# Summer 2012 Power Pyramid Challenge



## Kong Soo Do (May 30, 2012)

I wanted to put out a workout challenge to whomever would like to join me.

A pyramid workout is simple...but it isn't easy.  It consists of a set  number of body weight exercises.  It can be as little as three (3)  exercises or as many as eight, ten or twelve depending upon your fitness  level and goals.

Here is an example of my current staple routine:

*Squat* *
*Plea squat* **
Lunge
Push up
Chin up
*One-leg calf raise*
Inverse row***
Dip
*Hanging crunch*
Good morning****

* = ATG (***-to-grass).  In otherwords, I go as deep as I am able to  squat, preferably the back of my leg touching my calf.  I go down slow  and come up slow, never locking out my knees.

** = A plea squat is where you place your feet a little more than  shoulder width distance, toes pointing straight out to your sides.

*** = This is where I have a bar across my power rack and a rope hanging  from the bar.  I place my feet on my bench and hang underneath the bar  holding the rope and pull myself up, keeping my back straight.

**** = This is simply bending over, keeping my back straight and then straightening back up.

Bold = These exercises are performed with a military 4-count i.e.  1-2-3-1, 1-2-3-2, 1-2-3-3 etc.  In otherwords, I double the actual  number of reps performed.

Now this is what a pyramid consists of;  pick your exercises and perform  one repetition of each one with good form, this is one set.  Then go  back and perform two repetitions of each one with good form, this is the  second set.  Continue up to the number of your goal.  This is going UP  the pyramid.  Then, start back down the pyramid by decreasing the number  of reps with each set.

For example, a pyramid that goes up to 5 sets and back down would look  like this; 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1.  If you've gone up to 5 sets and then back  down to one set you've done a total of 25 total repetitions of each  exercise.

I would suggest enough individual exercises to give yourself a complete  full-body workout.  If you look at mine above, I have four lower body  exercises, four upper body exercises and two core exercises.  And of  course, the core is used in the other upper/lower exercises as well.   I've broken them up just a bit to give myself a bit of a rest during the  set.

A pyramid has a natural warm up since you start with just one rep of  each exercise and progress slowly upward.  It has a natural pre-exhaust  built in whether you're going up or down the pyramid.  And it has a  natural cool down on the way down the pyramid.

Do no more than every other day or 3 times per week.

You WILL sweat and you WILL get a good pump (depending on the exercise  selection.  Stay hydrated and it is okay to take short breaks at the end  of a full set.

My goal is 1-10-1 on the 10 exercises I've listed above.  Due to my  schedule, I will have to occasionally do a shortened pyramid routine  during a break at work.  

Today I started back into the 10 exercises above and did 1-5-1.

My sig line will have a link for the ongoing log.


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## WCman1976 (Jun 3, 2012)

Interesting idea. Unfortunately I am only on day 37 of a 90 day workout routine: a hybrid of P90X and another program called Rev Abs. Still, I would like to try this someday.


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## Kong Soo Do (Jun 11, 2012)

I've got P90X and it's a great workout.  Plyometrics always kicks my butt.  Love the push up/chin up day though.  Stick with it all the way through for sure.  Pyramids will always be there when you want to switch up routines.


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