Written by Tyler DiGiovanni | BSBM
Fact checked by Sam Coleman, Co-Founder
FACT CHECKED
Are you tired of not feeling ready to tackle some heavy weights? Body not ready to move some serious weight even though you’ve “warmed-up?” You might need ramp-up sets. These often overlooked and mostly misunderstood sets can help prep your muscles, nervous system, and joints for heavier loads, leading to stronger lifts and reduced risk of injury.
So, why wouldn’t you want to optimize your lifts? This article is going to help you become a ramp-up set pro in no time. Let’s get into it.
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What Are Ramp-Up Sets?
Ramp-up sets get progressively heavier as you get to your working weight. “Well, isn’t that just warm-up sets?”; yes and no. They are “warm-up sets” in the way that they are getting your muscles and joints prepped for work, but unlike normal warm-up sets, there’s a science to it rather than just throwing an extra 5-lb or 10-lb plate on. Ramp-up sets consist of a slower progression to your working weight without fatiguing your muscles. Think of it as walking up a low-incline hill to the top rather than scaling a cliffside to get to the same place.
The Importance of Proper Ramp-Up Sets
Here are some of the reasons why you should be integrating ramp-up sets into your workouts:
- Increased Muscle Activation: Gradually increasing weight stimulates your muscles into waking up rather than shocking them into action. This slower approach encourages a more complete recruitment of muscle fibers.
- Enhanced Nervous System Activation: Many people overlook the importance of their central nervous system when it comes to lifting. The CNS receives information about how much force to apply and how many muscle fibers to recruit. Ramp-ups help prep your CNS instead of heavily fatiguing it before your working sets.
- Reduced Injury Risk: Taking a gradual approach to hitting higher weights lets your muscles and joints get sufficient blood flow, ensuring they are properly ready to handle heavier loads.
- Better Mind-Muscle Connection: The mind-muscle connection is a real thing, and ramp-up sets help you get a feel for the movement and which muscles should be firing up. This leads to better form and muscle activation.
The Wrong Way To Ramp-Up
For this example, we’re going to say you have a working weight of 225 lbs on bench press. I’ve seen several people use the following “warm-up” in the gym:
- Set 1: 135 lbs x 10 reps
- Set 2: 185 lbs x 8 reps
- Set 3: 205 lbs x 8 reps
- Set 4: 225 lbs (Working Set)
So, What’s Wrong with This Sequence?
- Excessive Repetitions at Higher Loads: In short, you’d be gassing yourself out. Too many reps are going to fatigue you before you even get to your working sets. The whole point is to get you ready to perform at the highest level, not wipe you out before you get to your target weight.
- Unbalanced Weight Jumps: The first jump from 135 to 185 is too large. The weight jumps should be about 10-15% once you hit around 50% of your working set.
The Right Way To Ramp-Up
Using the same 225-pound working weight, here’s a more efficient way to ramp up:
- Set 1: 135 lbs x 8 reps (Focus on form and warming up the movement pattern)
- Set 2: 155 lbs x 5 reps (This is that target 15% weight increase)
- Set 3: 185 lbs x 3 reps (Starting to build intensity but keeping reps low to avoid fatigue)
- Set 4: 205 lbs x 1-2 reps (Near-working weight with minimal reps to prime your CNS)
- Set 5: 225 lbs (Working Set)
Why This Sequence Works
- Lower Reps as You Increase Weight: By reducing the number of reps as the weight increases, you’re giving your muscles a taste of heavier weight without fatiguing them. This progression helps gently awaken your CNS, rather than the equivalent of throwing a bucket of ice water on it.
- Strategic Weight Jumps: Each jump in weight is calculated to gradually build intensity rather than jumping straight into it.
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Tips for Ramp-Up Sets
- Start with Light Loads: Begin your first set at roughly 40-50% of your working weight, focusing on form. If you are a heavier lifter, then you might need to start below 50% of your working weight.
- Use Lower Reps as You Increase Weight: THESE ARE NOT YOUR WORKING SETS! The point of this is to get your body ready for the working sets, so don’t think you have to follow your working set rep scheme on the ramp-up sets.
- Prime, Don’t Fatigue: The goal of ramp-up sets is to prepare, not exhaust, so remember that you’re not maxing out. Experienced lifters may need to do a couple more ramp-up sets to get to their working weight; just remember the tip above and keep the reps low.
- Not Every Exercise Needs a Ramp-Up: By the time you’re well into your workout, your CNS is primed and ready to go. Doing ramp-up sets won’t provide a big benefit.
- Warm-Up!: Yes, ramp-up sets prep your body to handle heavy loads, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect getting loose before starting them. Getting some blood flowing to whatever muscle groups you’re working on that day is only going to help your ramp-up sets be more effective. Take the extra five minutes; your body will thank you for it.
- Listen to Your Body: Speaking of your body, pay attention to how it’s responding on that particular day. Adjust the weight and reps based on how you feel. Some days might need an extra set or two, while others may need less.
Wrap-Up
Properly done ramp-up sets can be an absolute game-changer when it comes to getting the most out of your lifts. Prepping your body to handle heavier loads while also reducing the chance you’re going to get hurt is a no-brainer. Stick to the tips in this guide and watch your workouts improve. Give these a try for a couple of weeks, and let us know what you think of ramp-up sets in the comments.
Tyler DiGiovanni
Author