Chutes and Ladders

  CHUTES AND LADDERS TRAINING

Also known as pyramid and reverse pyramid training, my "chutes and ladders" training repetition scheme optimizes muscle growth through periodic changes in the number of reps performed for each exercise.

 In the old days, it was thought that only mid-rep ranges of say, 8-12 repetitions were best for hypertrophy. But as one of my strength training idols, Jim Stoppani, explains recent research has proven there is more to the story:

"Training with much lighter weight for far higher reps will actually help you build more muscle than their heavy and hard training.  

Rep ranges are broken into "repetition maximum ranges"

This breaks down the rep ranges into three main categories: 1) muscle strength, 2) muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), and 3) muscle endurance. Research and years of training have previously shown that the rep range of 1-6 reps per set is best for increasing muscle strength; and that the rep range of 7-12 reps per set is best for increasing muscle growth; while reps of 12 and higher are best for increasing muscle endurance. This has always sounded solid based on what we know about muscle physiology and the energy systems used during these types of workouts, as well as the results that athletes have seen over the years training these ways.

But alas, as science often does, there is new research that turns this way of thinking upside down.

 New research proves that heavier weight training leads to better increases in muscle strength, while the lighter-weight training induces increases in muscle endurance that the heavy weight training does not.

Regardless of how heavy or how light you go, you will be able to increase muscle growth as long as you train to muscle failure. Changing up your weight from heavy weight for fewer reps to lighter weight for higher reps also allows you to increase muscle strength and muscle endurance. Having greater strength and greater muscle endurance allows you to train with heavier weights and to complete more reps with a given weight, which can help to better influence muscle growth. And regardless of what each rep range offers, the simple fact that you are changing it, keeps the muscle “guessing”, which prevents it from stagnating, and allows for better continued gains in muscle size, strength and endurance. "

The best way to incorporate these various rep ranges is through a traditional linear periodization program where you start with light weight and high rep ranges and progress weekly to higher weights and lower rep ranges.

There are several ways to accomplish this, but my chutes and ladders program looks like this:

Week                             Rep Range

1                                    21-30

2                                    16-20

3                                    12-15

4                                    9-11

5                                    6-8

6                                    3-5

7                                    6-8

8                                    9-11

9                                    12-15

10                                    16-20

11                                    21-30           

 You also need to take each set to muscular failure, and incorporate as many intensifiers ( drop sets, X-reps, rest-pause, mechanical drop sets) as needed.

The "ladder" is the ascending rep portion and the "chute" is the descending rep portion.

Use any split you want, but take a spin on the chutes and ladders "game."