When it comes to muscle growth, volume is key. The number of hard sets you do per muscle per week directly influences how much it grows. If your goal is to pack on size, more is better. Research suggests performing a minimum of 10 and up to 30 sets per week for upper body muscles and up to 45 sets per week for lower body muscles. So how can you hit those numbers without doubling up your gym time? Monster sets.
WHAT ARE MONSTER SETS?
Monster Sets are a technique where you perform 4 different exercises without rest, back to back. Once all 4 movements are completed. That’s one set.
Monstersets work because they allow maximum blood flow by moving more weight from different angles in a small amount of time.
Example of a monster set for an arm workout:
- Exercise 1: Standing Barbell Curl. /10-12 reps
- Exercise 2: Skull Crushers. / 10-12 reps
- Exercise 3: Hammer Curls. / 10-12 reps
- Exercise 4: Overhead Rope Extension. / 10-12 reps
- Rest & Repeat
Monsters can be great as a finisher or even starter to a regular workout. So if you’ve been training with straight sets, you could end the workout with a monster set or begin a session with one!
Since your body is already tired from the rest of your workout, adding a monsterset will push your muscles even further. And as a finisher, you can keep to a low/moderate weight.
WHY PERFORM/BENEFITS OF monster SETS?
- They help muscle growth. One way bodybuilders make their muscles bigger — hypertrophy — is through volume training. That is, doing lots of sets and reps, pushing the muscles until they reach failure — when they can’t physically do another rep. Supersets pack lot of volume into a short amount of time, giving your muscles less time to rest, forcing them to adapt and grow.
- They help you burn fat. By increasing the amount of work you cram into a workout, you’re burning more calories, along with building more muscle. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism is, burning more fat at rest. monstersets boost your metabolic rate by making your workouts more intense.
- They save you time in the gym. By structuring your workout with a series of monster sets, you’re effectively getting your workout done in a much shorter amount of time. Provided you’re taking into account that you’ll need to take longer rests between monster sets than between regular sets (and fuelling your body with good post-workout nutrition), monsters can be a great way to be more efficient when you’re time-poor.
GENERAL RULES
- 4 Exercises per ‘set’.
- Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.
So, why not try some monster sets with your next workout?
