Living a busy lifestyle? You’ll need a training plan that delivers maximum results in minimal time
This is no less true for Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. We often think of celebrities as having copious amounts of free time available to make gym progress, but with The Rock that isn’t the case.
After spending years constantly on-the-road with WWE, the People’s Champion then made the move to Hollywood. He’s therefore had to make the most of limited training time, and credits the bulk of his muscle gain to one main style of training: giant sets.
What are Giant Sets?
In essence, giant sets are similar to super sets and tri sets. Super sets involve pairing two exercises back-to-back, whereas tri sets use three.
With giant sets, the ante is upped even further as four or more exercises are combined into one. All lifts target one single muscle group and are performed back-to-back with little or no rest in between.
Giant sets are a great way to stress a muscle group through metabolic stress – a key driver of muscle gain. By also minimising rest, you’ll also boost your cardiovascular fitness.
Giant Sets: Example Workout
It was back day for The Rock in his featured Instagram post, so with that in mind here’s an example workout for you to try. Four of the best back exercises are included for an almighty pump.
- Pull-Ups
- Seated Row
- Lat Pulldown
- Dumbbell Row
Pull-Ups
- Grip the pull-up bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
- Straighten your arms and keep a slight bend in your knees
- Keeping your abs tight, pull your body up using your lats until your chin is in-line with the bar
- Squeeze your lats and return to the beginning
Seated Row
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvHNyZDhch7/
- Place your feet on the machine’s plates and select your preferred grip attachment
- Start by straightening your arms until you feel a stretch in your lats
- Stay mainly upright and pull the handles in towards your midsection
- Focus on driving back with your elbows tucked in, using your back muscles to pull the weight rather than your arm strength
Lat Pulldown
- Take a shoulder-width grip on the bar attachment or slightly wider if you prefer
- Straighten your arms until you feel a stretch in your lats
- With a slight backwards lean, pull the bar down to the top of your chest
- Keep your elbows tucked in and contract your lats when the bar reaches your chest
Dumbbell Row
- Another favourite of The Rock’s, dumbbell rows are a proven back builder
- Your hand and knee on the opposite side of the body should be resting on the bench
- Pull the dumbbell up and in towards your hips – this recruits the most muscle
- Keep your back straight to avoid rounding the back
How often should Giant Sets be used?
They’re extremely taxing, so you don’t want to rely on giant sets in every single gym session. Once or twice a week is fine and still allows for ample recovery time.
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