Giant Sets 101
Anyone who’s ever picked up a bodybuilding magazine has probably come across supersets, and you’ve probably included these in your routine now and again. Maybe you thought they’d be beneficial, maybe it was just to save some time, but most of us are familiar with the concept of performing two exercises back to back with no rest in between.
Tri-sets take this a step further, by grouping three exercises back to back.
Thinking of ramping it up a notch and going for four or more exercises? Well then you, my friend, have yourself a giant set.
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.
Benefits of giant sets
Weight training has an awesome metabolic effect. If you’ve spent any time reading about the iron game, you’ll know about the massive impact weight training has on EPOC (Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) – 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.
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 – a key factor in any program designed to build serious slabs of prime beef. Plus, if giant sets are a new addition to your training, this stimulus can be the catalyst for new growth.
Workout Description
Blast your lower body into shape with this amazing circuit!
Repeat 3-4x.
These moves will help you progress to heavier weights when you’re Olympic lifting.
Performing heavy Olympic lifts can be problematic – not only because you’re lifiting massively weighty plates but also because most gyms frown when you drop a 100kg bar on the floor after you’ve finished a set.
The four moves in the Olympic lift assistance section on the right will help you perfect the form you need to go bigger, avoid injury and, due to the fact that you’re using lighter weights, stop you getting told off by nearby personal trainers because you're no longer making an awful racket when you drop the bar.
The four moves in the Olympic lift assistance section on the right will help you perfect the form you need to go bigger, avoid injury and, due to the fact that you’re using lighter weights, stop you getting told off by nearby personal trainers because you're no longer making an awful racket when you drop the bar.
How to get a body to grace the cover of Men’s Fitness – and impress the viewing millions on primetime TV.
MF cover model star David Peters wowed the ladies on ITV’s hit show Take Me Out with his big arms, wide chest and rock-hard abs. Here’s how he got his lady-pleasing body – follow his workout to improve your chances of getting the girls too.
The workout
Perform the exercises (right) in the order listed, resting for 60 seconds between each set and 90 seconds between each move.
Perform the exercises (right) in the order listed, resting for 60 seconds between each set and 90 seconds between each move.
Tweak your workout for bigger arms and use our form tips to power up your biceps curls
'Getting bigger arms in the gym comes as a result of your body’s response to the stress of weight training,' says personal trainer Guy Stockwell. 'If your arms muscles were sentient beings they’d think, "That was hard. I'd better do something about it so it’s not as difficult next time".’
When you perform arm resistance exercises, microscopic tears occur in your muscles. Your body responds to this micro trauma by overcompensating: the damaged tissue is repaired and more is added, making your muscles bigger and stronger so the risk of future damage is minimised.
Beef up your arms and improve your upper-body strength with this tried and tested biceps workout
This is the best biceps workout for adding mass and building strength, with six moves each selected for their effectiveness.
Timing
Each workout should take 35 minutes including the warm-up.
Days
When you target a single muscle you need to allow five days between workouts. Do this workout once a week and up to two whole-body workouts in the same week, allowing 48 hours rest between each.
Weights
Use a weight that lets you complete every rep but pushes you to your limits during the last few.
Warm-up
Spend five to ten minutes on a piece of cardio equipment and then do some bodyweight exercises to fire up your muscles.
Find out how to get bigger arms by using exercises that target every major muscle
The biceps come high up on the list of glamour muscles for most men. It's what you flex when you want to show off your muscles. Go into any gym and you'll see rows of men curling barbells in an attempt to build bulging biceps. Yet the biceps are among the smaller muscles in the body, and they aren't even the biggest muscles in your arms.
Your triceps make up about two thirds of your upper arm muscle mass and, as the name suggests, they are made up of three different muscles or 'heads'. The long head and lateral head combine to form the horseshoe shape at the top of your arm, while the medial head runs beneath the long head down to the elbow. Their job is to straighten your elbow, so they come into play every time you push something away from your body, such as when you do bench presses.
Your triceps make up about two thirds of your upper arm muscle mass and, as the name suggests, they are made up of three different muscles or 'heads'. The long head and lateral head combine to form the horseshoe shape at the top of your arm, while the medial head runs beneath the long head down to the elbow. Their job is to straighten your elbow, so they come into play every time you push something away from your body, such as when you do bench presses.
MF's ten easy steps to shedding fat and lowering your body fat percentage
Any advice that you read on how to get a six-pack will tell you that one of if not the most important aspects of revealing your abs is to lower your body fat percentage, shedding the fat off of your stomach to reveal the hidden holy grail underneath. Dropping body fat percentages is easier said than done however, requiring discipline, knowledge and will power in abundance, but this is not to say it’s impossible, far from it actually. We’ve broken down the process of lowering your body fat percentage into ten easy steps, helping you to reach your goals without being overwhelmed by all the possible avenues that you could take to shed that excess weight.
1. Overhaul that diet. Start adding more foods with a lower energy density. Think vegetables, fish and lean meats. Take anything that falls into the ‘junk food’ category and only consume these foods on a designated cheat day if you have to.
2. Try to drink a full glass of water with all of your meals, this will keep the body hydrated and keep you feeling slightly fuller. Your body needs to be well hydrated in order to burn fat at the necessary rate. Water should be your go-to drink. Skip any high-calorie beverages that have no nutritional value, specifically flavoured lattes and carbonated drinks.
3. Don’t let your guard down in a restaurant. Always scan the menu carefully in order to make the healthy choices. It’s easy to let slip when you order something that you are unsure about. Stick with foods that are steamed, baked, boiled or broiled over meals that are fried, braised or creamed.
4. Try to dedicate three days a week to high-intensity cardiovascular training. This can be applied to any form of cardio that you choose it doesn’t always have to be running. Try to vary it up as much as you can, try, spinning, skipping ropes, rowing or swimming. Start each workout with a light five-minute warm-up, then alternate back and forth from high to low intensity.
5. Keep eating. Snack on smaller meals that are spaced two to three hours apart. Balance each one of them out with carbohydrates and protein and start your eating as soon as you wake up. Skipping meals is actually counter-productive when trying to lose body fat, so eat healthy and eat often.
Find out how to turn your newly flat stomach into a washboard six-pack.
6. Don’t neglect the weight room. It might not seem like hitting the weights is a viable use of your body fat burning time but it certainly is. By adding 1.5kg worth of muscle to your body you have the potential to burn 1,050 extra calories a week, according to a study by the University of Michigan. Do multi-joint exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench presses; these will work more than one muscle group at a time prompting quicker gains.
7. Get a taste for spicier food. As is turns out capsaicin, the compound that gives chilli peppers that unique heat, can also help to fire up your metabolism. Eating just one tablespoon of chopped peppers can boost your body’s sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your fight or flight response according to a study in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. This can result in a temporary metabolism spike of around 23%.
8. Drink milk. There is some evidence that calcium deficiency could slow metabolism. Research has shown that consuming calcium through dairy foods like low fat yoghurt or –fat-free-cheese could also contribute to reducing fat absorption from other food sources.
9. Increase your vitamin D levels. This doesn’t include sitting in the sun for hours on end. Vitamin D absorbed from food is essential for the preservation of muscle tissue. You can get 90% of your recommended daily intake from a 100g piece of salmon. So eat plenty of fish, eggs, milk and cereals to get your intake up. And sit in the sun if you like, it can’t hurt…
10. Get your fibre on. Research has shown that some fibre can fire up your fat burning by as much as 30%. These studies have found that those who are consuming the most amount of fibre are gaining less weight over a period of time. It’s best to aim for around 25g per day.
The 27 foods that you should be eating if you want to lower your body fat percentage and get a six-pack.
Get a bigger, stronger back in just 4 weeks with this training program.
This workout, which covers back as well as abs and lower back, alternates weekly workouts that emphasize strength (4-6 reps) with ones that emphasize mass (8-10 and sometimes 12-15 reps). Simply insert these workouts into your current routine to build a stronger, thicker back and a rock-solid midsection.
Choosing the correct weight is critical; in your strength workouts, make sure you pick a heavy weight that causes you to reach muscle failure on only your last set for each exercise at the target rep. Although you’ll take longer rest periods, you’ll move through your size-gaining workouts faster using relatively lighter weights for higher reps, with drop sets and supersets thrown in to increase the intensity.
This workout, which covers back as well as abs and lower back, alternates weekly workouts that emphasize strength (4-6 reps) with ones that emphasize mass (8-10 and sometimes 12-15 reps). Simply insert these workouts into your current routine to build a stronger, thicker back and a rock-solid midsection.
Choosing the correct weight is critical; in your strength workouts, make sure you pick a heavy weight that causes you to reach muscle failure on only your last set for each exercise at the target rep. Although you’ll take longer rest periods, you’ll move through your size-gaining workouts faster using relatively lighter weights for higher reps, with drop sets and supersets thrown in to increase the intensity.
Olympic bars and heavy weight shouldn’t be limited to chest and leg days.
Go to almost any gym and you’ll see a lot of guys with thick pecs, but backs that pale in comparison. While nearly everyone has a love affair with the bench press and related pushing movements, the fan base for pulling exercises (that is, back training) is dramatically smaller. Yet the back makes up the largest area of muscle on the torso, and should be worked at least as diligently as the chest, not to mention every other body part.
So, if you bench press heavy, you should pull heavy. For every grueling set of dumbbell military presses you perform, you should be prepared to knock out an equally hardcore set of pull-ups. The fact is that when pulling movements don’t receive your undivided attention on a regular basis, not only does your back development suffer, your biceps do, too. So make sure to prioritize back training, even if that means— gulp—moving it to Mondays.
1. PREPARE TO DIET
According to the Mayo Clinic, a 200-pound man who lifts weights for 60 minutes burns 455 calories. High-impact aerobics burn slightly more. Meanwhile, one healthy meal of four ounces of grilled chicken and one cup of rice contains 385 calories. There’s no way around it: Eat fewer calories.
2. FOLLOW MACROS
Follow these macros (from the M&F Food Pyramid). Get one gram of protein daily per pound of your body weight. Do the same for carbs. For fat, multiply your weight by 0.4 to determine your daily grams. Lower your fat and carb intake slightly when fat loss plateaus.
3. MEASURE
Don’t estimate portion sizes. Most people guess too low and end up eating much more than their macros call for. Have measuring cups on hand and prepare your own food. Read labels and invest in a food scale.
Quick Tip: To prevent digestive problems, avoid grains except rice. Other good carbs are potatoes, sweet potatoes, and some fruit.
Are you looking to perfect your beach body for the upcoming summer? If so, we have the right prescription just for you. It's a full-body workout routine that utilizes a combination of high intensity types of resistance training combined and cardio.
Weighted resistance training is the best way to burn excess fat and calories when compared to cardio alone. Research has proven this, however if you want to maximize time spent in the gym, we suggest you combine everything into a "high octane" workout that transitions between the weights and some type of cardio. The routine is simple and can be varied depending on what you have available at your local gym.
During your rest intervals, rather than slumping over the machine or sitting down on the bench, you will be moving around between jump rope, the stationary bike, or some other piece of cardio machine that you have available to you.
You will keep the weight on the lighter side, and execute more reps so that you do not over-train or fatigue your body to where you can't finish each set. You should incorporate a variety of techniques into your workout routine and superset smaller exercises that can be done with the H.I.T. principles but you don't train the WHOLE body in one workout setting for this routine. You will stick to 1 or 2 muscle groups and train them in accordance with a planned resistance training schedule as follows.
Get lean, sculpted legs with the pop squat. This plyo move will tone your lower body and inject some excitement into your workout.
Target Muscles: gluteus maximus, quadriceps
Set up: Begin in a squat position, feet wider than hip-width apart and hands on hips. Don’t allow the knee to extend past the toes [A].
Action: Jump in the air with your toes pointing out [B]. Land into the squat, knees at a 90-degree angle, and squeeze your butt tight. Do four sets of 15 reps.
Whether you're just starting on the road to fitness or you've been trotting it for years, we've got the perfect treadmill plan for you.
Safety note: For the sprint section (minutes 30 to 35 in the advanced program), stand with your feet on the side rails while you increase the belt speed. Support your body weight using the machine arms and start running on the belt; let go when your pace matches the belt speed. When your sprint interval is through, step onto the side rails to recover.
Beginner
| Time | Speed |
| 0–5 | 3.0 |
| 5–10 | 3.5 |
| 10–11 | 4.0 |
| 11–13 | 3.5 |
| 13–14 | 4.5 |
| 14–16 | 3.5 |
| 16–17 | 5.0 |
| 17–19 | 3.5 |
| 19–25 | 2.5 |
Intermediate
| Time | Speed |
| 0–5 | 3.0 |
| 5–10 | 4.0 |
| 10–11 | 5.0 |
| 11–13 | 3.5 |
| 13–14 | 6.0 |
| 14–16 | 3.5 |
| 16–17 | 6.5 |
| 17–19 | 4.0 |
| 19–20 | 6.5 |
| 20–22 | 4.0 |
| 22–23 | 7.0 |
| 23–25 | 4.0 |
| 25–30 | 3.0 |
Advanced
| Time | Speed |
| 0–5 | 3.0 |
| 5–10 | 5.0 |
| 10–11 | 5.5 |
| 11–13 | 4.5 |
| 13–14 | 6.0 |
| 14–16 | 4.5 |
| 16–17 | 7.0 |
| 17–19 | 4.5 |
| 19–20 | 8.0 |
| 20–22 | 4.5 |
| 22–23 | 8.0 |
| 23–25 | 4.5 |
| 25–30 | 5.5 |
| 30:00–30:30 | 8.0–9.0 |
| 30:30–31:00 | Rest |
| 31–35* | Repeat the sprint intervals from 30–31 four times |
| 35–40 | 3.0 |
Nine-time Oxygen cover girl Maggie D. shares the workout schedule and lifestyle tips that got her those chiseled abs.
Maggie D’s Personal Program
Here’s a rundown of Maggie’s typical weekly training schedule. She prefers to separate cardio and resistance training by doing cardio in the morning and resistance training in the afternoon on alternating days, and to save time in the weight room, she does compound exercises and supersets, aiming for three sets of 12 to 15 reps per exercise.
- Monday: chest, triceps and core for 45 to 60 minutes in the afternoon.
- Tuesday: run and bike for 60 minutes in the morning.
- Wednesday: legs and core for 45 to 60 minutes in the afternoon.
- Thursday: run and bike for 60 minutes in the morning.
- Friday: back and biceps for 45 to 60 minutes in the afternoon.
- Saturday: shoulders and core for 45 to 60 minutes in the afternoon.
- Sunday: yoga in the morning or afternoon.
Strengthen your rotator cuffs with this lying rotation.
What To Do: Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Target Muscles: infraspinatus, teres minor, posterior deltoid
Set Up: Lie on your right side with a light dumbbell in your left hand, upper arm tight to your side with your hand pointing toward the ground, elbow bent at 90 degrees [A].
Action: Keeping contact between your body and your upper arm, slowly rotate your shoulder until your forearm is perpendicular to the ground [B]. Maintain a 90-degree angle in your elbow as you move. Slowly lower and return to the start. Repeat, and when your set is finished, lie on your left side and repeat on your opposite shoulder.
We know the power of exercise: it makes us feel good, it makes us strong and it can even lower our risk of breast cancer. And this week, exercise got more health cred—not once, but four times—from the scientific community. Here are four more reasons why all that training is doing more for you than giving you the confidence to rock a bikini.
Endurance training makes nerves fit
Sure, your muscles benefit from cardio sessions that last 30 minutes or more, but research published in the journal Nature Communications last week found that it also improves nerve connections in those muscles. What does that mean for you? It could prevent muscle-wasting diseases, such as ALS.
Aerobic exercise could make your brain bigger…
Your cardio workouts could be boosting the area of your brain that is responsible for keeping your memories intact, according to a small study published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
…And keep you thinking clearly for 20 years
Think of your running and cardio class habit in your 20s as clear thinking insurance in your 40s and 50s, suggests findings published last week in the journal Neurology. Researchers had 2,747 healthy people who were around 25 years old run on a treadmill for 10 minutes and then take a cognitive test. Twenty years later, the study participants did it again. Those whose treadmill run decreased in
You can get a total-body workout on a single machine.
Whether you’re short on time or the gym is packed, you can still get a fantastic total-body workout with one single piece of equipment: the Smith machine.
The Smith machine is basically a barbell on a track housed inside a squat rack. It has a predictable trajectory that goes straight up and down, which makes it great for training solo. The barbell has a hook on either side, and a simple twist of the wrist spins the bar, locking it onto any of several notches along the outside of the track. This means you can set the bar at any starting height, allowing you to transition easily from standing and lying to sitting and more. Smith machines also have safety stops that can be set to any height along the machine, preventing the barbell from descending farther, thereby protecting you from injury and acting as a virtual training partner.
Stuck in a swivel chair from nine to five? New research suggests it's time to get up and move.
Do you sit in front of a computer all day at work? According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, long periods of inactivity are now being linked to serious health conditions, even in people who regularly exercise.
The study, conducted in Australia, showed that a sedentary lifestyle – described as sitting for prolonged periods of time during waking hours, such as desk work, long-distance drives or extended leisure time – could have serious health effects, particularly in women. These adverse effects include a higher propensity for breast cancer, weight gain and metabolic syndrome, which could lead to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
