3 Amazing Benefits of Reverse Pyramid Training (RPT Workout)
What is the reverse pyramid training routine?
In this post we’re going to be talking about the most effective training method to gaining jaw dropping strength and building more muscle: reverse pyramid training.
Ironically, this is about the simplest and most sensible way to go about training, but sadly, no one ever does it.
In fact, nearly every workout routine you’ve heard about, read or seen someone doing in your gym, is in direct contrast with what I’m going to share with you today…
Let’s dive into 3 profound benefits reverse pyramid training offers.
Reverse Pyramid Training Workout Benefits
If you have a few years of training under your belt and feel you have hit a plateau, RPT will get the wheels moving again.
Alternatively, if you’re relatively inexperienced, RPT will help you make the best strength and muscle gains compared to any other training approach.
Let’s talk about how it works.
Benefit #1 – You Build To Your Heaviest Set Without Fatigue
In an RPT workout, you’ll be doing your heaviest set first while you’re completely fresh. This means being able to handle heavy weights with more ease and power than ever before.
Now surely you can’t jump right into your heavy set without a proper warm up, unless you’re looking to get injured.
As a result, you’re going to want to perform a couple warm up sets while minimizing fatigue. This is where I recommend the 5/3/1 protocol. Perform 5 reps with a light weight, 3 reps with a medium weight and 1 rep with a weight close to your heavy set.
Rest a couple minutes between these build up sets and a full 3 minutes before going into your work set. The good news is that you only have to do these build up sets for the first exercise of a muscle group. For your other exercises, you can just jump right into your first work set.
Benefit #2 – You Do Just One Heavy Set With Maximum Effort
With RPT you’re only performing your heaviest set once.
That’s it! One heavy set is all she wrote baby. If you take that set to the absolute brink of your capabilities, you will not be able to replicate that set again for the rest of your workout.
What’s amazing is that there is a great wave of relief when you know that you only have to do that heavy weight for one set.
Mentally this is a huge advantage, it puts you in the winning mindset and ensures maximum effort. This will lead to consistent personal records like you’ve never experienced before.
Moreover, by only performing one maximum effort heavy set per exercise, you avoid creating excessive neural fatigue.
This means that you’ll feel stronger and more refreshed than ever. Lifting heavy weights won’t turn into the grind that it was before.
Once you hit the top of the rep range on this set, you’ll add weight at the next work (either normal increments, or the more effective microloading increments using fractional plates).
Benefit #3 – You Do Two Easier Sets After The Hard Set
The beautiful thing about your maximum effort set is that it will supercharge your body.
You see, lifting a heavy weight requires near maximal muscle fiber stimulation from the very first rep. This is unlike light weights, which you only recruit all of your muscle fibers on those last few really tough reps.
By performing your heavy set first, you shift your body into a temporary state of heightened muscle fiber activation. This means that all of the lighter sets you do afterwards will promote more muscle growth than if you did them beforehand.
You can see this for yourself when you go to do your lighter sets, the first few reps will feel suspiciously easy. This is because you’ll be using more muscle fibers than you’d normally use for that weight.
I recommend dropping the weight by approximately 10% for your second set and an additional 10% for your third set.
Rest at-least 2-3 minutes between these sets for full recovery and maximum performance.
Aim to perform 2 additional reps every time you drop the weight by 10%. So if you performed 6 reps on your heavy set, shoot for 8 reps on your second set and 10 reps on your third set.
Now I know some of you are wondering why RPT is better than other training styles and approaches… There are a few reasons, which I’ll breakdown in the next section.
THESE ARE THE MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN WEIGHTLIFTING
MISTAKE #1 – DOING PYRAMID WEIGHT TRAINING
One of the main reasons why hard working lifters fail to consistently build strength and muscle mass is because they do most of their heavy sets in a pre fatigued state.
I invite you to go to your gym on a Monday afternoon and take 10 minutes to watch and see what unfolds on the bench press stations.
Invariably, you will see person after person burn themselves out with several high rep sets before they actually get to the real weight. They might hammer out 135 lbs for 12 reps and follow that up with 155 lbs for 10, 175 lbs for 8, 195 lbs for 6 and finally 205 lbs for 5.
By the time they get to their heavy set, their muscles are already fatigued. They are then lifting under sub-optimal conditions and will fall short of what they’re truly capable of performing.
This will drastically limit the strength and muscle building stimulus.
MISTAKE #2 – PACING YOURSELF DURING YOUR SETS
Another common phenomenon I see in the gym is pacing. This is when someone goes easy on their first couple sets to ensure they finish all of their sets with the same weight.
A commonly prescribed set and rep scheme for building strength and muscle is 3 sets of 5 reps or even 5 sets of 5 reps. In order to finish all sets for 5 reps you can’t possibly use your actual 5 rep max. If you were to do so it would look like this, set 1 – 5 reps, set 2 – 4 reps, set 3 – 3 reps…..
Realistically, you’re looking at using a weight you can do for 8 reps to get multiple sets of 5 reps. This means that you’re performing under your potential.
You’re capable of doing around 8 reps but instead, you’re settling for sets of 5 reps. This is simply unacceptable.
MISTAKE #3 – DOING MULTIPLE HEAVY SETS TO FAILURE
On the other hand, you have the no pain no gain lifters.
These are the individuals that take every set to the brink of failure. They will use a weight they can do for 4-6 reps and they will push it until failure for several sets. This usually means grinding out 6 reps on their first set, 5 reps on their second, 4 reps on their third and a couple more sets of 3-4 reps.
With heavy lifting you create loads of neural fatigue. Performing multiple sets with a heavy weight until failure is just a recipe for overtraining and burnout. You’ll very quickly hit a plateau and even struggle to maintain your strength with such a protocol.
Talk about all pain no gain.
I now hope you understand why RPT training is simply the best way to train for maximum muscle gains as a natural lifter. There is no better approach to weightlifting out there. To give you a better idea of how you would incorporate RPT into your workouts, watch the video below to see exactly how this training looks:
Reverse Pyramid Training routine Example
RPT Will Get You Strong And Muscular
Reverse pyramid training is the most sensible way to go about training.
You’re doing your heaviest set while you’re as strong as possible. It’s only when you push the envelope out of what you’re physically capable of doing under optimal conditions that you’ll realize incredible strength and muscle gains.
I attribute 75-80% of my muscle gains to this style of training.
I utilize some strategic light-weight pump training to get some extra growth on stubborn muscle groups. I talk about this more in my Greek God Program, as well, I show you how to integrate the pump training into your workout routines without sabotaging your strength gains.
I’ll also finish by saying that in order to have great reverse pyramid training results in your workouts, you need to have a sensible progression model in place. This is beyond the scope of this article, but it is something I address with great detail in my Greek God course.
144 Comments
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
[…] three months, I followed a self-created regimen inspired by select principles from Sheiko 37 and Kinobody reverse pyramid training. In particular, I used triples and quadruples as the foundation for my […]
Is it okay to do Bench Press and Incline Bench Press on different days? After regular bench I am already so fatigued that I can’t get up anywhere near the weight I am capable of on incline. Is it better to do them on the same day and just be forced to do lighter weights than I’m capable of on the second exercise because I am fatigued. Or should I do them on different days so that I can lift the heaviest weights possible for each exercise? Thanks.
Hey Greg,
Quick question what is the difference between Reverse Pyramid Training and Drop Set Training? Both have the same concept of lifting the heaviest set in the beginning for 4-6 reps and then reducing the weight to perform more reps. I’m not the most informed person when it comes to working out but personally it would be beneficial to at least understand the differences between each type of workout. Thanks Greg.
The difference is that the Drop Set training is done without any rest whatsoever between sets. It’s also not 10% reduction per set. It’s usually around 20. The Drop Set is beneficial for specific muscle groups. Side deltoids for example. It would be unwise, to put it mildly, to use Reverse Pyramid Training with your isolation side and rear delt training.
Would you suggest this to someone still trying to cut body fat. Would this type of lifting slow that process down at all because your buildings muscle? I am fasting and I find myself doing more intermediate reps with the occasional heavy days. I’ve seen progress but this reverse lifting looks fun.
Whats the leg to waist ratio to a avengers physique?
[…] PYRAMID TRAINING as it allows for very effective strength adaptations. Check out his article The Power and Effectiveness Behind Reverse Pyramid Training for more […]
[…] Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets – 6, 8, 10 (RPT)* […]
Hey Greg..
I have been lifting weights for 1.5 years now…following ur protocol..
A problem which I have is that I am not able to take the DB’s from my knees to chest or shoulders..once they get heavy..
I mean that phse when u have to start the excercise by really pushing the dbs from ur knees all the way up…that I m not able t ok do..i always need spotter to help me push the dbs from the front up..
Is there any muscle I should focus on…what is the technique to push the heavy dbs using ur own force..
Please help.bro
It’s technique man. You need to use your legs to pop your knee up then use your biceps to get it into place. I can clean up 100+ lbs easily. But if you have weak biceps that can make it harder.
Hey Greg
Is there a particular time to incorporate RPT into my workout routine?
I’m still making strength gains on the 3×8 set/rep protocol, so I was wondering if there’s a certain strength level I need to achieve before I start using Reverse Pyramids?
Good question! You can continue 3 x 8 until you plateau before going to RPT.
Thanks Greg! :)
[…] 3 sets: 6, 8, 10 reps (RPT) […]
Hey Greg,
I’ve been starting to play around with RPT again (I’ve had good results in the past), but recently I’ve gotten into gymnastics training a bit. Do you think static gymnastics movements like back/front levers, handstand holds, or planche work would respond to this type of protocol? I’d like to give it a shot, but always thought GST is all about frequent practice of movements. Think I could hit, for instance, an Lsit once per week, hard, and respond like weightlifting? Thanks man!
I’d practice L-sits 2-3 days per week, it’s not that taxing so you can do on rest days or you can do on your lifting days but at the end of your workout. Some of these gymnastics movements are highly technical so it’s helpful to practice them 3 days per week.
I have been using the RPT method for awhile now and find it quite enjoyable. The only exercises I do every week are Shoulder Press, Incline Bench, Weighted Pistol Squats, Pull ups, Chin ups and Barbell Curls.
Although it seems like I am working minimally, I hit a PR on these movements what seems like every week. My strength has nearly doubled over the last few months so thank you very much for that.
A couple of questions for you if you have the time.
1. In RPT, if I hit my goal for my first set (the heavy one) but fail in adding two reps in one of the following sets, what should be my protocol for the next session. Add weight? Add reps? or keep it the same until I complete it?
2. I am only working out Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. While I do have energy, I notice my muscles are fatigued more often than not. For example, I have been doing a muscle up build attempting to build to doing more reps of muscle ups, but I have been unable to make any real progress because even though I do them before my workout, I am still often fatigued from the last workout. I am eating at maintenance or higher all of the time. What would you recommend here?
1. Well first of all, you only want to add one rep to your following sets. But if you fail, then stay at the same weight until you get it.
2. Not sure what you’re saying. Are you doing muscle ups on your lifting days as the first part of your routine? If so you shouldn’t have any fatigue issues. Maybe you’re just getting burned out from muscle ups. Try just practicing them once per week. If you’re getting stronger on weight chins/pull ups, you’ll improve at muscle ups.
Hey, I have a question in regards to splitting up my work.
I am currently working on about 12 movements altogether per week, however, I find that a few of them are getting in the way of each other. Particularly my Incline Bench Press, Standing Press, and weighted dips.
I seldom train any of these to failure, but sometimes feel fatigue for a few days after performing the movement with heavy weight. Right now I am Pressing on Monday, Benching on Wednesday, and doing weighted dips on Friday because doing all three or even two back to back sabotages the second movement.
Is this correct? Would you use a different split or nix one of the movements altogether?
I would suggest just doing bench and presses or dips and presses. Trying to hit all three is too much. So do Pressing on Monday and Dips or Bench Press on Friday. Every 8 weeks you can rotate bench with dips.
Hi Greg
I’ve read all of your articles about the training programmes and I just need some advice.
Im 16 and im in good shape. But I want to get more ripped, I don’t want to be huge and look like I live in the gym. I play sport and need to still be agile to move around and be fit. I have a small home gym. Is there a specific programme of yours I should try? . Thank you. From mark
I’d encourage you to do the warrior shredding program. That will help you build strength, increase muscle definition and get very lean.
Hi Greg,
Sorry another question.Can you do RPT with lower reps for pure strength and density not muscle size, for example 3 sets 2,3,4 reps(RPT)?
Regards Andrew
I don’t recommend sets below 4 reps. RPT should be done in the 4-10 rep range. If you want more of an emphasis on strength and density just do 2 sets. 4-5 reps and 5-7 reps.
Hey Greg,
Which do you think work faster Standard Pyramid or Rest Pause for stubborn muscles(Growth)
Regards Andrew
Both are great. I prefer rest pause.
Hi Greg,
I’ve been following you greek god course but I’ve been stuck at 145lbs for incline press and 95lbs for overhead press, for about a month now. What do recommend to keep adding weight?
Should I add assistance movements like dips and close grip press?
Thanks for your input!
Try increasing the reps before adding weight.
Hey Greg!
Just needed to ask you one question: on barbell movements, do you also take into consideration the weight of the bar (~20kg) or do you only count the weight from the plates?
For instance, when you said you could incline bench 240lbs, is that with or without the bar weight? I needed to know that because of the RPT weight calculations (the 10% we subtract is bigger when taking the bar into account).
Thanks!!!
Always count the weight of the bar.
Hey Greg!
A couple of questions:
1. In my gym the smallest amount I can increase the weight is 2,5 kg for both barbells and dummbells (which means that for bilateral dumbbell exercises, such as the dumbbell BP and delt raises, the smallest amount i can increase is 5 kg).
I’m following the GGMBP and since I don’t have access to micro weight plates, which progression model would you recommend for both barbell and dumbbell exercises?
2. What do you do when you plateau at a certain exercise for several workouts? Do you change the rep range, change the exercise, lower the weight and build back up,…?
Thanks a bunch!
1. Do a rep interval. Set 1 – 4-6, set 2 – 6-8, set 3 – 8-10
When you can do the top end of the rep range then increase the weight by 2.5kg the next workout.
2. Either change the rep range or vary the exercise both work. I’d suggest varying the rep range at first. Reduce the weight and work with higher reps.
Hey Greg, I have a few questions regarding ideal reps to aim for in RPT:
1. With, for example, the Incline bench press- would I rather aim for a heavier weight, on the 1st set, and hit 4 reps or opt for the slightly lighter weight to allow me to hit 6 reps. And then, the next session doing this exercise would I increase the weight by ~5% and aim for 5 reps?
2. With the skull crushers- I have been trying to hit 1 rep short of failure on all 3 sets with 2 minutes recovery in between. So, I executed 9, 7 and 6 reps with 25kg barbell. Should I rather aim for 3X8 with the same weight until it becomes easy enough to increase weight to 27.5kg BB? How do you go about it?
Thanks Greg!
1. Both options can work. You could go heavy and start at 4 and try to build up to 6 before increasing the weight.
2. You don’t have to do 3 x 8 with the same weight. I’d say when you can do 10 reps on your first set then increase the weight.
Hey Greg,
I’ve been following you for quite some time, and been working with RPT for a while now, i’m able to do incline bench with 42kg/92.5lbs DB’s in each hand for 5 reps (i weight 75kg/165lbs, at a height of 175 cm/5’9).
Just the other day, my uncle challenged me to do pushups. I haven’t done any chest working for more than 8 reps for the last year, but still managed to get 80 pushups! I was pretty surprised, i had no idea i could do that! Just wanted to share the effectiveness of getting stronger, and that RPT is by far the most effective lifting pattern i have EVER tried out!
so thanks for all you work man, its amazing !
hahah that’s so funny because I pretty much had the exact same experience. I did a challenge and I hit 81 push ups lol.
Hey Greg!
What do you do when weight progressions don’t go as planned?
For instance, today I was supposed to get 5 x 27kg, 6 x 24,5kg, 7 x 22kg on the Incline Bench Press, but I failed miserably: I barely got 4, 5 and 6 reps, let alone 5,6 and 7. The strange thing is the rest of the workout (Bench Press, Lateral Raises and Cable Pushdowns) went very well. I’ve been using your micro-loading model on RPT movements, so I increase the weight 1kg (2,2lbs) from week to week and try to get the same number of reps and it’d been working perfectly until today.
So, what should I do? Should I stick to the 4,5,6 reps now and continue increasing the weight? Should I attempt the same weights for 5,6,7 reps the next workout? Should I reduce the weight and go for the 5,6,7 the next workout?
Thanks!
I’d suggest attempting the same weight for next workout and aim to get 5, 6, 7. If you don’t get it then you’ll probably want to change the exercise. Perhaps do a close grip bench press instead of incline.
Hey Greg!
this reverse pyramid stuff and your greek god routines are insane, i’m NEVER dropping it, it’s so damn effective!
Today i did 5 reps incline DB press with 42 kg/92.5 lbs. DB’s, and i believe there had been an additional rep if i really squeezed it! Oh, and i weight 76kg, and i’m 1.75cm high, just to put it in perspective.
I was wondering though, the heaviest DB’s my gym has, is 42kg, so what would be the best way for me to progress? i was thinking either backing of the weight a little, maybe go down to 38 kg or something, and do 6-8-10 reps and work my way up to the 42kg’s again, instead of 5-6-8, would that be of any use, or should i just switch to incline BB press ?
Cheers man!
Yah you can do 6-8-10. That’s another favorite of mine RPT style. You may need to switch to incline barbell press if you out grow the dumbbells.
Do you have a specific RPT workout? I searched the site but couldn’t find one…
Well a lot of my workouts use RPT but they are not titled RPT. Check out this workout – https://kinobody.com/workouts-and-exercises/dual-pyramid-training/
Hi Greg,
For the RPT; the first set is the heaviest. With how much % of you 1RM you do this? I guess around 80% if you want to do around 6?
Thanks!
Jelle
I don’t really bother basing the first set off my one rep max. I just use a weight that will challenge me for a certain rep count. Then I will strive on pushing it each week.
Hey Greg
I just wanted to let you know that since I started lifting 3 days per week instead of 4 I am seeing great results in strenght and size, to be honest I really was skeptical about it but for studies i found myself with less time to workout so I gave it a try, and hell I am sticking to it, I am getting my best workouts of my life because I am getting PR’s very frecuently (RPT is the coolest way to workout and actually make proggress) and as you say when I finish I feel great. And definitly the best thing of working out 3 times per week is that I have more time to do other stuff, and you know it just feels like I am liberated from the gym lol
Anyways, I dont own your program by money issues (in my country the dollar is almost 3 times more expesive than my national (coin?) but I am definitly looking forward to do it, so I am following your great advice in your artciles here in kinobody. Ok, one question I am following a 2 day split, my upper chest is growing nicely but eventually I will want work the medium part of my chest too how would that fit in a workout in wich I am doing
Incline dumbell press (RPT) warm up – 6 – 8 – 10
Standing Press (RPT) warm up – 6 – 8 – 10
Skull Crushers (RPT) 6 – 8 – 10
Lateral Raises Rest pause
Glad to see that you are doing good, been following since 2011 but really got into lifting seriously a year ago after a life changing moment. I wish you the best in your future projects, waiting anxious your pod with Elliot. Thanks for your help
You could do flat bench press istead of incline for a while. Or you could do flat press instead of standing press to focus more on the chest and less on the shoulders. You shouldn’t lose any strength on your shoulders from this. Whatever strength you lose will be temporary and you’ll gain it back fast!
Hey Greg what do you think about RPT just for the last set of the exercise? For example for seated dumbbell shoulder press here is my current approach:
3 min rest in between each set,
1st set = aim for 5 reps
2nd set = aim for 5 reps (same weight)
3rd set = aim for 7-8 after dropping approximately 10%..I actually did 20% easily the other day since the second set is still the same weight, but I may just do 10 % from now
Or do you think standard RPT would be more efficient for overall strength and muscle gain?
Definitely standard RPT!
Tried it yesterday! Have you ever had to miss a week of gym because of finals week and it threw off your rep count for a particular exercise? For some reason, for incline db chest for straight sets I can’t do 6 reps first set, and 5 reps second set anymore. I feel it may have affected my db shoulder press as well a little. You think it’s more about proper sleep (fatigue from school) than just because I missed a week?
Yah that will happen. A week off might drop strength slightly. You’ll get it back in no time.
Hey Greg…have been doing ur RPT method for 8 moths now…
i am writing down the excercises and the weights i am stalling on-
weighted chins-BW +16.25kg stall-cant get 5 reps
incline bench-72.5-75 kg stall-cant get 4-5 reps…
overhead pres-57.5 kg x4rep – stall cant get 5th rep
weighted dips-bw+28.5kg X 3-4…stall cant get 5-6 reps
pease greg…i am not able to break these plateus for weeks…please suggest some ways…
i tried switching to other forms of chins for 4-6 weeks like the normal pullup and the parallel chins…but still no help…
please help sir
Drop the sets to only 2 sets per exercise. Also drop the weight by about 5kg and perform the same number of reps. This will create positive feedback. Then add about 2.5kg per workout till you get back to your previous weight then make slowly increases in weight.
Hi Greg,
Is this how you would progressively get stronger with RPT:
On your first session you pick a weight you can do 6 reps for, lower 10% and do 8 reps, lower 10% and do 10 reps. Then next week/session, in theory (if you did the RPT correctly) you should have gotten stronger in recovery and so are now able to increase the weight of the 6 rep set marginally by say 2.5kg?
1. What if in this next session you increase the weight by 2.5kg but can only manage 3 reps (it has to be 2.5kg because at my gym there isn’t a smaller increment in the gym available) do I still continue the RPT but now do reps of 3, 5, 8?
Thank you.
2.5kg is a big increase on most exercises. I’d recommend about half of that, 1-1.25kg. This will work for barbell movements and weighted chins/dips. For dumbbell stuff you’ll need to use a double progression model. Build up to the top end of the rep range before increasing the weight.
Hey Greg,
Regarding the MEGA routine, should we do all of the RPT movements first and only then the SPT exercises or should we pair them by muscle groups, like this:
RPT chest
SPT chest
RPT shoulders
SPT shoulders
RPT triceps
SPT triceps
Don’t you think that this way our shoulder will be less fatigued when we hit the shoulder RPT movement than if we did RPT shoulders right after RPT chest?
Thanks
Hit RPT first then go to SPT.
Hi Greg have your programs just need some advice. if my goal is being as defined as possible but with muscle gain in these areas (lowerbody,glutes, chest, rear delts) should I be following the Warrior Program or the Specialization greek god program with Recomp protocol nutrition)? I would more importantly like to have great definition with low bodyfat but would like to slowly add size as well. I am currently about 9-12 percent but want it lower. I am not sure which program as they both look great but are a little different. any help? if my goal is to look like Max Philisaire maybe a little less bulky.
You can do the recomp protocol from greek god, that would work pretty well.
Yo Greg I was wondering if you could help me out with my workout routine. I’m thinking of starting something like this:
A1: Incline Bench 3 sets (5,6,8). Weighted Dips 3 sets (6,8,10). Lateral Raises 3 sets x 8-12.Skull Crushers 3 sets x 6-10. Cable Rope Pushdowns 2 sets x 10-12
B1: Deadlift 2 sets x 3-5. Weighted Chins 3 sets (5,6,8). Barbell Curls 3 sets x 6-10. Incline Dumbbell Curls 2 sets x 10-12 Rear Delt Flyes 3 sets x 8-12.
A2: Flat Bench 3 sets (5,6,8). Standing Press 3 sets (5,6,8). Lateral Raises 3 sets x 8-12. Skull Crushers 3 sets x 6-10.
B2: Weighted Chins 3 sets (5,6,8). Barbell Curls 3 sets x 6-10. Rear Delt Flyes 3 sets x 8-12. Leg Press 2 sets x 8-10. Calf Raises 3 sets 8-12.
Thoughts?
That’s a lot to pack into one week. I’d recommend just three sessions. You can try that routine for a few weeks and if you’re making good progress then keep it up but if you’re making better progress with three session then I’d just do that.
Hey Greg,
My left arm (most specifically my left bicep) is a lot weaker and smaller than my right. I’m currently working on the strength & density workouts from your muscle building program and am really enjoying it and making small gains with each lift every workout so far.
Do you think, though, that following the bicep work (chins and barbell curls) will eventually cause my left arm to catch up with my right, and even out in strength and size. Or, should I work on exercises that hit each arm separately, like dumbbell curls?
Thanks for your time!
Keep the chin ups and switch to dumbbell curls. Always initiate with your weak arm first.
Hello Greg. SO i purchased your greek god program…have a few questions.. I have creatine in my house but have not taken it. I know its unnecessary but if my goals are too get to single digit bodyfat with crazy definition with building a little bit more muscle in a few areas would creatine help or hinder that?
also should any HIIT or cardio or finishers be done ON lifting days right after weight training?
i saw that the cardio you recommended on off days was fairly light, should I do it how it is in phase 3 of Visual Impact if I am looking to stay lean?
excited to start but just confused!
Well I’d wait to take creatine while you’re not dieting. The weight gain from creatine can make it difficult to track progress. No need for HIIT finishers, it’s unnecessary. It’s just a matter of nutrition to stay lean or drop fat. That’s all you ever need.
In your Greek God Program, MEGA Workouts, When can I proceed to Levels 2 and 3? Or, can I go do them right away?
Do level 1 for 3-4 weeks before level 2.
Greg,
I’m currently really enjoying your greek god program, however I was wondering when you say reduce the weight by approximately 10%, if you could only reduce by say 8% or 12% due to the weights available would you choose the higher percentage (12%)??
Cheers
Yes of course! The 10% is just an approximation.
Hey greg. Can you arch your back when doing incline barbell benching like when doing flat bench.
Thanks james
Yes definitely!
I purchased and read ur Greek god program and am confused to my own goals which workout plan I should follow… Kino strength, specialization,: mega or bonus 3 day split…I am already very strong but have very undersized legs and glutes… Like Very chicken legged. I want a bigger chest and have inwardly rotated shoulders so that round full shoulder shape should be worked on. Everything else like arms size wise is fine just looking to keep it dense and ripped not really bigger. Which routine?? Thanks
Do the lowerbody specialization program on Workout B and chest specialization on Workout A. Do it for 3 months then go into MEGA training.
Hi Greg,
Sorry to be a pain but I haven’t received my updated version of your Greek God muscle building program yet. Could you look into it when you get a spare minute.
Thanks for your latest posts too. I’m out of the gym due to injury but reading them keeps me motivated to get back quickly.
You should have it now :)
Hey Greg, great article as always. Just curious about the barbell bicep curls from your muscle building program.
Do you recommend using the large, straight barbell (the same barbell used for bench pressing), a smaller straight bar,or an ez curl bar?
Thanks!
If you’re doing less than 100 lbs then you can use one of those welted barbells. If you’re going heavier then you can use an olympic barbell. If barbell hurts your wrist then you can either do EZ barbell curls or dumbbell curls.
You said, to get bigger, you need to get stronger, and the muscle growth you get from pump work is only temporary. But, in your course you upped the volume on the specialtization routines, so it’s only temporary. Wouldn’t it be better to get stronger on the lifts that target your lagging muscle to get it bigger?
Well it’s not temporary in the sense that it will go away as soon as you leave the gym. It’s temporary in the sense that you need to be working out consistently to hold that size. But, getting in more volume can work to help promote more muscle growth.
Hey Greg,
Long time follower of your website. Quick question; You put up this alcohol consumption article and fat gain (via pubmed) on here recently and I cant seem to find it, could you possibly link me again?
Thanks man
Do you have the warrior shredding program? I linked to it in that course.
Hey Greg!
i was wondering if i’m over doing the working out..
Im following the S&D from the greek god, but i’m doing shoulders before chest. I have added 3 sets of pistols at the end of workout A (shoulder, chest, triceps) and also doing 3×10-15 hanging leg raises after..
And on workout B i have added 3 sets of calve raises, and doing 3×10-15 ab wheel roll outs, and 3×8 renegade rows.. Im doing the ab work after, because i can’t really do it at home..
Also, both lateral raises and rear delt flyes are done rest-pause.
Im in a 2-500 callorie surplus everyday.
Also, i’ve made an excel spreadsheet that calculates your callories and macros, based on the numbers in the greek god manual. If you’re interested i can mail it to you, might be a help to some people, i found it helpfull, so i can fast re-calculate when i gain additional lean mass (:
Yeah definitely email that to me at gregoryogallagher@gmail.com
If you’re making progress each week then that’s completely fine. But if you start to hit pleateau’s you may need to back off all the extra movements.
i’m micro loading and getting stronger each and every time!
Will do, will make a quick translation from danish to english, then you’ll get it!
Awesome!
Do I count my body weight when dropping the weight by 10% while doing weighted dips?
Yes definitely!
Hey Greg!
I’m doing rest-pause on lateral raises, but i think i might have misunderstood something..
do rest-pause build strength, or is it just for the “pump” and sarcoplasmic growth, or does it build strength and myofibrillar growth?
Im doing 3 sets with 10-12 reps, and 2 min rest, and after the last set i go straight into 4 mini sets with 3-5 reps and 10-15 sek pause.. I want the strength and the growth, but i’m wondering if it’s actually overkill, and maybe even to demanding on the shoulders, and i would get better result with just 1 activation set, and 4 mini sets? So my question is: Does rest-pause with only 1 activation set build strength and myofribrillar growth, or only sarcoplasmic, or is it a mix of both?
Best regards, and thanks for all your work!
Rest pause is more for hypertrophy, it won’t build much strength. But you’ll improve recovery, build muscle and improve endurance. Just do one activation set. Doing three sets of the same exercise before the rest pause set defeats the purpose.
Hmm.. So if i wont my delts to get stronger, i just stick to the straight sets?
i’m in no hurry, so id rather use my time and energy on myofibrillar growth and strength (:
But thanks !
Use Reverse Pyramid Training, it will build strength and muscle size better than straight sets.
Even with delt raises?
i will try, but i find it hard with the heavy weights!
Hi, Greg! In your GGMBP, Strength & Density Routine, can I use RPT for Arms, and Rest-Pause for Laterals and Rear delts? Wouldn’t it be better for strength & muscle?
Yeah you most definitely can. The advantage of straight sets for arms is that the progression on curls is trickier with RPT. You can’t effectively add micro plates, and if you’re adding weight to one of your sets, it often means throwing off the 10% reduction in weight on each set.
Rest pause lateral and rear delts works very well. I like to incorporate both standard pyramid and rest pause for variety sake.
I’m stalling abit with the straight sets on BB curls, so i’m trying reverse pyramid, since it has been incredible effective for the rest of my lifts. But i know it might be to much to increase the weight every time, even if it’s micro-loading.
so i was thinking of doing RPT, but with rep increases as well.. so like:
Workout one:
4-6-8 reps.
Next workout i will do
5-7-9 og maybe just 5-6-8, and then on third do 5-7-9.
when i hit 6-8-10, i will increase the weight with 1-2lbs, and then start over from 4-6-8 and repeat.
Does it sound like a feasible way to do it?
And amazing work, love you latest article, so inspiring !
Yeah that will work quite well. But you can probably increase by 5lbs to lose 2 reps.
Thanks man, will try that (:
Hi Greg, great post, RPT training is the staple of my lifting routine, it has increased all my heavy lifts significantly but I am having trouble adding additional weight to my weighted chin ups. I am stuck at 65 lbs for 5 reps, any suggestions to break through the plateau?
I’d recommend working on a different variation of chin ups. Either go parallel grip or hands facing away (pull ups). Do this for a good 6 weeks, then when you back to chin ups you should start making progress again.
Hi Greg!
When I stall at, let say, the 4-6 rep range, would it be a good choice to start over at 7-10 rep range, and work my way down again?
Thanks
Yep that’s a very good method.
Hey Greg. I’ve just bought the Greek god program and I’m super psyched to start it. I’ve also just bought a pair of gymnastic rings. I’ve never used them before so I still have to buil up stabilizing strength but do you recommend I incorporate them into the program? I’ve always heard people saying that rings are the best strength training tools for the upper body. At the moment I’m following the strength and density program and just greasing the groove with rings to bring my strength up fast. Do you recommend I continue doing this or use them only during the workout, like for dips and chins. Thanks.
Ps. Thanks to you I managed my first stand to stand back bridge. Super psyched!!
I’d be careful with adding additional strength training on top of the program. It may interfere with the effectiveness of the system. You can finish your workouts with 5-10 minutes of ring work.
Hey Greg!
Been on the muscle building (now Greek God) for quite a while, all my lifts are somewhere between good and great. Except my bb curls.
Was wondering if it’s okay to change from straight sets to RPT on barbell curls and skull crushers? And what about calves, can they be worked with RPT aswell, or are the straight sets more effective?
Thanks in advance!
Yah you can definitely do RPT on barbell curls and skull crushers. For calves you can do RPT. You’ll want to reduce the weight by 15-20 lbs on calves for each set.
Hey Greg! I bought your program a couple months ago. I’ve been making incredible strength gains since I started. However, I seem to have plateaued. I cannot seem to get past 4 reps for 225 on the incline and weighted pull up’s without failing. What do you suggest I do to get past this? Thanks!
First of all, those are some freaking awesome lifts! Way to go man.
I’d recommend changing up the rep ranges. Drop the weight by 15-20 lbs and work in a higher rep range. So you might do 6-8 reps on set 1, 8-10 reps on set 2 and 10-12 reps on set 3.
Awesome post! A question on nutrition, what is your opinion on oats? gluten free and so
Oats are good. If you like them eat them.
Hey Greg. My question is about your suggestion of weight training 3x per week. I have been doing this for nearly a year and have gotten great results. But i also love doing cardio 2 or 3 times a week aswell. I know i could improve on my lifts if i didnt do so much cardio. What are your thoughts. I know you like to leave a full day in between for recovery so that you get the bestout of each weight session.
Cardio on rest days is completely fine! Just avoid heavy lifting.
I’ve tried posting this response and somehow it doesn’t show up??
Frank Zane and Serge are questionable as far as drugs. Frank has said he never used. My cousin despise drugs and the way the bodybuilding sport is. I was just saying that 5 and six day splits are feasible for natty’s. You can also get very strong via progressive overload no matter the rep range.
There are some great physiques out there who use high volume routines without. Again it depends on the person and their goals. You even did it with Visual Impact and looked better then I think. Look at your avatar and compare it to your current condition? I love this site but people need to be open minded to all training variations to find out which suits them best. My 5 day split is getting me great results and I take 0 supplements now, was taking protein but it was bloating me a bit from the lactose. I like to try different routines high/ low volume and frequency to change things up a bit. Keep up the good work man!!
They were completely juicing. You can’t even argue that! Sure he may not have been taking the same level of juice as other guys, but they were far from natural. The science is very clear on what’s humanly possible in terms of muscle size and both those guys are beyond that natural limit.
I have to manually approve all of the comments so it takes a while for them to show up. Keep that in mind before you jump to conclusions. I’m all for making progress and tracking lifts, if you’re getting results training 5 times per week then that’s awesome, keep up the good work.
When I decrease the weight by 10% using Weighted Dips, should I also include my bodyweight+weight as well like with weighted pull ups? I find that I get too many reps when I include my bodyweight+reps & going down 10% on the 2nd &3rd sets for dips. Also, is there any reason why you don’t include many rowing exercises in the basic GG Strength & Density workouts?
If that’s the case then only count 80% of your actual bodyweight. So if you’re 200 lbs then just count it as 160 lbs + any additional weight. That will make it more accurate. With proper strength progression, chin ups will develop your back so well that you won’t even need additional pulling work. If you want to do rows, you can sub them for hang cleans.
Frank and Serge weren’t best examples from an drug free standpoint. But there are naturals who train using 5 – 6 X’s week like that. Gregg Plitt, Pham Woodbridge, José Rakich, Manu McGrewal or what have you.
One doesn’t have to be chemically enhanced to benefit from lifting lighter. Lifting at slower tempos is one way to make a weight feel heavier than it is. My cousin won’t go near the gear and has despised it since I can remember.
Not trying to say anything negative, just that there’s more than one way to do things. You seemed to be more defined and aesthetic when you were doing Visual Impact IMHO and that was a higher volume and frequency workout right?
When I was doing visual impact I was doing strictly phase 3, which was low rep. But the reason I was lean was because I was dieting like a fucking mad men, eating around 1600 calories per day and doing the EC stack.
Very well informed site here I think. Different approaches has its place and dependent in the individual I say. I noticed your argument of 3 days vs 5 or six days or what not, and again its dependent on the individual.
3 X’s a week can work great especially for the average person who doesn’t wish to be in the gym more or job and family life are of considerations. If you enjoy being in the gym 5-6 days then go for it. Some of the most aesthetic physiques in the world utilize and thrive on being in the gym several times a week, blasting out one body part a day?
I’m talking about the fitness models who have a great shoulder to waist ratio and have clear separation between bodyparts. These guys aren’t necessarily overly muscular but aesthetic to say the least. While the Kinobody weekly lifting frequency approach may get results, others work just as well or are just as optimal.
Nutrition takes care of your body fat to a great degree and the iron builds and sculpts. If you’ve ever followed any of Frank Zane’s work/ books or the late Serge Nubret, both built phenomenal physiques lifting lighter and high reps. My cousin who I’ve just found out is a well known fitness model just got in touch with me after several years. His statement was ” Just because you are stronger than me, does not mean you will look better than me”. His muscles are Dense and full and completely ripped (small waist, broad shoulders) he has never lifted anything below 8 reps. His Height/Bodyweight to Strength ratio is crazy.
Sorry for the long post, just want others to know that there are several ways to accomplish your ” Greek God” body.
Frank Zane and Serge Nubret are both not natural. Enhanced lifters make great gains with light weights, unfortunately, the same is rarely true for natural lifters. If you look at the best natty’s they tend to be very strong.
How do I lose chest muscle? I feel I am over developed in that area. Or perhaps how do I tighten that area up more because I don’t want to be carrying too much muscle in the chest for Track season.
Also, what workouts do you recommend for explosiveness.
You’ll need to cut back on your chest training while dropping fat. Maybe limit chest to 2 sets of incline and one set of flat bench.
I like box jumps, depth jumps and hang cleans for building explosivness.
Is this article the ‘part 2’ of your December 26 article, or is that ‘part 2’ still to come?
This is part 2
Hi Greg, Just wondering when Incline pressing at what angle you put the bench at?
Thanks
Somewhere between 30-45 degrees.
Hey Greg, great article as always !
I bought the GGP 10 days ago and I was wondering when I would receive the missing chapter I keep hearing about :)
Thanks !
It’s loaded in kinobodyelite. So if you just sign in there you’ll be able to access it.
I’ve been using RPT for a while now and it’s by far the best protocol I’ve used.
One thing I’ve always wondered about was the progression in RPT. For example, if you’ve stalled on your first set for a couple weeks at 5 reps, do you bother progressing the subsequent sets (more weight or more reps) on their own, or would you stay 10% lighter and 1-2 reps more?
I’m curious to know what you normally do, Greg.
As always, great article!
Definitely progress on the second and third set if you are capable of doing that. You’ll find that when you progress on the second and third set, then you’ll be able to progress on the first set with more ease. So if you’re stuck on the first set then build up your second and third set. Then try building up your first set.
this article must be one of the clearest and most succinct expositions of RPT I have ever read. thank you!
Thanks Moss! Glad this one resonated with you :)
First off, just wanna say i LOVE reverse pyramid training. I was very skeptical when i first found your site but when i finally bought your course and tried it, i havent changed.
Now, quick question. My biceps seem to be my lagging muscle group, so ive been doing a form of the bicep specialization. Heres my day:
Weighted Chin ups: 3 sets (RPT – 5, 6, 8)
• Hang Cleans: 3 sets (RPT – 5, 6, 8)
• Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets x 6-10 reps
• Bent Over Flyes: 3 sets x 8-12 reps then 2 sets of rest pause: 15 second rest
• Hammer Grip Dumbbell Curls: 2 sets x 8-12 reps 90 seconds rest
Do you think i would be better off subbing one of the curl exercises with rest pause cable curls?
Thanks!
Yah you can finish off with rest pause cable curls instead of hammer curls. See how it works for you. I’ve had the best results with rest pause on shoulders but it works well with biceps too.
Cool i’ll do that. Should i stick with regular incline dumbbell curls or switch them to hammer grip?
Both variations are solid! Hammer works the outer biceps more, regular works the inner more. Whatever you feel needs more work.
Hey dude!! I am loving your blog as usual and your Warrior Shredding Program is legit!! I’ve been single digits for years now (I’ve never in my life been above 12%), but what you have to offer is a great insight in the enjoyable journey. I must say my absolute favorite though is the missing chapters. I LOVE studying the mental game because I believe it is the most important and the perspective you bring into it is very enlightening.
Cool, well enough bro praise for now, ha ha. My question is in regards to glycogen So I know the average human stores about 100 grams in the liver and up to around 300 grams or so in the muscles (size and therefore storage capacity may vary), but how long does it take to deplete them? Or with exercise (and what kind of exercise) is the best at depleting it and how long would that take?
I know you and Rusty recommend lifitng heavy and low volume when cutting so you don’t deplete as quickly (this way of training with my cutting saved my butt so thanks!), but what is the most efficient way to deplete and could you cite some sources? Like intervals or something? I feel I have a basic comprehension down (enough to not sound totally stupid ha ha, but I don’t pretend to knw everything, correct where I error my friend. My cup is always empty =) Thanks dude!
Thanks for the Praise Aaron. Now this is really beyond the scope of what I go into with blog comments. You should check out Lyle Mcdonalds work for information on glycogen depletion. I believe a total of 10-12 high rep sets per body part is required to deplete glycogen
should I wear gloves while lifting?
I don’t, I’ve built my hands up to handle it.
Great post! is this the protocol you always use, also if cutting or clean bulking? Or do you add/change something when the goals vary? Thanks
I usually only do 2 sets when cutting. When maintaining or lean bulking I’ll do 3. But yet, I use it for both cutting and bulking.
Do you recommend beginner lifters to start off with this approach right off the bat during their first few months of lifting?
If so, how much weight do you think they could add each week? ( I know this is a very subjective question because it all depends on the individual, but I’d still like to hear your perspective). I was thinking in the range of 5lbs. every week but I know that gets to be way too much, way to quickly.
Or do you recommend beginners can keep “milking” their results with, say, a program like Starting Strength or 5×5 for the first few months to a year (6-12 months).
For me, this seems more for “advanced” lifters, or people who’ve been doing this for a while.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this Greg.
Always fun to read your work,
Wasil
It really depends on there person. But once someone has the technique down and they’re capable of exerting maximal effort and really hitting their muscles hard, then they can really benefit from RPT. A protocol like starting strength wouldn’t be bad to start with and then graduate to RPT.
I can’t possibly tell you how much a beginner can gain. Not to mention, it is completely dependent on the exercise.
Fantastic post Greg, thanks!
I just bought your Greek God Program, and I wanted to ask you for strategies for when a spotter isn’t present (all the time in my case). I want to go to one rep short of failure but sometimes I pull out prematurely because I don’t have a spotter and don’t want to make an arse of myself if I fail. Is the smith machine for incline bench press far inferior to free barbell press?
Thanks heaps,
Jonny.
If you ask someone working out at the gym for a quick spot they will gladly do it. I often lift to the brink of failure without spotters. This is not recommended for most people though. BUt eventually you get a very good idea of how many reps you can get on your own before you fail.