Continued Explorations of Intensity: Actual Pyramids (Triangles?)

Along with taking sets to failure I'm continuing to explore intensity.  I came across this idea on Youtube and at first thought it a little strange and couldn't really see the point.  Then I pondered it.  And then I tried it.  The standard bodybuilding approach to sets and reps is usually called a "pyramid" but is actually a reverse pyramid, with lighter weights and higher reps done at the beginning and ending with higher weights and lower reps.  As I've mentioned before, often the first few sets are not difficult and therefore really warmup.  The lifter likely wants to save strength for the money set with the clanging plates and grunting and "come on, man!  You can DO it!  All YOU!"  That kind of stuff.

I'm not sure why these were ever called pyramids.  Besides the fact that the point is at the bottom, they are not three dimensional.  More like upside-down triangles.

At any rate, the idea I stumbled across was to pick an exercise and do one rep.  Then do two.  Then do three... etc.  The example used push-ups and went up to 20.  Twenty push-ups are easy for me.  This scheme, not so much.

I tried if for (Russian) push-ups (elbows tight to the body).

For effect, it looks like this:

Set                          Reps
----                         -----
1.                              1
2.                             1 1
3.                           1 1 1
4.                          1 1 1 1
5.                         1 1 1 1 1
6.                        1 1 1 1 1 1
7.                       1 1 1 1 1 1 1
8.                      1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
9.                     1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
10.                  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
11.                 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
12.                1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
13.               1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
14.              1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
15.             1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
16.            1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
17.           1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
18.          1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
19.         1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
20         1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

It was tough.  Very tough.  I like that it increases intensity without changing the exercise, the angle, or the number of limbs involved.  This was all I did last Sunday and I was sore for days.

I did the same thing the following day but for body-weight rows.

Then I got the idea to try this scheme for harder exercises where I know I can't get 20 even as a first set, but to try and see how far up the ladder, or down the triangle (so to speak) I can go.

So I tried it for ring dips.  That's dips on Olympic rings.  I can probably get close to 20 on a good day in one set.  I made it to 11.

Today I tried it for pull-ups (neutral grip) and made it to 9.

So now I have another approach and new goals:  See how high up the ladder, or down the triangle, I can go for each exercise.