You’ve taken your one-set, fatigued workout to the next level. You’ve pushed yourself hard. You’ve pushed yourself longer. You’ve pushed yourself farther than you ever have before. And then, you reach the plateau. The same old, same old. It happens, and it sucks. But what if there was a way to shock your body’s metabolism so hard that it can’t get enough energy to recover? What if the way to trigger that surge of energy was to take a huge set, close your eyes, and imagine it’s the first time you’ve ever done that move?
(Note: some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links, which means that the blog owner will earn a commission if you purchase anything after clicking on the link. I earn a small commission when you buy through the links on this site, which helps me keep this blog running.) Giant Sets: The Ultimate Plateau Buster! Everyone loves giant sets. From their big name, to their size, and the fact that they are notorious for being the greatest tool of the strength training world, you can bet that each and every gym in the country has at least one giant set up. If you are looking to progress your strength gains, however, it is important to understand that giant sets are not all they are cracked up to be.
Plateaus are real, a lot of people experience them. And a plateau can be a serious problem. When you hit a plateau it’s very easy to feel discouraged and start to doubt yourself. That’s why I’m here to give you some tips on how to get past plateau and keep going.
Giant sets are one of the most effective and intensive bodybuilding workouts ever devised. They’re fantastic for increasing muscle mass and breaking through training plateaus.
Giant sets are the way to go if you’re seeking for a new way to “shock your muscles into growth.”
Introduction
- Nick Mitchell’s Giant Sets (Part 1)
- Part 2: Giant Sets by John Meadows
- Part 3: Giant Sets by Charles Poliquin
- Milos Sarcev (Part 4) Massive Sets
I’ll show you how four of the finest bodybuilding trainers in the world employ huge sets to gain muscle mass as quickly as humanly feasible in this complete book.
Milos Sarcev, a bodybuilding coach, popularized giant sets as a high-intensity bodybuilding training approach. The purpose of giant sets is to execute four or more exercises in a succession for each muscle group, with a 10-second rest period in between. Consider the following scenario:
The Giant establishes a training regimen.
- Perform exercise #1, then take a 10-second break.
- Perform exercise #2 and take a 10-second break.
- Perform exercise #3 and take a 10-second break.
- Perform exercise #4, take a 2-4 minute break, and then repeat!
The trick is to do at least four workouts for the same body part in a row. Milos Sarcev, for example, likes to use ten or more exercises in a single large set!
Sergio Olivia Jr. gets a 7-exercise large set training for his biceps from Milos Sarcev:
What an engrossing performance! Giant sets are particularly effective because they increase the overall amount of time spent under tension. A large set with four exercises takes roughly 80 seconds to complete if a standard set takes 20 seconds. More muscle injury and metabolic stress result from the extended time under tension, which is exactly what you want if your aim is to gain maximal muscle mass.
Milos Sarcev explains why gigantic sets are so effective for muscular development:
“What is the most rigorous training regime? What is the most effective way to stimulate muscle fibers? The solution, if you’re being completely honest with yourself, is enormous sets!”
I’ll show you how four of the top bodybuilding instructors, Nick Mitchell, John Meadows, Charles Poliquin, and Milos Sarcev, employ big sets to break through training plateaus and gain muscle growth as quickly as possible in this book.
You don’t want to miss out on this cutting-edge information, believe me!
Note: If you’re having difficulties reading the training routines in this post, see how to read a training program. Let’s get down to business now…
Nick Mitchell’s Giant Sets (Part 1)
Nick Mitchell is the founder and CEO of Ultimate Performance, the world’s leading personal training firm. Nick is well-known for his abilities to assist customers swiftly gain muscle mass and decrease body fat.
Nick uses a variety of methods to get past training plateaus, but huge sets are perhaps his favorite. “Fast-twitch big sets” is one of his favorite techniques.
The main concept is to do a big set with all of your reps between 4 and 8. Lower rep ranges are ideal for focusing on fast-twitch muscle fibers and increasing stress in the target muscles. However, because you’re doing numerous workouts in a sequence, you’re still putting yourself under a lot of stress, causing musculoskeletal injury and metabolic stress.
In other words, even though you’re training with lower rep ranges, fast-twitch huge sets give you an incredible pump. It’s like getting the best of both worlds!
Nick created this fast-twitch big routine to help a client break through a hamstrings training rut. Take a look:
Nick Mitchell’s Giant Set Hamstrings Workout on Twitch
- 4 x 6, 4/0/1/0, 10 sec rest, A1: Bilateral lying leg curl (Poliquin method, feet neutral)**, 4 x 6, 4/0/1/0,
- A2: 4 x 6, 2/0/1/2, 10 sec rest, 90 degree back extension (holding DB)
- 4 x 6, 3/0/1/2, 10 sec rest, A3: 45 degree back extension (barbell held in front with snatch grip), 4 x 6, 3/0/1/2,
- 4 x 6, 4/0/1/0. 10 sec rest. A4: Bilateral lying leg curls (Plantar Flexed, Feet Neutral), 4 x 6, 4/0/1/0.
- A5: Deadlift, stiff-legged, 4 x 6, 3/1/1/0, 240 sec rest
**Dorsiflex your ankles (point your toes towards your shins) on the concentric range and plantar flex your ankles (point your toes away from your shins) on the eccentric range to conduct the Poliquin method on leg curls.
The training videos are as follows: exercise A1, exercise A2, exercise A3, exercise A4, and exercise A5.
You will execute a huge set with 5 different hamstrings exercises for this hamstrings hypertrophy workout. The goal is to complete 4 rounds of this big set with 6 hard reps on each set.
Nick meticulously manipulates the exercise tempo for each movement, which is one of the reasons this fast-twitch large set workout is so successful. The first exercise, for example, is performed at a 4/0/1/0 tempo. To put it another way, you lift the weight for 1 second and then drop it for 4 seconds.
This means that the entire time spent under tension per rep is 5 seconds, and the total time spent under tension per set is around 30 seconds.
We know that sets with 20-40 seconds of duration under stress are ideal for growing fast-twitch muscle fibers, therefore this is ideal. I believe you’ll be surprised at how quickly your hamstrings grow as a result of this fast-twitch large set practice.
Nick Mitchell created another fast-twitch large set routine for one of his bodybuilding clients. Take a look:
Nick Mitchell’s Giant Set Shoulder Workout on Twitch:
- A1: 4 × 8, 3/0/1/0, no rest, seated cable rope face pulls
- A2: 4 x 8, 3/0/1/0, no rest, seated DB lateral raise
- A3: 4 x 8, 2/0/1/0, no rest, seated DB scott push
- A4: DB lateral lift, bent over, 4 x 8, 2/0/1/0, no rest
- A5: 4 × 15, 2/0/1/0, 4 minutes break, seated BB behind the neck press**
**Do only the bottom part of the action and keep elbows pushed back to maintain deltoids tension.
To maximally overload all three heads of the deltoid muscles, this fast twitch mega set regimen includes a wide mix of compound and isolated exercises.
Nick wants you to utilize lower rep ranges this time to overload the fast-twitch muscle fibers as much as possible. Don’t worry, because you’ll be doing 5 shoulder exercises in a row with no rest in between sets, you’ll gain a lot of muscle mass!
As part of a huge set, Nick Mitchell usually has his bodybuilding clients execute no more than 4-5 exercises in a succession. These massive set circuits are already challenging to complete and necessitate a great deal of mental toughness.
If Nick is dealing with a really motivated client, he may use enormous sets of 10 or more exercises performed in a row. These ten-plus-exercise gigantic sets are difficult, but they’re great for strengthening muscular regions like the quadriceps and upper back.
Take a look at the video below:
What a grueling workout! Nick’s client does nine quadriceps exercises in a succession until they fail. That’s a difficult set! The following is a detailed description of the workout:
Quadriceps Giant Set Routine by Nick Mitchell
- A1: back squat, 3/0/1/0, no rest, 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- 1 set of 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0, no rest B1: Trap bar deadlift squat, 1 set of 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0, no rest
- C1: Machine hack squat, 3/0/1/0, no rest, 1 set of 8-12 repetitions
- 1 set of 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0, no rest D1: Pendulum squat with bands, 1 set of 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0, no rest
- E1: Leg press at 45 degrees, one set of 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0, no rest
- F1: Leg extension on the machine, 1 set of 8-12 repetitions, 3/0/1/0, no rest
- G1: Squats with bodyweight, 1 set of 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0, no rest
- H1: Sissy squats with eccentric alone, 1 set of 8-12 repetitions, 3/0/1/0, no rest
- 1 set of 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0, fall to the floor and die! I1: Bodyweight lunges, 1 set of 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0, fall to the floor and die! (I’m joking.)
You’d have to be insane to do a workout like this! If you want to break through a quadriceps training plateau as quickly as possible, this huge sets regimen is the best way to proceed.
Just make sure you’ve ordered your post-workout smoothie from True Nutrition, My Supplement Store, or wherever you purchase your supplements. It will come in handy!
Part 2: Giant Sets by John Meadows
You must be living under a rock if you haven’t heard of John Meadows! John Meadows is the CEO of Granite Supplements and the founder of the Mountain Dog Training Program.
John’s high-volume training technique is well-known, and he frequently employs big sets routines to break past training plateaus. This is particularly true when it comes to arm training!
Although the biceps and triceps are smaller muscle groups, John believes that large sets will benefit them greatly. This makes sense, given John’s arm training philosophy is around chasing the pump and employing techniques that induce as much muscular fatigue as possible.
Let’s take a look at some of John’s favorite huge set arm routines for breaking plateaus. You might want to try this simple triceps big sets workout. Take a look:
Triceps Workout by John Meadows (Giant Set)
- A1: 3-5 x 8, 1/0/1/1, 10 seconds rest, machine pushdown
- A2: 3-5 x 8, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds break, machine dips
- A3: 3-5 x 8, 1/0/1/1, 10 seconds rest, machine chest press (neutral grip).
- A4: Triceps extension on the machine**, 3-5 1/0/1/0, 2-4 minutes rest
**Only the bottom half of the range of motion was used for this exercise.
This workout’s training video is as follows:
In this regimen, you’ll perform four triceps exercises in a succession with around a 10-second rest in between. If you read my post on Mountain Dog tricep training, you already know that John believes in properly scheduling your triceps workouts to maintain your elbows healthy and reduce your risk of injury.
Here’s a quick rundown of how John organizes his triceps exercises:
- Step 1: Start your program with cable pushdowns to warm up your elbows.
- Step #2: In the middle of your workout, do compound pressing movements like dips.
- Step #3: Near the middle or finish of your routine, perform lying and overhead triceps extensions.
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The goal is to complete 3-5 rounds of this massive set. Because each huge set is actually four individual sets, you’ll be doing 12-20 sets just for your triceps. That’s a triceps exercise with a lot of volume! The usage of something dubbed “antagonistic huge sets” is one of John’s favorite ways to organize a giant set arm workout.
The main concept is to execute a large set in which you alternate between biceps and triceps exercises. Consider the following scenario:
- Biceps (Exercise 1)
- Triceps Triceps Triceps Triceps Triceps T
- Biceps (Exercise #3)
- Triceps exercise #4
You’d do all four exercises in a succession, pausing for 10 seconds between each one. After the fourth exercise, take a 2-4 minute break before repeating the circuit.
This type of back-and-forth between opposing muscle groups has several benefits: it helps you recruit more muscle fibers, enhances your muscular endurance, and gives you an INSANE arm pump. What’s not to like about that?
One of John’s favorite biceps/triceps mega set workouts is this one. Take a look:
Biceps / Triceps Workout by John Meadows
- 6 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest, A1: Standing DB curl (hammer grip), 6 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- 6 x 8-12, 1/0/X/1, 10 seconds rest, A2: Cable pushdown (pronated grip), 6 x 8-12, 1/0/X/1, 10 seconds rest
- 6 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest, A3: 90 degree preacher ez-bar curl (narrow / supinated grip), 6 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0,
- A4: 6 x 8-12 dual rope pushdowns, 1/0/X/1, 10 seconds rest
- 6 x 8-12, 1/0/X/1, 10 seconds rest, B1: Standing barbell curl (supinated grip), 6 x 8-12, 1/0/X/1, 10 seconds rest
- B2: Bench press with a football bar (shoulder-width grip), 6 x 8-12, 1/0/X/1, 10 seconds rest
This workout’s training video is as follows:
This workout is separated into two sections. A four-exercise monster set for the biceps and triceps is performed in the first section of the workout. To keep his elbows healthy, John concentrates on several forms of cable pushdowns for the triceps.
John completes six rounds of this massive set, which is more than enough to give you one of the finest pumps you’ve ever experienced. John has you do three working sets of two basic “meat and potatoes” exercises: standing barbell curls and bench presses, in the second half of the program.
John uses the Rogue football bar for his bench presses. This is a unique barbell that allows you to use a neutral or “hammer” grip to press. The neutral grip is ideal for stressing the triceps while also reducing shoulder stress.
If you thought John’s previous huge set arm workout was challenging, wait until you see this one! John has you do two separate antagonistic big sets for your biceps and triceps in this last routine. This exercise has 16 total working sets for both your biceps and triceps, and it’ll give you one of the largest pumps you’ve ever had. Take a look:
Biceps / Triceps Workout by John Meadows
- A1: 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/1, 10 seconds break, standing dual rope cable pushdown
- 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest, A2: Standing 2-arm DB curl (supinating grip), 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- A3: Triceps extension with high-pulley rope (torso leaning forward), 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- A4: Supinating grip seated DB curls, 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest, B1: Preacher ez-bar curl (wide / supinated grip), 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0
- B2: 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest, kettlebell laying extension
- B3: 4 × 8-12 reverse cable curls, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- B4: DB extension at 30 degrees incline, 4 x 8-12, 1/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
This workout’s training video is as follows:
There are two independent gigantic sets in this workout: the “A” exercises large set and the “B” exercises giant set. Perform four rounds of the “A” huge set, followed by four rounds of the “B” large set. Because this is such a large volume, make sure you have your favorite Granite Supplements intra- and post-workout drinks on hand.
The bottom line is that large sets are an excellent way to break through an arm training stall. To make the huge sets training approach even more effective for growing muscular size, John Meadows employs a number of unique strategies, such as rotating between biceps and triceps workouts.
Part 3: Giant Sets by Charles Poliquin
Charles Poliquin was an Olympic and professional strength coach who worked with athletes from all over the world. Charles was well-known for his ability to assist athletes in gaining muscular bulk at the speed of light. Charles boasts that in the first 28 days of working with him, the average first-time customer gains 28 pounds of muscle!
“Mechanical advantage huge sets” is one of Charles’ preferred muscle-building training strategies. Mechanical advantage enormous sets are a combination of two amazing training methods:
A mechanical advantage gigantic set is performed by selecting one primary exercise and performing four different variations of that exercise in a row.
Start with your weakest variation and work your way up to your strongest variation for a mechanical advantage huge set. Consider the following scenario:
- 8-12 reps of the weakest exercise variant, rest 10 seconds
- x AMRAP**, 2nd weakest workout variant, rest 10 seconds
- x AMRAP**, 3rd weakest workout variant, rest 10 seconds
- x AMRAP** using the strongest exercise variation, rest 10 seconds
**The abbreviation AMRAP stands for “as many reps as possible.” With the same weight you used for the first exercise, do as many reps as you can.
One of the great things about mechanical advantage gigantic sets is that each exercise in the set may be done with the same amount of weight. In a normal commercial gym, this makes mechanical advantage huge sets fairly simple to accomplish.
Don’t let its simplicity fool you: mechanical advantage mega sets are one of the most effective training approaches for busting past hypertrophy plateaus. They were, in fact, one of Charles’ secret weapons for gaining functional hypertrophy. Let’s have a look at a few examples of training regimens.
The “gymnast’s prolonged sets back routine” is one of Charles’ favorite huge set routines. You’re going to do a massive set of four distinct sorts of pull-ups back-to-back. Take a look:
Extended Set Back Routine for Gymnasts
- 4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest, A1: Pull ups (wide / overhand grip), 4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- 4 x AMRAP**, 3/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest, A2: Pull ups (medium / overhand grip), 4 x AMRAP**, 3/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- 4 x AMRAP**, 3/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest, A3: Chin ups (medium / supinated grip), 4 x AMRAP**, 3/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- 4 x AMRAP**, 3/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest, A4: Chin ups (narrow / supinated grip), 4 x AMRAP**, 3/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
**Do as many reps as you can with the same weight as you did in exercise A1.
Here’s a nice video showing how to do this workout:
According to Charles Poliquin, this is one of the quickest ways to bulk up your upper back. It’s especially good for growing the size of your fast-twitch muscle fibers or creating functional hypertrophy.
Before trying this practice, make sure you can execute at least 6-8 wide grip pull ups with flawless technique. If you can’t accomplish 6-8 pull-ups, you can substitute lat pulldowns for this exercise.
Advantage in terms of technology Other muscular areas, such as the arms, can also benefit from big sets. You might wish to attempt this example brachialis large set routine.
Giant Set Routine for Brachialis Mechanical Advantage
- 4 x 6-8, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest, A1: Preacher ez-bar curl (narrow / pronated grip), 4 x 6-8, 2/0/X/0
- 4 x AMRAP**, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest, A2: Preacher ez-bar curl (wide / pronated grip), 4 x AMRAP**, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- 4 x AMRAP**, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest, A3: Preacher ez-bar curl (wide / supinated grip), 4 x AMRAP**, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- 4 x AMRAP**, 2/0/X/0, 180 seconds rest, A4: Preacher ez-bar curl (narrow / supinated grip), 4 x AMRAP**, 2/0/X/0, 180 seconds rest
**With the same weight you used for exercise A1, perform as many reps as you can.
You’ll do four different varieties of preacher ez-bar curls in this huge set routine. You begin with your weakest grasp and work your way up to your strongest grip. This means you can do all four exercises with the same weight and still get lots of reps!
If you’re having trouble raising your brachialis muscles, you should try this routine! If you really think it’s required, you can always do some extra biceps work at the end of this program.
The Ultimate Giant Set Arm Workout by Charles Poliquin
If you’re a serious bodybuilder, I’ve got the perfect workout for you: I’m going to show you one of Charles Poliquin’s most complex arm routines. But before I show you the routine, I need to tell you about how to construct a strength training program.
“Strength training is like studying a new language,” says Charles Poliquin, and I agree. When learning a new language, you should always begin with a few fundamental sentences:
- “My name is Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I’d want to introduce myself.”
- “I am the best bodybuilder of all time!” exclaims the narrator.
- “I pick things up and put them down!” says the narrator.
As you gain proficiency in the language, you will begin to employ more complex words and sentence structures:
- “The difference between living and existing, in my opinion, is having excitement all of the time.”
- “All I know is that the first stage is to develop a vision, because the desire power is created when you see the vision — the beautiful vision.”
- “To those negative critics of our economy, I say: don’t be economic girly men!”
The same may be said for strength training. When you first begin lifting weights, you should begin with the fundamentals. You’ll master the fundamental exercises as well as some basic set/rep schemes such as 3 sets of 10, 5 sets of 5, and so on. At order to improve as a fitness professional, you must continually challenge yourself in the gym.
Charles Poliquin has written an advanced mechanical advantage giant set arm routine.
This routine is so challenging that it should only be attempted by advanced bodybuilders. If you’re caught in a workout rut, this will jolt your muscles into action faster than you can say “go to the choppa!” Take a look:
Arm Workout by Charles Poliquin, Ultimate Giant
Part 1
- A1: 3 × 6-8 seated DB zottman curls, 4/0/1/0, 60 seconds rest
- A2: 3 x 6-8, 3/1/1/0, 60 seconds rest, decline ez-bar extension (to forehead).
Part 2
- 3 x 8-10, 2/1/2/0, 60 seconds rest, B1: Preacher ez-bar curl (wide / supinated grip), 2/1/2/0, 60 seconds rest
- B2: Bench press (tight grip), 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 2/2/1/0 reps, 60 seconds rest
Part 3
- 3 × 12-15, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest, C1: 30 degree incline DB curl (hammer grip), 3 x 12-15, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest, C2: 45 degree incline DB curl (hammer grip), 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- C3: DB curl (hammer grip) at 60 degrees inclination, 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest, C4: 75 degree incline DB curl (hammer grip), 3 × AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- C5: 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 120 seconds break, seated DB curl (hammer grip).
- C6: DB extension at 60 degrees incline, 3 x 12-15, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- C7: DB extension at 45 degrees inclination, 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- C8: DB extension at 30 degrees inclination, 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- C9: DB extension at 15 degrees inclination, 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- C10: 3 x AMRAP**, 3/0/1/0, 120 seconds rest, flat DB extension
**Use the same dumbbells you used for exercise C1 or C6 to complete as many reps as feasible.
This workout is broken down into three sections. This workout includes antagonistic supersets for your biceps and triceps in parts 1 and 2. These supersets are enough to wreak havoc on the muscles in your arms. The mechanical advantage huge sets that you complete in part 3 of this routine, however, are the heart and soul of this routine.
For your biceps, you’ll do 5 various varieties of incline dumbbell curls, and for your triceps, you’ll do 5 different sorts of incline dumbbell extensions. Make sure you utilize the same weight for each huge set and train to 1 rep shy of failure on each of the 5 movements.
This regimen necessitates a great deal of bravery. After your workout, make sure you hit a post-workout smoothie from Cutler Nutrition, My Supplement Store, or wherever you obtain your supplements.
You’ll be rewarded with slabs of new muscular tissue on your upper arms if you can push through the agony.
Milos Sarcev (Part 4) Massive Sets
Last but not least, I’ve saved the finest for last! Milos Sarcev is a former Mr. Olympia contestant and a top bodybuilding coach in the world. Milos uses gigantic sets workouts to train all of his bodybuilding trainees. Milos Sarcev explains why he is so fond of large sets:
“What is the most rigorous training regime? What is the most effective way to stimulate muscle fibers? The solution, if you’re being completely honest with yourself, is enormous sets!”
To put it another way, Milos thinks large sets are the most efficient and effective technique to induce muscular growth. Milos has a unique approach of programming big sets: for each body component, he makes his clients execute at least 10 exercises in a row! This is an absurd amount of volume, yet for Milos and his advanced bodybuilding clientele, it works like magic.
Milos likes to incorporate high-intensity training techniques into his huge set workouts as well. Here’s an example of one of Milos’ advanced gigantic set back workouts. Take a look:
Sarcev, Milos Giant Set Routine for Back Width / Thickness
- A1: 1 x 10 T-bar row, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- A2: 1 × 10, 1/1/1/0, no rest, rack deadlift (just below knees)
- A3: 1 × 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest, standing barbell shrug
- A4: 1 x 10, 2/0/X/0, no rest, machine pulldown (broad / neutral grip).
- A5: 1 × 10 trap-bar row, 1/0/1/2, no rest
- A6: 1 x 10, 2/0/1/0, no rest, lying DB pullover
- A7: 1 x 10, 1/0/X/1, no rest, cable pulldown (medium / neutral grip).
- A8: Cable pulldown (1 x 10, 1/0/X/1, no rest), narrow / pronated grip
- A9: 1 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, machine pulldown (wide / overhand grip).
- 1 x 20, 1/0/X/1, 3-5 minutes rest, A10: Seated cable row (narrow / neutral grip), 1 x 20, 1/0/X/1, A10: Seated cable row (narrow / neutral grip), 1 x 20, 1/0/X/1
This workout’s training video is as follows:
What a challenging workout! Milos has his client do ten different exercises in order to overload his upper back from as many angles as possible. Milos performs lat pulldowns, hard barbell rows, machine rows, rack deadlifts, and shrugs among other upper back exercises.
The key to progressing with this type of training is to take each exercise slowly. You’ll crash and burn before the 10th exercise if you hype yourself up too much for each workout! You can still put in a lot of effort and still fail.
However, with Milos Sarcev-style huge sets, you should maintain strict form and avoid cheating to get your reps in. By itself, the great volume of work will induce plenty of muscular growth.
Milos Sarcev, like John Meadows, enjoys performing adversarial huge sets when he exercises his arms. To put it another way, he does enormous sets in which he alternates between biceps and triceps exercises. Consider the following scenario:
Overview of the Antagonistic Giant Set
- Biceps (Exercise 1)
- Triceps Triceps Triceps Triceps Triceps T
- Biceps (Exercise #3)
- Triceps exercise #4
- Biceps (Exercise #5)
- Triceps exercise #6
And so forth. When you structure your big set arm workouts like this, you’ll get a great pump and be able to lift considerably more weight on each exercise than you would with traditional huge sets.
You might want to attempt this Milos Sarcev-style huge set arm workout. Take a look:
Biceps / Triceps Giant Sets Routine by Milos Sarcev
- 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, A1: Supine cable curl high pulley
- A2: 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, lying cable skull crusher (v-handle)
- 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, A3: Supine cable curl (low pulley), 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- A4: 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, 30 degree incline rope triceps extension (low pulley).
- A5: 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, standing cable curl (supinated grip).
- A6: 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, standing cable pushdown (pronated grip).
- A7: DB curl** at 60 degrees inclination, 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- A8: triceps extension with ez-bar at 60 degrees incline, 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- A9: Cable triceps extension at 60 degrees incline (low pulley), 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- A10: 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, seated barbell curl (supinated grip)***
- A11: 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, seated ez-bar french press
- A12: 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, preacher cable curl (supinated grip / low pulley).
**Supinating grip and alternate hammer grip
***Only the top half of the range of motion is used.
You can see a video of Milos Sarcev doing this exact workout by clicking here.
What a high-intensity arm workout! Normally, Milos has his bodybuilding trainees do 2-4 of these massive sets per workout. Because you have to hog so many different exercises, this type of workout is nearly impossible to perform in a conventional commercial gym.
That isn’t to say Milos Sarcev’s routines aren’t effective; if you train in a private gym, this isn’t an issue. Milos usually has his athletes do 2-4 rounds of the same huge set during each workout. Milos, on the other hand, occasionally has his customers do many different large set circuits in a same workout.
This is a workout that should only be done by very experienced bodybuilders with several years of training experience. If you meet the bill, you’ll be able to grow like a weed with this method of training.
You might want to try a high-volume large sets chest training like this one. Take a look:
Workout for Milos Sarcev’s Chest Giant Set
Sets With A Lot Of Weight
- A1: 1 x 10, 1/0/X/0, 180 seconds rest, 30 degree incline bench press
- B1: 1 x 5**, 3/0/X/0, 180 seconds rest, 30 degree inclination bench press
1st Giant Set
- C1: 1 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, decline bench press (wide grip).
- C2: 1 × 10 DB fly, 1/0/1/0, no rest
- C3: 1 x 8, 3/0/10, no rest, flat bench press (wide grip)***
- C4: 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest, machine pec dec
2nd Giant Set
- 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest D1: Machine pec dec, 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest
- D2: 1 x 10 flat bench press, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- D3: 1 × 10 DB fly, 1/0/1/0, no rest
- D4: 1 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest, decline bench press (wide grip).
- D5: 1 x 10, 1/1/X/0, no rest, incline bench press (wide grip).
3rd Giant Set
- E1: 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest standing cable crossover
- E2: 1 × 10 DB fly, 1/0/1/0, no rest
- E3: smith machine press with 30 degree incline (broad grip), 1 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- E4: 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest, decline DB fly
- E5: 1 × 10 flat Db press, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- E6: 1 x 10 incline bench press, 1 x 10 incline bench press, 1/0/X/0, no rest
4th Giant Set
- F1: DB press at 30 degrees incline, 1 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest, F2: Flat DB fly, 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest
- F3: 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest, decline DB pullover fly****
- F4: 1 × 10, 3/0/3/0, 30 degree incline smith press (wide grip),
- F5: 1 x 10, 1/0/1/0, no rest standing cable crossover
Set of Finishers
- G1: 1 x 20*****, 1/0/X/0, rest as needed, flat machine press (broad / neutral grip).
**These are the only representatives who are eccentric. Your workout partner assists you in lifting the weight to lockout by lowering the bar over 3 seconds. The exercise’s lowering phase should be substantially more difficult than the raising phase. For additional information, watch the video.
*** Use a light-weight material (135 pounds or so). On the eccentric phase of each exercise, your training partner imparts manual resistance to the barbell and assists with the concentric phase. For additional information, watch the video.
****Use a pullover action to lower the weights and a fly motion to raise them back up. For additional information, watch the video.
***** Perform 20 reps on your own, then 10 reps with the assistance of a spotter.
This workout’s training video is as follows:
What a high-intensity chest workout! For this exercise, you’ll do four different huge sets for your chest, as well as some heavier sets of incline bench presses at the start.
I’ll be honest with you: if you’re a “natural,” this probably isn’t the routine for you. The majority of bodybuilders are unable to recover from this much volume without the use of performance-enhancing pharmaceuticals… it is what it is.
Give this chest routine a chance if you’re taking something other than creatine *wink wink*. It appears to work for Milos and his athletes, and it could work for you as well.
Conclusion
Giant sets are without a doubt one of the most effective training approaches for breaking past training plateaus. They’re ideal for competitive bodybuilders and anyone looking to gain a significant amount of muscle mass in a short amount of time.
I showed you how four of the world’s greatest bodybuilding coaches employ huge sets to grow slabs of new muscular tissue in this detailed guide:
There are certain disadvantages to giant sets. They’re difficult to recover from, and you might not be able to do them in your local commercial gym. This difficulty can be avoided by executing Charles Poliquin’s favored mechanical advantage big setups, but it’s still something to be mindful of.
So, what do you think it will be? Are you going to break through your present training plateau with one of these large sets routines created by some of the top bodybuilding trainers in the world? Or are you going to play the victim and blame your “eleven-teen” inch arms on “poor genetics”? It’s entirely up to you!
“The limit is the mind. You can do anything as long as your mind can imagine it, as long as you truly believe it.”
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I wish you the best of luck in your strength-training endeavors!
Mike Jansen, M.D.
Thank you for visiting my website! I’m the originator of Revolutionary Program Design, and my name is Dr. Mike Jansen, PT, DPT. You’ve come to the perfect location if you want to achieve your size and strength goals quickly. My ambition is to create RPD the best strength training resource on the planet. So take a seat, sit back, and unwind. There has never been a better moment to lift weights or learn about the science and art of strength training program design.
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Related Tags
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