When training with weights, you can ramp up a given variable by using a progressive increase. For example, you can ramp up on training volume with a progressive increase in volume. You can ramp up on intensity by progressively training closer and closer to failure, or even going past failure. You can ramp up on load with progressive increases in poundages for your lifts. You can even ramp up on frequency with a progressive increase in the number of training sessions per week.
Just a you can ramp up on a specified training variable, you can also ramp down with a progressive decrease of a training variable. For example, when you ramp up on training volume, you can also ramp down on intensity in terms of how close you come to reaching max reps to failure. The opposite is true as you can ramp up on how close you come to failure, while ramping down on training volume. In this article, the focus will be on ramping up on volume, while ramping down on intensity.
Ramp Up on Volume
Let us imagine you are going to ramp up on volume over the course of four workouts. The poundages for each exercise will stay the same all four workouts, but the number of sets and total number of reps will increase. At the same time, the reps per set will decrease. This means you will be using less intensity per set for each workout which amounts to a down ramp of intensity.
When doing the workouts, we will imagine you choose bench presses, squats, overhead presses, seated pulley rows, barbell curls, and triceps press-downs. In order to ramp up on volume while ramping down on intensity, each exercise should be performed using the number of sets, reps, and percentages of your single rep max presented below:
Workout 1:
2 sets x 6 reps with 80% of your 1 rep max (12 total reps)
Workout 2:
3 sets x 5 reps with 80% of your 1 rep max (15 total reps)
Workout 3
4 sets x 4 reps with 80% of your 1 rep max (16 total reps)
Workout 4
6 sets x 3 reps with 80% of your 1 rep max (18 total reps)
Note: 80% of your 1 rep max is approximately your 8 rep max for each exercise.
Notice that the total number of reps starts at 12 reps per exercise and increases to 18 reps per exercise by the fourth workout. The increases are gradual and should allow you to remain at full strength for each set. Notice also that you start with 6 reps per set for the first workout, but you finish with 3 reps per set by the fourth workout. The intensity within each set decreases to allow the volume to go up without overstressing your body.
Ramp up on Intensity and Ramp Down on Volume
If you want to do the ramp in reverse, you can do so. You would start with workout four from the workouts presented above, and you would finish with workout one. In this case, you will start with more volume and less intensity per set, and you will gradually decrease the volume while increasing the intensity within each set. In other words, you will ramp up on intensity while ramping down on volume. This plan is presented in the four workouts below:
Workout 1
6 sets x 3 reps with 80% of your 1 rep max (18 total reps)
Workout 2
4 sets x 4 reps with 80% of your 1 rep max (16 total reps)
Workout 3
3 sets x 5 reps with 80% of your 1 rep max (15 total reps)
Workout 4
2 sets x 6 reps with 80% of your 1 rep max (12 total reps)
Note: 80% of your 1 rep max is approximately your 8 rep max for each exercise.
Different types of Fatigue
When using the ramps listed in this article, you will find that different workouts create different types of fatigue. The closer you come to failure, the more it is going to fatigue your lactate system. The more volume and sets you perform within the context of less intensity per set, the more it is going to fatigue your cp system (i.e. create phosphate system). In the process of ramping you may discover that you respond better to one type of fatigue in comparison to the other.
I often keep my workout structure as simple as possible by keeping my workouts close to the same, however, I also add variety to my workouts at times, and one way I do that is to ramp up and down with different training variables. If you learn how to use ramps within the correct range in terms of your personal capacity for volume, intensity, and load, ramps can prove to be an effective training strategy for promoting strength gains. Consider using them if you reach the point where your current training strategy stop working. God bless you with the best of training.