Go Big or Go Home with Giant Sets

Giant Sets offer a great way to burn fat, tone muscle tissue and save time. With your wedding now just weeks away, time saving and burning maximal amounts of fat is key.

Although “giant sets” may sound intimidating, this is the best way to burn fat and build lean body mass in the quickest amount of time.

Giant sets consist of 4-5 exercises in a row, 12 reps each.

You can combine as many exercises as you want but for maximum results it is essential to hit all the muscle groups.

Giant Sets 101

The premise of a giant set is that you perform four or more exercises back to back, taking minimum rest between each. 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.

Go big or go home! Go giant sets!

Benefits of Giant Sets

Weight training has an awesome metabolic effect. If you’re a fitness buff and spent any time reading about the iron game, you’ll know about the massive impact weight training has on Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) and how the damage caused to your muscle fibers by lifting weights raises metabolic rate and calorie burn to a greater degree than cardio training.

Well, with giant sets, this effect is amplified further as you’re combining the anaerobic element of weight training with the aerobic nature of cardio.

Even if you are not a fitness buff yet, know this, you’ll also burn more calories during your session than you would with a traditional weights workout involving straight sets and lengthy rest periods.

End result = faster fat loss.

As for muscle mass, giant sets not only increase your total training volume, but also raise your time under tension. Plus, ifgiant sets are a new addition to your training, this stimulus can be the catalyst for new growth.

Sounds awesome, right? Here is how you do it:

First, decide whether you want to hit your whole body or just a certain area and work out your repetition ranges.

For strength you’re looking at lower rep ranges with fewer exercises and a focus on performing explosive movements. There will be more of an emphasis on full-body training, as this gives each muscle group adequate rest.

For hypertrophy (muscle growth), we’re talking more of a split-style giant set, with slightly higher reps to increase the time under tension on each muscle group.

For fat loss, both these approaches work great, and actually including both is your best option.

To alleviate the muscle soreness you will most likely have from performing these sets, make sure you have Infinite Labs Infinite force on hand. The BCAA blend provide the necessary nutrients to aid in recovery.

Here are some of my favorite Giant Sets:

Giant Set 1

15 Jacks

Pushup

Plank to Pushup

Squats

Giant Set 2

30 Seconds Run in Place

Reverse Lunges

Standing Military Press

Tricep Pushup

15 Mountain Climbers

Giant Set 3

30 Second Jacks

Plank Hold 30 Seconds

Reverse Lunges

Crunches

Giant Set 4

Mountain Climbers 30 Seconds

Plie Squats

Glute Kickbacks, 12 Each Leg Standing

Bicycle Crunches

Giant Set 5

30 Seconds Run in Place

Pushups

Plank to Pushup

Standing Lateral Raises

Giant set 6

15 Jacks

Squats

Bicep Curls

Dead lifts

Hi this is Stacy Moutafis, Fitness and Nutrition expert, Strength and Conditioning coach, Speaker and Author. Today I am going to explain the benefits of Giant set training, one of the best ways to build lean muscle and burn fat in the quickest amount of time. Welcome to my gym!

Today I will be demonstrating one of the most effective Giant sets attacking all the muscles in the upper body

Perform 12 repetitions of these exercises in a circuit fashion with no break in between until circuit is complete. Then rest 60 seconds and begin again. Repeat x4

• Push Ups
• Military DB Shoulder Press
• Bicep Curl w/DBs
• Bent over Tricep Extensions
• One arm DB Row

Pushups

Preparation

Sit straigt at 90 degree angle on bench, hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Raise arms up extending arms with body straight.

Execution

Keeping body straight, lower body to floor by bending arms. Push body up until arms are extended. Repeat.

Seated dumbbell shoulder press

Position dumbbells to each side of shoulders with elbows below wrists.

Execution

Press dumbbells upward until arms are extended overhead. Lower to sides of shoulders and repeat.

Bicep curl

Position two dumbbells to sides, palms facing in, arms straight.

Execution

With elbows to sides, raise one dumbbell and rotate forearm until forearm is vertical and palm faces shoulder. Lower to original position and repeat with opposite arm. Continue to alternate between sides.

Preparation

Sit down on bench with dumbbells resting on lower thigh. Kick weights to shoulder and lie back. Position dumbbells to sides of chest with bent arm under each dumbbell.

Execution

Press dumbbells up with elbows to sides until arms are extended. Lower weight to sides of chest until slight stretch is felt in chest or shoulder. Repeat.

One arm db row

1. Set up for the one arm dumbbell row by grabbing a flat bench and sitting a dumbbell on the left hand side at one end.
2. Position yourself on the left side of the bench with your right knee and right hand resting on the bench.
3. Using a neutral grip, pick up the dumbbell with your left hand. Pull your shoulder blade back while keeping your arm straight. This is the starting position for the exercise.
4. Slowly pull the dumbbell up as far as possible.
5. Pause and squeeze your shoulder blades together, and then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for desired reps and then repeat for your other side.