Step into a realm of strength and endurance as you venture into the world of giant sets. Time is my most valuable currency, I fully understand if you can’t commit to two hours in the gym and commuting 30 minutes to get to it. Working as a chef I’ve had days where I’d be on my feet for 16 hours straight. I’d be so dead that I can probably only afford thirty minutes of training before running out of fuel.
Enter Giant Sets: If you’re looking to add more work in the hopes to get more out of your gym visits without spending hours, it’s time to introduce giant sets into your routine. Imagine squeezing multiple exercises into one efficient set, minimizing rest, and getting a decent amount of gains as you progress further from week to week. Ready to supercharge your workouts and drive up the work capacity? Let’s dive into the world of giant sets!
Picture your gym session like a multi-course meal. Instead of savoring each dish individually, a giant set lets you enjoy a buffet of exercises in one go. A giant set involves stringing together three or more exercises that target different muscle groups.
You perform each exercise back-to-back without rest, then take a breather before hitting the next round. This high-intensity approach is a time-saver, can double as your attempts in getting your cardio and health in that realm up, get you stronger and build your work capacity to endure tougher longer shifts in and outside of the gym.
Of course since we’re gonna be challenging our lungs as well and just really emptying out the gas tank, you’ll feel weaker at first but eventually conditioning will catch up and you’ll be so stoked and proud that you’re doing your usual powerlifting working weights with these giant set protocols in place. I absolutely swear by it. Give it two months!
- Choose Your Moves Wisely: Opt for exercises that hit various muscle groups. Mix compound movements (like squats, overhead presses, deadlifts) with smaller exercises (like pullovers, chest flyes, dead hangs) and isolation movements (bicep curls, tricep extensions, calf raises) for a well-rounded workout.
- Plan Your Sequence: Arrange exercises so that you’re not hitting the same muscle group consecutively. This keeps you going strong throughout the set.
- Intensity Matters: Since you’re pushing through exercises with minimal rest, keep the weight is challenging yet manageable. You want to maintain proper form throughout the set.
- Rep and Set Scheme: Aim for 3 to 4 exercises per giant set. Perform 5-25 reps of each exercise. For big movements I usually do 3-6 reps, smaller ones 8-12 and the isolation exercises as high as 25-30 reps.
- Complete 3-4 rounds, with a 1-2 minute breather between rounds.
- Stay Hydrated: With the intensity cranked up, you’ll sweat it out more. Keep that water bottle close and stay hydrated.
- Mind the Clock: The beauty of giant sets is that they’re quick. Expect each giant set to take around 10-15 minutes, depending on exercise complexity and weights.
- Balanced Recovery: Since you’re pushing hard, ensure you have a balanced recovery plan that includes adequate sleep, nutrition, and rest days.
Benefits Beyond the Clock: Beyond saving time, giant sets offer an array of benefits:
- Muscle Endurance: The relentless flow of exercises challenges your muscles’ endurance, helping you power through your workout.
- Metabolic Boost: The combination of intense exercises ignites your metabolism, torching calories during and after your session.
- Efficient Cardio: The cardiovascular benefits are an added bonus, thanks to the elevated heart rate sustained through the giant set.
- Plateau Buster: If you’ve hit a plateau, shaking up your routine with giant sets can kickstart new gains.
For the busy trainee seeking consistent gains in minimal time, giant sets are a game-changer. They’re like the HIIT of weightlifting – efficient, effective, and exhilarating. With the right moves and smart planning, you can get jacked, leaner and have the work capacity to back it all up. These protocols has helped me be more athletic as the principle when learned can seep into every training style I do for strongman and powerlifting.
