It is not uncommon for powerlifters and weight lifters to train for an hour or more in order to do a workout in which only ten sets or less have been performed. This is due to the long rest time between sets.
A lot of Work in a Short Amount of Time
The opposite approach is to try to do a lot of work in a short amount of time. This is the approach that will be discussed for the remainder of the article. The only way to do a lot of work in a short amount of time is to minimize the amount of rest between sets, which is the way I have been working out for the past year.
I will be turning 60 in approximately two months. At my age, I have had enough injuries and wear and tear on my body to reach the point where heavy lifting is no longer a viable option. In order to survive, I have been forced to change the way I train. I now use moderate to light weights, and I work out fast. The workouts are basically continuous non-stop workouts. The only rest between sets is the time it takes to switch from one exercise to another. One of the workouts that I have been doing lately is a full body workout consisting of four to six sets for each muscle group, for a total of 40 sets for my whole body. When performed as a continuous non-stop workout, it takes about 15 minutes to complete.
A Word of Caution
A word of caution when doing continuous non-stop workouts; you will already be exhausted three to four minutes into the workout if you include heavy squats, deadlifts, and bent-over rows. The same is true if you take a high intensity approach by training to failure on all your sets. It’s ok to be close to failure when you finish your last set for a muscle group, but I don’t recommend hitting failure on your very first set. You need to start with moderate effort at the beginning of the workout. As the workout progresses, the intensity of effort will increase due to the fact that you are moving from set to set without rest and that you are hitting each muscle group with four to six sets.
When performing non-stop continuous workouts, I use four different strategies. These strategies are discussed below:
.
Strategy #1: Giant Sets
Giant sets consist of four or more exercises that are performed for the same muscle group. The exercises are performed one after the other without any rest between sets or exercises. The master of the giant set is Milos Sarcev. After completing a giant set for one muscle group, immediately move to a giant set for a different muscle group.
.
Strategy #2: Tri-Sets
Tri-Sets consist of three different exercises for the same muscle group. The exercises are performed without any rest between exercises or sets. After completing a tri-set for the same muscle group, immediately move to another tri-set for a different muscle group. After completing a tri-set for each muscle group, repeat the process and do another tri-set for each muscle group.
.
Strategy #3: Super-Sets
Super-sets consist of two consecutive exercises with no rest between exercises. The exercises can be performed for the same muscle group, or two different muscle groups. Arnold Schwarzenegger usually did his super-sets for two different muscle groups, and the muscle groups were usually antagonistic muscle groups that had opposite functions such as a pushing exercise followed immediately by a pulling exercise. The number of sets and the muscle groups that I super-set for a full body workout that I perform at times is listed below:
3 super-sets for chest and back
3 super-sets for hamstrings and quadriceps
3 super-sets for chest and back
3 super-sets for hamstrings and quadriceps
2 super-sets for calves and deltoids
2 super-sets for biceps and triceps
2 super-sets for calves and deltoids
2 super sets for biceps and triceps
By the end of the workout, I have performed 6 sets each for chest, back, hamstrings, and quadriceps. plus four sets each for deltoids, calves, biceps and triceps. Remember, no rest between sets throughout the whole workout. It is a continuous workout.
.
Strategy #4: Circuit Training
Bob Gajda won the Mr. America and the Mr. Universe contests in the mid 1960s. He used circuit training workouts and his outstanding success in both weight lifting and bodybuilding played a big part in popularizing circuit training. When using circuit training, I do two circuits. The first circuit consists of four exercises listed below:
Circuit 1
Bench press
Pull ups with TRX suspension strap
Sissy squats
Modified Romanian deadlifts
.
The exercises listed are performed one after the other with no rest between exercises. Upon completing one set of each exercise, I have completed one circuit of the exercises listed. I keep repeating the circuit until four to six circuits have been completed.
.
The second circuit consists of the following exercises:
Overhead press
Calf raises
Biceps curls with a TRX strap
Dips for triceps
.
The circuit listed above should be repeated four to six times. No rest is to be taken between sets within a circuit, nor is there to be any rest between circuits. It is a continuous non-stop workout.
.
The use of giant sets, tri-sets, super-sets, and circuits are all effective strategies if one of your goals is to move from set to set at a fast pace, with no rest between sets. Each strategy is going to hit your muscles in a different way. Giant sets and tri-sets create fatigue from hitting the same muscle group without rest between sets. Super-sets for opposing muscle groups and circuit training are going to allow the same muscle group to recover before you hit it again with another set. This will allow you to use more weight and will create a different type of stress and fatigue than giant sets and tri-sets.
The two biggest benefits of continuous workouts is that you complete your workouts faster, and you keep your heart rate up during the whole workout. The continuous elevated heart rate will improve the function of your cardio respiratory system.
If you are interested in trying the concept of continuous non-stop workouts, my hope is that you find the strategies presented in this article to be useful. May God bless you with the best of training.