Strength training is a crucial element of any fitness program but it requires a well-planned routine to achieve optimal results. But even if you plan your strength-training routine well and include progressive overload, sometimes you need training approaches that help you break out of a frustrating strength-training plateau. One popular technique for busting through a frustrating plateau is to use giant sets, a type of superset approach to training.
The Strength-Building Benefits of Giant Sets
First things first, let’s define what giant sets are. A giant set is a series of exercises that you perform back-to-back with little to no rest in between. To do a giant set you choose four exercises that you can complete in a row with no rest between exercises.
Unlike traditional sets where you rest between each exercise, giant sets push your muscles to their limits and cause them to fatigue and adapt in a way that leads to muscle growth and strength gains. The goal, of course, is to break through a training plateau and jump-start strength gains and muscle growth.
Why Giant Sets Work
But how do giant sets jumpstart strength gains? It comes down to the science behind muscle growth. When you lift weights, you create tiny micro-tears in your muscle fibers. As your body repairs these tears, your muscles grow stronger and larger. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy.
So how do giant sets come into play? They increase metabolic stress on your muscles, which can lead to even greater muscle growth. This metabolic stress is created by the high volume of exercises performed in a short amount of time, which creates a build-up of metabolic waste products in your muscles.
But that’s not all. Giant sets also promote strength gains by boosting muscle protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is the process by which your body builds new muscle tissue. By pushing your muscles to their limits with giant sets, you increase the demand for protein synthesis and create the perfect environment for muscle growth.
Giant Sets Boot Muscle Endurance Too
Giant sets also increase muscle endurance, as they fatigue the targeted muscle group more quickly than traditional sets. Giant sets are often used by bodybuilders and athletes to improve their muscular endurance and cardiovascular output, which can ultimately lead to better performance in their respective sports.
Giant sets have cardiovascular benefits too. By performing several exercises back-to-back, giant sets will dial up your heart rate, especially if you do compound exercises that work large muscle groups, like those in your back and lower body. The boost in heart rate you get with giant sets can lead to improved cardiorespiratory output and conditioning. You’ll also get a boost in energy expenditure that’s beneficial if you’re trying to get leaner.
Getting the Benefits of Giant Sets
So, how can you design a giant set workout to maximize your strength gains? First, choose exercises that target the muscle groups you want to strengthen. Second, structure your workout in a way that allows you to perform each exercise with proper form and without sacrificing intensity. Finally, push yourself to your limits with each set, and aim to increase the weight or reps you lift over time, so you’re using progressive overload.
As mentioned, to get the most benefits, focus on compound exercises, those that work more than one muscle group simultaneously, and ones that target big muscle groups, like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. Although you will get some benefits doing giant sets with biceps curls or triceps kickbacks, you won’t get the same metabolic boost since you’re working small muscle groups and fewer of them.
You can also use giant sets to bring a lagging muscle group up to speed or use giant sets to focus on a particular group of muscles by doing a “back blast” or a “leg blast” using giant sets.
Here’s a sample giant set workout for strength gains:
- Barbell squat
- Deadlift
- Barbell bench press
- Pull-ups
Perform each exercise for 10 reps, with no rest in between. Rest for 2-3 minutes after completing all exercises and repeat for 3-4 sets.
Since you’re working large muscle groups, this type of workout can be challenging, and you’ll feel your heart rate elevate right away due to the intense nature of this approach. If it’s too challenging, start with 2 sets and work up to 3 or 4 sets.
You can structure a giant set any way you want as long as you don’t stop to rest between each exercise. The lack of rest and selecting compound exercises is the key to getting gains.
Do Giant Sets Have Downsides?
Despite their effectiveness, there are some downsides to doing giant sets. Moving quickly from one exercise to another without allowing your heart rate to recover can put a strain on your cardiovascular system, leading to feelings of breathlessness and fatigue. This can make it difficult to perform exercises with proper form and intensity. If you push too hard without adequate rest, you may find your exercise performance declines not because of muscular fatigue, but because your cardiovascular system cannot keep up.
Also, if you’re too fatigued, you may be unable to finish your giant set, or you could end up doing fewer reps than intended. This can be frustrating and could potentially limit your muscle gains. While giant sets are a great way to challenge your muscles and push yourself to the limit, listen to your body and not overdo it.
To reduce cardiovascular fatigue during giant set training, warm up properly before beginning your workout. Start with a low-intensity exercise like walking or jogging on the treadmill for a few minutes to get your blood flowing and increase your heart rate gradually.
Conclusion
In conclusion, giant sets are a powerful tool for promoting strength gains. By fatiguing your muscles and increasing metabolic stress and protein synthesis, they create the ideal environment for muscle growth. Plus, they also boost muscle endurance and cardiovascular conditioning more than traditional forms of strength training. But be judicious about doing them to avoid excessive fatigue. So, the next time you work out, try incorporating some giant sets into your workout and see the results for yourself!
References:
- “What Is a Superset? Benefits, Risks, and How-To – Healthline.” 29 Oct. 2021, https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/what-is-a-superset.
- Fink J, Kikuchi N, Nakazato K. Effects of rest intervals and training loads on metabolic stress and muscle hypertrophy. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2018 Mar;38(2):261-268. doi: 10.1111/cpf.12409. Epub 2016 Dec 28. PMID: 28032435.
- “The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to ….” 01 Oct. 2010, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46288878_The_Mechanisms_of_Muscle_Hypertrophy_and_Their_Application_to_Resistance_Training.
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