The Mega Set – The Forgotten Set
Most people who train with weights can be divided into 2 categories: those who want to gain size and those who want to gain strength. Both are great goals and have very specific training routines, exercises, and sets. The type of training I almost never see in the gym is muscular endurance.
For most of us, our goals in the gym don’t lead to the Mr. Olympia stage or the weightlifting arena of the Olympics. However, we tend to ignore the more practical exercises. Shoveling your driveway for 30 minutes doesn’t require a 400-pound bench. Carrying your 3-year-old around the zoo all day doesn’t require 21-inch biceps. What most daily activities require is muscular endurance: the ability to move an average amount of weight for an extended period of time.
My first introduction to this type of set was through my Russian mixed martial arts trainer. He used to tell me “What good is a 300lb bench press if you can only do one? In a fight, you might have to push your opponent’s chest for 10 minutes.” I am paraphrasing here because he spoke broken English with a thick Russian accent, but he was right! I could move a lot of weight in a few reps, but at half my max I would get fatigued after about 20 reps. With about 8 weeks of specialized training, I was racking up the same weight out of boredom after 60 reps. Then we move on to mega-set circuits, but that’s a story for another time.
Mega Set Training (6-8 week cycle)
Day 1 Chest
– 2 warm-up sets
– 1 set of max weight Bench Press for 5-6 reps
Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes
– 4 sets of 50 reps each (use about half the weight of your previous 10 rep max to start with). Keep your rest to less than 2 minutes between sets
day 2 cardio
Day 3 Back
– 2 warm-up sets
– 1 set Bent Over Rows max weight for 5-6 reps
Bent over rows and lat pull downs
– 4 sets of 50 reps each (use about half the weight of your previous 10 rep max to start with). Keep your rest to less than 2 minutes between sets
Day 4 Cardio
Day 5 Legacy
– 2 warm-up sets
– 1 set of squat max weight for 5-6 reps
Deadlift with squats and bent legs
– 4 sets of 50 reps each (use about half the weight of your previous 10 rep max to start with). Keep your rest to less than 2 minutes between sets
Day 6 Arms and shoulders
– 2 exercises per body part, 4 sets, 8-12 reps per set
Day 7 Rest