This is part four of a series of articles that make up an explanation of the 4 x 10 workout. This section deals with The Giant-Set Workout, which consists of giant-sets for the same muscle group. The previous articles that lead up to this article can be found at the following link:
From Giants To Pyramids; The 4 x 10 Workout
The rest of this article is a continuation of The 4 x 10 Workout:
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Chapter 8
Giant-Set Workouts
In chapter two, an example of a giant set for the chest muscle was provided. The giant set consisted of four consecutive different exercises with no rest between sets. Each set is to be performed for one set of 10 reps before moving to the next set. Remember that the purpose of giant-sets for the same muscle group is to create metabolic stress in the form of fatigue for the same muscle group. This is achieved by working a muscle without any rest between sets.
While chapter two provided an example of a giant-set for one muscle group, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an entire workout that includes giant-sets for every muscle. The first giant-set will be a repeat of the giant-set for the chest which was listed in chapter two. The rest of the giant sets will cover the major muscle groups that make up the rest of the body. The muscles worked will include:
Chest
Back
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Deltoids
Calves
Biceps
Triceps
An example of a giant-set workout for these muscle groups is presented starting on the next page:
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Giant Set Workout
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Giant-Set for Chest Muscles
1. Dumbbell Flies for 1 set of 10 reps
2. Dips for 1 set of 10 reps
3. Bench Presses for 1 set of 10 reps
4. Incline Dumbbell Flies for 1 set of 10 reps
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Giant-Set for Back Muscles
1. Lat Pulldowns for 1 set x 10 reps
2. Seated Pulley Rows for 1 set x 10 reps
3. Machine Pullovers, or Dumbbell Pullovers for 1 sets x 10 reps
4. T-Bar Rows or Bent-over Barbell Rows for 1 sets x 10 reps
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Giant-Set for Quadriceps
1. Goblet Squats for 1 set of 10 reps. (Stay as upright as possible)
2. Sissy Squats for 1 set of 10 reps
3. Straddle Squats for 1 set of 10 reps. (Stay as upright as possible)
4. Leg Extensions for 1 set of 10 reps
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Giant-Set for Hamstrings
1. Leg Curls for 1 set of 10 reps
2. Hyperextensions for 1 set of 10 reps
3. Staddle Squats with a dumbbell for 1 set of 10 reps. (Sit back as far as possible when squatting and lift the dumbbell slightly forward as you ascend from the squat).
4. Romanian Deadlifts for 1 set of 10 reps. (Focus the tension on the hamstrings)
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Giant-Set for Deltoids
1. Dumbbell Lateral Raises for 1 set of 10 reps
2. Dumbbell Front Raises for 1 set of 10 reps
3. Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises for 1 set of 10 reps
4. Overhead Press with Dumbbells for 1 set of 10 reps
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Giant-Set for Calf Muscles
1. Standing Calf Raises for 1 set of 10 reps
2. Seated Calf Raises for 1 set of 10 reps
3. Forward Leaning Calf Raises 1 set of 10 reps. (Get in a position like you are doing a push up with your feet on the floor and your hands on a bench with your arms straight, then do calf raises).
4. Stride Position Calf Raises With Back foot 1 set x 10 reps. (Put your hands flat against a wall with your arms straight out in front of you. Position your feet into a stride stance with your front foot 18 inches to 2 feet ahead of your back foot. Keep the weight on your back foot and do calf raises with your back foot, then change feet and repeat).
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Giant Set for Biceps
1. Incline bench Dumbbell Curls for 1 set of 10 reps
2. Standing Dumbbell Curls for 1 set of 10 reps
3. Spider Curls or Concentration Curls for 1 set of 10 reps
4. Standing Cable Curls for 1 set of 10 reps
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Giant Set for Triceps
1. Dips or Machine Triceps Dips for 1 set x 10 reps
2. Triceps Press-downs with a cable for 1 set of 10 reps
3. Overhead Triceps Extension for 1 set x 10 reps
4. Push-ups with hands 18 inches apart and elbows in for 1 set x 10 reps
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Strip-Sets or Drop-Sets
If you prefer to just do one exercise per muscle group instead of four different exercises, you can do a modified form of giant-sets called strip-sets. Strip-Sets are also called drop-sets by some people. An example of a strip-set would be to do bench presses for four sets of 10 reps with no rest in between sets. This would be done by starting with a weight that you could bench press for 10 reps while stopping two to three reps short of max reps to failure (i.e. leave two or three reps in reserve). You would then immediately strip just enough weight off the bar to do 10 more reps, and repeat this procedure until you have performed four sets of ten reps for the bench press. Each set should be performed with a weight that would push you to the point of stopping when you are about two to three reps short of failure. The strip set process of four sets of ten reps would be performed for one exercise for each muscle group.
Intensity of Effort
Notice I do not recommend pushing to the point of failure when doing strip-sets. The same holds true when doing four different exercises for a giant-set for the same muscle group. You do not need to kill yourself on every set to stimulate metabolic stress with giant-sets. Use a weight that allows you to maintain a steady even rep pace for all ten reps.
If you use too much weight, it will force you to decrease your rep speed and do slow strenuous grinder reps at the end of each set, which means you are pushing too hard. Pushing too hard will require longer recovery times between workouts which will only work well if you have the type of physiology that stays anabolic for a long period of time between workouts. Most people who do not take steroids do not remain anabolic within a given muscle group for more than forty-eight hours after working that muscle group. Pushing to the limit of your ability to maintain a steady even rep pace allows you to train hard enough to stimulate muscle growth, without training so hard that you can’t recover quickly for another workout.
In the next article, the content will shift to the use super-sets for the same muscle group. This will still emphasize the stimulation of muscle growth by creating metabolic stress, but the metabolic stress won’t be as severe as when using giant-sets. Until then, may God bless you with the best of training.