A giant set combines several exercises to develop one muscle group. Learn all the secrets: how to make and use a giant set correctly. To increase the intensity of training, bodybuilders use a variety of methods. One of these ways is to combine exercises to develop one muscle group. It can be super series, supersets, trisets and, of course, a giant set in bodybuilding. By and large, a giant set can be considered a superset that simply includes more exercises. The same tri-set, consisting of three exercises, is a simpler version of the giant set.
The main rule of the giant set is that all exercises should be aimed at the same muscle group. As a rule, it consists of 4 to 6 exercises performed with or without short rest pauses. As an example of a giant set in bodybuilding, the following complex can be cited:
- Wide grip barbell bench press - 8 to 12 reps
- Breeding hands with dumbbells in a prone position - 8 to 12 repetitions;
- Reduction of hands on the block - 12 to 15 repetitions;
- Dumbbell Pullover - 8 to 12 reps
- Elbow reduction on the butterfly trainer - 12 to 15 repetitions.
The main condition when performing the described complex is the presence of rest pauses between exercises not exceeding 30 seconds, and it is better to refuse them altogether. After completing these five movements, pause for about five minutes and begin the giant set again. For a good workout of the muscles, it should be done 3 to 4 times.
Of course, a giant set can significantly help in building mass. However, the athlete should have a good understanding of when and why this complex should be used. This applies to novice athletes who, during the first couple of years of training, should not include supersets, trisets and giant sets in their training program. At each tournament there are athletes who have well developed one group of muscles, for example, the chest, and the rest can lag quite far behind. There can be many reasons for this, for example, mistakes in splitting, insufficient rest time, during which the muscles do not have time to recover, etc. Often in such situations, athletes are sure that they are giving the muscles a small load and make another mistake. They just start working hard on the lagging muscles, but they only make it worse. This can only completely undermine the development potential of muscle tissues, after which the so-called "muscle contraction" occurs.
However, even among recognized bodybuilding stars, weaknesses in muscle development can be found, although the simplest mistakes are not peculiar to them. So the reason lies in something else. This is true. Genetic heterogeneity of muscles is of great importance here. In order not to write about the genetic predisposition, but this factor cannot be discounted. Of course, it can also be circumvented, but this requires more effort. For example, Arnie had good genetics, and weight gain was much easier for him than for many other athletes. If we talk about the genetic heterogeneity of muscles, then this cunning term hides a very simple feature of the structure of human muscles. It's just that some muscles have less strength and stamina than others. No man can claim that all his muscles are the same in nature. Perhaps some muscles have a little more connective tissue, which will make it difficult to contract. Perhaps they contain more power fibers or are attached to the skeleton at a point that is not capable of providing full muscle contraction.
However, it is already impossible to do anything with this, and there is no point in talking further about genetic heterogeneity. Let's better consider how you can correct the situation through training and develop your body more harmoniously. A way out of the situation described above was found by Joe Weider, who introduced the concept of a giant set in bodybuilding.
Giant Set Compilation Chart
As you know, Joe Weider has trained many future bodybuilding stars, including Arnie himself. By the way, it was Wyder who came up with Mr. Olympia. To better understand the scheme proposed by Wider, an example can be given. Suppose you cannot in any way bring the muscles of the chest to the ideal, although in training you work "to the seventh sweat" and do everything correctly, using the classic scheme, which in relation to the pectoral muscles looks like this:
- 5 sets of bench press in a lying position;
- 5 sets of dumbbell bench press in a prone position;
- 5 approaches of raising hands with dumbbells in a prone position;
- 4 sets of push-ups on the uneven bars.
This is a classic approach, which is endowed with one significant drawback - the higher the training intensity in the first exercise, the more difficult it is to maintain it at the required level in each subsequent exercise. Thus, when doing push-ups on the uneven bars, you will be able to achieve maximum efficiency of 10-15 percent, and maybe less. This is where the giant bodybuilding set comes in.
You just need to make small changes to the complex described above, while leaving its essence unchanged. Simply put, you need to complete all the same five exercises, but each of them performs one approach. Thus, one cycle of a giant set would look like this:
- 1 set of bench press in a prone position;
- 1 set of dumbbell bench press in a prone position;
- 1 approach of raising hands with dumbbells in a prone position;
- 1 set of push-ups on the uneven bars.
There should be five such cycles in total, which allows you to save the number of approaches and repetitions. As you can see, the idea turned out to be ingenious and at the same time simple. This principle of composing giant sets once again reminded that the constant increase in the load on the muscles cannot guarantee their development. In some cases, the opposite may even happen. At the same time, the giant set in bodybuilding promotes mass gain without increasing the training load.
You can visually familiarize yourself with the technique of performing a giant set on your hands in this video:
