Giant Sets

[shane]

Who trains using giant sets anyone on this site? Be interested on what you do and your results are 

[manlet]

I usually only do them pre contest or once in a blue moon as a different stimulus. Can't say I have done them consistently enough to say conclusively that they are worthwhile for muscle growth 

[PETN]

What even is it? Just a bunch of different excercises supersetted into a continuous set or something? 

[HarryB]

29 minutes ago, PETN said:

What even is it? Just a bunch of different excercises supersetted into a continuous set or something? 

 

Yes

[Skeletor]

I used to do giant sets on my chest and back .  Absolutely ridiculous pump.  Good for a change for a few weeks.  Actually looking forward to getting back into a bit of bodybuilding type training after my comp. Wanna grow my legs.

[tyreguy]

How often does one do this?

 

@HarryB ok so in a bodybuilding sense it is often used to build up  lagging areas?

 

 

[HarryB]

6 minutes ago, tyreguy said:

How often does one do this?

 

@HarryB ok so in a bodybuilding sense it is often used to build up  lagging areas?

 

 

 

No its more of a tool used for conditioning or for variety or just to get workouts done in a shorter time frame. Definitely very intense and demanding, gives you ridiculous pumps. 

[shane]

Have been doing this type of training  find it  awesome but need to rest after workouts more, it is taxing

[Bruce Al]

What are 'Giant sets'?

 

[Skeletor]

1 hour ago, Bruce Al said:

What are 'Giant sets'?

 

Basically it's 4-6 sets done continuously one after the other with no to little rest between

. Each set should still be at a weight that you fail at the target rep range.  So for example a chest workout may consist of something like the following.

Flat bench x 10

Incline dB bench x 10

Cable flyes x 10

Press ups x 10.

 

That's one set.  It's giant. 

[Bruce Al]

Just now, Skeletor said:

Basically it's 4-6 sets done continuously one after the other with no to little rest between

. Each set should still be at a weight that you fail at the target rep range.  So for example a chest workout may consist of something like the following.

Flat bench x 10

Incline dB bench x 10

Cable flyes x 10

Press ups x 10.

 

That's one set.  It's giant. 

Thanks man,  actually do quite similar suff.

Didnt know the name stupid me.

[shane]

Yeah follow roughly what Bruce Al has put online tell you it's taxing but good

[M.T]

I call these circuits but has it's place if you wanna combine all your accessory work in one foul swoop. For me more saving time than any pump related activities.

[FellowshipOfTheRon]

so a giant set is essentially a string of supersts pretty much? i can see from above description how it differs with drop sets, how does it differ to circuits? much the same thing?

[BeastBuilder]

Just now, FellowshipOfTheRon said:

so a giant set is essentially a string of supersts pretty much? i can see from above description how it differs with drop sets, how does it differ to circuits? much the same thing?

 To me a giant set is 3-6 exercises for the same muscle in a row then rest, for example Chest Press, DB Fly, Cable Fly, Bench Press.

Whereas I would consider a circuit to be any selection of exercises done in a row then rest, so like Bench Press, Walking Lunges, Sit Ups, Pull Ups.

[HarryB]

1 hour ago, BeastBuilder said:

 To me a giant set is 3-6 exercises for the same muscle in a row then rest, for example Chest Press, DB Fly, Cable Fly, Bench Press.

Whereas I would consider a circuit to be any selection of exercises done in a row then rest, so like Bench Press, Walking Lunges, Sit Ups, Pull Ups.

 

Textbook definition... well kind of. 

[Pseudonym]

So from a bodybuilding point of view (or even powerlifting, I guess), what's the mechanism behind this technique?

 

Obviously it's increasing the intensity by reducing the rest periods, but what's the physiological effect of that?

[manlet]

16 minutes ago, Pseudonym said:

So from a bodybuilding point of view (or even powerlifting, I guess), what's the mechanism behind this technique?

 

Obviously it's increasing the intensity by reducing the rest periods, but what's the physiological effect of that?

As far as muscle growth goes, the cell volumisation is a way to force hypertrophy and the length of time under tension will have your body using the type 1 muscle fibres. While these do not have huge potential for hypertrophy, there still is a small amount there and it is largely untapped as most bodybuilders will only recruit the type 2 fibers because their sets last 30 or 40 seconds due to the lower rep ranges.

[soundsgood]

Sounds like cardio to me 

[shane]

Does get the heart  pumping hard but been doing this for nearly 4 weeks, have been pushing some reasonable weight around . I change rep range and go as heavy as I can. I enjoy it which is the main thing and feel I'm getting results