Working out with super sets, giant sets and drop sets

Every once in a while, it’s recommended to shake up your fitness routine by experimenting with different sets, weights, exercises and reps. Photos: Filepic

If you read my column a fortnight ago, you would know the difference between a rep(etition) and a set.

There are many types of sets in a strength-training programme, and as promised, this week I’m going to discuss three of the more popular ones you can attempt to build muscles more efficiently.

From time to time, it’s recommended to shake up your routine by experimenting with different sets, weights, exercises and reps to avoid accommodation or plateau.

The old-fashion way of doing strength training is via straight sets, i.e. performing eight to 12 reps of the exercise, resting for a while, then repeating the same exercise again for another set or two, before moving on to the next exercise.

For example, doing three sets of bicep curls before moving on to the next muscle group, e.g. the lower muscles by doing squats.

Or you can do several exercises of eight to 12 reps to cover all the major muscle groups with a brief rest in between exercises, then rest for three to five minutes upon completion of all the exercises in the set before repeating the entire circuit for another set.

Super sets

This man is doing a super set of lunges and shoulder presses, working two different muscle groups at the same time. Photo: AFP

Super sets have been gaining in popularity lately because you see results much faster. It also saves time.

A super set is when you perform two different exercises back to back, then take a quick breather before repeating the two exercises again for another set.

Three or four sets is enough to yield results.

Often, to build strength, super sets pair two exercises that work opposing muscle groups (an antagonist super set).

This could mean working the biceps and triceps, hamstrings and quadriceps, or chest and back.

The reason behind working opposing muscle groups is to ensure that you’re not creating a muscle imbalance by the end of the workout.

You can also pair two exercises that work the same muscle group (an agonist super set).

This should leave your muscles fatigued to the point of failure – i.e. the point when you absolutely cannot continue lifting the weight – which will force your muscle fibres to grow.

An example of this would be doing eight to 12 reps of squats, followed by deadlifts.

This type of pairing is great for improving muscle definition, i.e. how the muscle looks, rather than how much force it can produce (strength).

Men tend to gravitate towards this.

There are also unrelated super sets, which is where the two exercises use totally different muscle groups – usually one from the upper body and another from the lower body, e.g. lunges and bicep curls.

The advantage of this type of super set is that there is no loss of strength in going from one exercise to the other, and you don’t feel as tired.

Depending on the intensity of your workout, you may need to rest longer between super sets than you would with straight sets.

Super sets can be great as a finisher to a regular workout.

So if you’ve been training with straight sets, you could end the workout with a super set of the final two exercises.

As your body is already tired from the rest of your workout, adding a super set will push your muscles even further.

However, do bear in mind that super sets require a high level of endurance – one that a beginner would usually lack – so slowly work your way up from a straight set.

Another point to note is that you should never use core or lower exercises as part of your super set workout as these muscles are already working to stabilise your posture.

Save the abdominal workouts for another day.

Giant sets

The old-fashion way of doing strength training is via straight sets where you do one exercise at a time before moving on to the next one.

Giant sets are an extension of super sets and consist of doing four or more exercises back to back with little or no break in between.

These sets increase the intensity of a workout by overloading a muscle group and pushing it to its limit to burn fat and boost cardiorespiratory response.

You can do all the exercises for one muscle group, have several exercises for a couple of body parts, or mix things up and perform a total body giant set, similar to circuit training.

Since giant sets require a lot of uninterrupted work, you may find it more beneficial to use lighter weights, or merely body weight, to hone in on your form and technique.

But giant sets are only for fit people as it can be extremely demanding, depending on how many exercises you incorporate into a set.

As this type of set combines the anaerobic element of weight or resistance training with the aerobic nature of cardio, it can be brutal, so avoid doing more than 10 reps per exercise.

In addition, you shouldn’t reach complete failure; rather, you should feel like you’re struggling to complete that last rep.

Give yourself a three-minute rest between sets, and if that doesn’t feel like a challenge, keep trimming the rest time.

Doing giant sets once a month is sufficient.

Drop sets

Bodybuilders and hardcore weight lifters would be familiar with this type of set as they often use it to increase muscle mass.

Bodybuilders prefer drop sets as they are geared towards increasing muscle size.

Drop sets allow you to extend your set beyond its normal termination point by reducing the weight lifted after each set when fatigue sets in.

According to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, the drop set method was originally “discovered” in 1947 by Body Culture magazine editor Henry Atkins, who called it the “multi-poundage system”.

While performing drop sets, once you have reached muscular failure, immediately reduce the weight and continue your set with a lighter weight to work your muscles more intensely.

Keep reducing the weight until your muscles are so fatigued, they can no longer lift anything.

By stripping the weight down and going lighter, you recruit different muscle fibres, which should help the muscles achieve growth that can’t be achieved by sticking with the same weight.

For example, you would do eight to 12 reps of bicep curls using the same weight in the first two sets.

In the third set, you’d begin with the same weight and do as many reps as you can, then “drop” or reduce the weight and do the curls until failure.

After that, you drop the weight once more and do reps until you can’t lift the weight any more.

And don’t be fooled if you think it would be a relief to reduce the weight!

Bodybuilders prefer drop sets as they are geared towards increasing muscle size (hypertrophy).

In contrast, you don’t see a lot of football players, sprinters or other athletes utilising drop sets in their training regime as drop sets are not conducive to strength, power or speed gains.

In fact, most athletes want strength and power without bulk.

Now that you have an idea of the different types of sets you can incorporate into your routine, give them a shot once in a while.

Remember to warm up first and allow your body a 48-hour rest between strength-training sessions so that your muscles have adequate time to rest, recover and grow.

Revathi Murugappan is a certified fitness trainer who tries to battle gravity and continues to dance to express herself artistically and nourish her soul. For more information, email [e-mail]. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.