Cluster sets
Clustersetsaresetswithbuilt-in,
intraset rest periods, allowing
formoreweight,repsandtotal
weight lifted. For example, instead
of doing three sets of three reps,
you’ll do three sets of 1-1-1
repetitions with 20-second
intraset rest between reps, for
atotalofthreesetsofninereps.
Fortheclustersetsbelow,work
with90%ofyourone-repmax.Directions
Everyexercisemarkedwiththe
same letter is to be performed
back-to-back,asasuperset,with
no rest in between. Perform two
workoutsinarow,withadayof
rest in between. For all accessory
movements, ensure that you’re
leaving two reps in the tank.
Thisallowsforpropernervous
system adaptation and smooth
progressionweektoweek.The cluster sets we programmed
will allow you to lift weight close
to your one-rep max – and for
more reps – than you would
normally be able to accomplish.
How? By breaking up the sets into
subsets (more on cluster sets
below). The effect is a greateraccumulation of volume and a
bigger release of testosterone,
which will prime your body to
more efficiently build muscle
and oxidise – nerd speak for
burn – fat. Then we ramp up
the reps and intensity for the
accessory work, which targetsyour entire body each day.
The subsequent lifts will still be
multi-joint movements, as these
types of exercises give you the
most bang for your buck when it
comes to muscle recruitment and
strength gains. They will also be
supersetted with antagonist muscle
groups – like a lower-body pulling
exercise paired with an upper-body
pushing exercise – so your body is
working synergistically.
The supersets are added
to simply ramp up the intensity
of the workout and increase your
heart rate, which is a key reason
why you don’t see any traditional
cardio programmed here. The
point is not to be bothered by
the lack of traditional isolation
movements in the program; you’ll
still build plenty of muscle.
That being said, we realise that
it’s beach season, so the fourth
day will focus on pumping up
your trophy muscles with high-
rep supersets – we got you, bro!THIS PROGRAM DISPELS THE NOTION
THAT LIFTING HEAVY is exclusively for strength
gains. And while chasing one-rep maxes won’t
pave the way to massive muscles, heavy lifting is
important for two reasons: first, a stronger muscle
can handle more reps and more weight. And since
your muscles need a new challenge to adapt to
grow – like more reps lifted or heavier weight on
the bar – the ability to lift heavier weight for more
reps will translate to more size on your muscles
over time. Second, hoisting serious weight with
compound movements like the deadlift, squat
and bench press triggers a greater release of
testosterone, a key hormone that’s responsible
for the growth and recovery of your muscles.SCULPT YOUR BEACH BODY
92 MUSCLE & FITNESS / NOVEMBER 2017