You’ve been training the same for a few years, right? The weights, sets, and reps can be increased, and you can mix up a few different exercises. But in general, it is the same every week. You attack a part of the body. You do a set, wait 2-3 minutes. You do another series. You wait 2-3 minutes. You can complete 10, 15 or 20 sets.
Our bodies are remarkable creations. They quickly adapt to stress. Your training becomes incredibly consistent over the years, and your body is going to adapt. This could explain why no matter how hard you lift, the changes to your body become minimal over time. Growth is measured in millimeters, not inches, after you’ve trained for a few years.
Recently, professional bodybuilders have discovered a new training method that has done wonders in helping athletes like Gustavo Badell, Dennis Wolf, Silvio Samuel and others reach new levels of muscle and size, even after being established professionals for years. They have been wearing giant sets.
What is a giant set? It is a simple training method. The trainer will complete 5-10 sets for one body part with little to no rest between sets, switching between various exercises. For example, a giant chest set might look like this:
- One set of flat bench press, 8 reps
- Jump to the next bench and immediately complete 8 reps of the incline dumbbell bench press.
- Jump on the dip rack and complete 12 dips with your body weight
- Jump onto the incline bench and complete 8 reps of the incline bench press
- Jump to the ground and complete 12 push-ups in slow motion
- Jump onto the incline bench and complete 15 reps of the dumbbell fly
- Move to the Wire Crossing Machine and complete the set with 20 Slow Pec Fly Crosses
Then you collapse to the ground, catching your breath after five minutes of hell. Pick yourself up. Take a drink. Wait 3-5 minutes for your heart rate to return to normal. Then you do it again!
Of course, there are some limitations to this training approach. Overcrowded gyms don’t always allow for this monopoly of equipment. Also, the ego can take a hit, as lack of rest means less weight will be used. You can probably only complete three of these “cycles” initially, but that will increase to 6 or 8 as you become better conditioned.
Giant sets force more blood into the muscle than you’ve become accustomed to in your years of training. They have worked for professionals to break deadlocks, and they just might work for you. Try them as part of a complete weight lifting routine, and you may find that you can shock your body into growing!