makes no sense to me, those first 2 sets are not even close to failure, and could easily push out another 2-3 reps but they stop short. You shouldn't be able to increase the weight and do the same amount of reps if you're doing all the reps you can on the first 2 sets i've always thought, you should work at maximum intensity on all sets.
.
Thanks for help

[jackfrost88]

It's to warm up your body for the heavier lifts. Especially for 1 rep max's you need to get your body slowly climbing up to that amount. If your first set you can do for 10 then I guess it doesn't make sense but for less reps your body need to get used to that weight. Otherwise it's easier to get injured.

Typically you move up to "working sets" like 5x5 for 80% of max then stop, not go back down

[kapper]

I ramp weight, but the first few sets are more of a 'feel' set,

I warm up and then do a feel set and ok i feel good i ramp up do another feel set.. Ahh feel better than expected, ramp up and do an all out set to failure (with assisted reps and negatives)

The reasons i do this is
1. I like to see how my joints feel or my strength feels, my joints dont allow me to just walk in do a warm up set and then hit max rep weight.

2. I may have had a big day at work and im a tad depleted so i work into a weight that i can get a good amount of reps in to maximise blood flow into the muscle.
If i have had a bigger than usual day with missed lunch etc then i have to leave my ego behind and not necessarily worry bout what i got last week!

[Silvercrank]

So it's good to only go to failure on your last set of each exercise? Basically ive been doing a "reverse" pyramid so i start with my heaviest weight and drop weight with every set so ive been going to failure every set. As arnold said it's not the first 8 reps that builds the muscle, it's the last 1-2 reps that you really have to push yourself that shocks your muscles to grow, maybe i took that to far and been doing that on every single set i do, maybe ive been overtraining all these years..

Thanks for the replies, this is helpful

[kapper]

If you have been getting results keep doing it, what works for one person doesnt work for others. Sounds like your still training hard

Look up 'dorian yates blood n guts' on youtube. Its a good insight in HIT training

Check out the stickies on this forum, theres a good one on HIT training

[lovbyts]

Well once you have ruined your shoulder tendons and ripped things beyond repair, especially when a little older you may change the way you look at warming up...

[frostfire]

What exactly is failure? I always thought going to failure meant that you stop at the rep right before you fail, you are just barely able to push out that last rep with good form but if you try to do another you would need someone to spot you or use bad form to get the weight up (which i would consider going beyond failure, forced reps, etc Basically stopping the 1 rep before you fail... Other people consider going to failure is when you attempt to do another rep but fail and drop the weight or have a spotter help you. Personally i stop 1 rep before i fail, which to me IS going to failure which i always thought was optimal for growth to do that on every set but
in these ramping rep schemes they stop way before failure on there first few sets which goes against everything i thought bodybuilders did but seems alot of the pros like Ronnie Coleman do ramping rep schemes, which means you're really only pushing yourself on 1 or 2 sets out of every exercise you do, the sets prior to that they are basically stopping early even though they could push out another 4-5 more reps, and they are not counted as warmups, these are actual working sets, this is what i normally do for a warmup, i don't count this as an actual set.

Here is a standard ramping rep scheme i see alot of big guys are doing...

I'll use chest/calve day for an example:

Incline Dumbbell Press - 4x 6-10
Flat Barbell Press - 3x 6-10
Decline Dumbbell press - 3x 6-10
Standing calf raises - 4x 8-10
Seated calf raises - 3x 8-10
Leg press Calf raises - 3 x 12-15

Now here is the rep scheme, the (f)'s stand for failure.
Inc Dumbell press - Warmup (20x25's x2, 10x40's, 8x55's) 10x70's, 10x80's, 9x90's(f), 6x100's(f)
Flat Bar - 10x185, 10x205, 10x225(f)
Dec Dumb - 10x85's, 8x90's(f), 6x95's(f)
Standing calves - warmup (20x50 x2, 15x100) 10x150, 10x180, 10x210(f), 9x220(f)
Seated calves - 10x90, 10x135(f), 8x145(f)
LP calf - 15x270, 13x360(f), 12x400(f)

If you are able to do 225x10 on the flat bench press for your last set, there is no way you are coming close to failure on those first 2 sets(stopping even though you have another 4-5+ reps in you atleast), the only set your pushing yourself on is the 225x10.
My question is, how do you grow like that? It seems alot of bodybuilders do this, i always thought that the pros would pretty much train to failure or atleast close to failure on every set, yet they are stopping short 4 reps off from failure. Like silver was saying, i was under the impression the last 1-2 reps is what builds the muscle, not the others, so only 1 or 2 sets going all out per exercise doesn't sound like it would be enough specially on a 1 muscle group per week routine to really stimulate that muscle.
Just looks like abunch of warm up sets, followed by 1 or 2 working sets, which to me doesn't seem like it would be intense enough to build muscle for anyone, let alone a pro taking all kinds of steroids.

Thanks in advantage for any replies.

[lovbyts]

Failure is when you CANT complete a full rep and your buddy forces you to still finish and even helps you through one or two more.

Drop sets would be when you cant do any more reps not even one more you drop like 10 lbs (fast) and do a few more reps, drop another 10 lbs and do more until you get down to a low weight and just cant push any more.

[spywizard]

i do 2 warm up sets, 3 working sets 85-90% 1 rep max, then a drop set...

per exercise... but then i'm in the 4-6 rep range.. doing this routine, i have to be very careful not to have a blood sugar crash..

[NACH3]

What exactly is failure? I always thought going to failure meant that you stop at the rep right before you fail, you are just barely able to push out that last rep with good form but if you try to do another you would need someone to spot you or use bad form to get the weight up (which i would consider going beyond failure, forced reps, etc Basically stopping the 1 rep before you fail... Other people consider going to failure is when you attempt to do another rep but fail and drop the weight or have a spotter help you. Personally i stop 1 rep before i fail, which to me IS going to failure which i always thought was optimal for growth to do that on every set but
in these ramping rep schemes they stop way before failure on there first few sets which goes against everything i thought bodybuilders did but seems alot of the pros like Ronnie Coleman do ramping rep schemes, which means you're really only pushing yourself on 1 or 2 sets out of every exercise you do, the sets prior to that they are basically stopping early even though they could push out another 4-5 more reps, and they are not counted as warmups, these are actual working sets, this is what i normally do for a warmup, i don't count this as an actual set.

Here is a standard ramping rep scheme i see alot of big guys are doing...

I'll use chest/calve day for an example:

Incline Dumbbell Press - 4x 6-10
Flat Barbell Press - 3x 6-10
Decline Dumbbell press - 3x 6-10
Standing calf raises - 4x 8-10
Seated calf raises - 3x 8-10
Leg press Calf raises - 3 x 12-15

Now here is the rep scheme, the (f)'s stand for failure.
Inc Dumbell press - Warmup (20x25's x2, 10x40's, 8x55's) 10x70's, 10x80's, 9x90's(f), 6x100's(f)
Flat Bar - 10x185, 10x205, 10x225(f)
Dec Dumb - 10x85's, 8x90's(f), 6x95's(f)
Standing calves - warmup (20x50 x2, 15x100) 10x150, 10x180, 10x210(f), 9x220(f)
Seated calves - 10x90, 10x135(f), 8x145(f)
LP calf - 15x270, 13x360(f), 12x400(f)

If you are able to do 225x10 on the flat bench press for your last set, there is no way you are coming close to failure on those first 2 sets(stopping even though you have another 4-5+ reps in you atleast), the only set your pushing yourself on is the 225x10.
My question is, how do you grow like that? It seems alot of bodybuilders do this, i always thought that the pros would pretty much train to failure or atleast close to failure on every set, yet they are stopping short 4 reps off from failure. Like silver was saying, i was under the impression the last 1-2 reps is what builds the muscle, not the others, so only 1 or 2 sets going all out per exercise doesn't sound like it would be enough specially on a 1 muscle group per week routine to really stimulate that muscle.
Just looks like abunch of warm up sets, followed by 1 or 2 working sets, which to me doesn't seem like it would be intense enough to build muscle for anyone, let alone a pro taking all kinds of steroids.

Thanks in advantage for any replies.

If you can still do any more reps at all by yourself you have not gone to true failure(how can you if your holding reps back for those other working sets)...

I recently switched to HIT and in those 1-2 working sets its balls out til you can't move the weight, then off to drop sets(I like DDs) w/force reps, negs,RPs, etc... Keep in mind in those 1-2 working sets into your drops your still staying in your required rep range(6-10 4-8 or whatever your implementing... Like LB stated those working sets you have to have the weight heavy enough not to go past your required rep range - so if going for 10 your first working set you should only be getting 5-6, then pick up the same weight and get 3-4, then maybe 2 but implement those beyond failure(forces negs RPs etc) but I don't count them b/c its not me doing it all hence beyond failure...

Hope this helps... Check out Marcus' Diary it's insane!!

[Mr.BB]

I never do this, and wondering why people do. After a couple warmup sets, i start with the heaviest possible weight and drop down for example

Bench press
set 1 - 260 x 10
set 2 - 230 x 8-10
set 3 - 200 x 8-10

With ramping i see people doing something like this
set 1 - 200 - 10
set 2 - 230 - 10
set 3 - 260 - 8-10

It makes no sense to me, those first 2 sets are not even close to failure, and could easily push out another 2-3 reps but they stop short. You shouldn't be able to increase the weight and do the same amount of reps if you're doing all the reps you can on the first 2 sets i've always thought, you should work at maximum intensity on all sets.
.
Thanks for help

Nothing new. I do it many times for bench press too.