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Q: I've been intrigued by the recent 10x10 newsletters and jumped in to give it a try. In your learned opinion, if one were to perform a reverse 10x10 using that technique with the maximum weight possible in decreasing amounts throughout the 10 sets, would it constitute overtraining and negate the activation of the type-2A muscle fibers’ endurance component? I was thinking you would get at both the “power” AND the “endurance” functions of the type 2As better this way. I would only use each big Ultimate Exercise for every bodypart [as outlined in the 10x10 e-program].
A: A reverse 10x10 pyramid means you reduce the weight on each set. And you do each of those 10 sets of 10 reps to exhaustion. First, that’s 10-all-out-sets approach is a very different animal than standard 10x10 style, which is taking a weight you can do 20 with, but you only do 10, rest 30 seconds, do 10 more, and so on till you complete 10 sets—first sets are easy, last few are brutal.
Yes, with your reverse 10x10 pyramid you will train both the power and endurance components of the key 2A muscle fibers due to so many all-out sets; however, using the big multi-joint Ultimate Exercise for so many sets to exhaustion will probably trigger overtraining very quickly for most. Imagine 10 all-out sets of 10-rep squats...
Talk about NOT looking forward to your workouts! Also, you’re using the first Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout program in that e-book, so after you put your all into squats, you’d still have to hit stiff-legged deadlifts and leg press calf raises. Can you regroup after 10 grueling sets of squats to failure, suck it up and do 10 all-out sets for the other two bodyparts at that workout?
Three exercises might not sound like a big deal, but think about it. You’d be pretty spent after 10 balls-to-the-wall sets of squats, so your stiff-legged deadlifts and leg press calf raises won’t be very productive—you’ll simply be too wasted—your legs will no doubt be shakin’ and quakin’ on those second two exercises!
Of course, overtraining is dependent on the individual trainee’s amount of recovery, so if you’re in the genetically elite 1 percent—and/or you’ve got pharmaceutical help—you may get good results. But there’s a better way...
How about plugging your strategy into a heavy/light protocol? You’d still use only the Ultimate Exercise for each bodypart at every workout, as shown in The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout program; however, at one workout you’d do your suggested strategy—reverse 10x10 all-out sets (in reverse-pyramid style)—but for only one or two bodyparts. That would obviously be your Heavy day...
The next time you train that bodypart, you’d do normal 10x10, with the first sets being easy and the last few sets being brutal...
Remember, for standard 10x10 the first few sets are a breeze, so they act as a warmup; the last few sets are hellacious and to exhaustion—but you use the same weight throughout, and it’s relatively light. That’s why you classify it as “light” day (although the last few sets will NOT feel light, believe us)...
So your heavy day, with your 10-set reverse-pyramid protocol, trains more of the power side of the key 2A fibers, while the “light” standard 10x10 workout is geared more toward hitting the endurance side of the 2As. (Remember, the dual-capacity 2As are the dominant fast-twitch fiber type in the biggest, freakiest bodybuilders, so you want to train both Power and Density for maximum mass; heavy/light protocols are excellent for that.)
Going back to that leg-routine example here’s the heavy/light, or power/density, strategy...
Squats (heavy; reverse pyramid) 10x10
Stiff-legged deadlifts (light; standard style) 10x10
Leg press calf raises (light; standard style) 10x10
The next time you train legs, you do squats light, stiff-legs heavy and calves heavy...
Stiff-legged deadlifts (heavy; reverse pyramid) 10x10
Leg press calf raises (heavy; reverse pyramid) 10x10
Squats (light; standard style) 10x10
Notice that we rotated squats to the last exercise when you train them “light” so the bodyparts you train heavy get more priority...
So, yes, we like your idea, but plug it into heavy/light, and you’ll take your muscle mass to new heights!
[Note: The second program outlined in The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout is a heavy/light version with standard 3-way Positions of Flexion on heavy day and one big exercise for standard 10x10 on light day. It’s a very solid mass-building strategy for maximum 2A-fiber activation and full-muscle hypertrophy.]
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