I have been working with John Meadows to get ready for the Dallas Europa and New York Pro in May. To really pump things up during this contest prep, he has had me do these giant sets in most of my workouts. The idea is to take three exercises and place them back-to-back in your workout. Once you finish all three exercises, it is one set. For this workout, I did three different giant sets for three sets each at the end of my training session. These always blow up my back and rear delts like nothing else.
Low Hammer Machine Row
3 sets of 16 reps, 14 reps, 12 reps
I used tempo manipulation on these rows. For the first half of each set, I held a three second contraction at the top and allowed my back to completely stretch at the bottom. The last half of the set was done at a typical rep pace without pausing at the top.
Supinated Hammer Row Machine
2 sets of 14 reps, 12 reps
For these rows, I did the same tempo manipulation as the low hammer rows: a three second pause at peak contraction and a stretch at the bottom.
Giant Set #1
Weighted Pull Ups (8) / Rack Deadlifts (6-8) / Rope Pullovers (12-15)
Do this set three times.
For this giant set, I went heavy on the rack deadlifts. If you want to do these, pick a weight that really makes you work for the last several reps. By the time you move to rope pullovers, your back should be tired and you should be pumping as much blood into it as possible.
Giant Set #2
Rack Deadlifts (10) / Wide Grip Pulldowns (8-10)/ Neutral Grip Cable Rows (15)
Do this set three times.
The rack deadlifts are in this giant set as well. I think they’re one of the best overall back developers that I do. This time, you will not need to go as heavy on the rack deadlifts. The neutral grip cable rows will be like the pullovers were before: done with light weight to pump the muscle full of blood.
Giant Set #3
Reverse Pec Deck Machine (15-20) / Rope Face Pulls (12-15) / One-Arm Rear Delt Cable Extension (10-12)
Do this set three times.
It is very important to keep your arms straight for the one-arm rear delt cable extensions. If you bend at the elbow, you will start using your triceps and take the deltoid completely out of the movement. Remember that you will be doing higher reps here, so you should choose weights that are light enough to allow you to do the exercise correctly and not transfer the weight onto other muscles.
These giant sets have been great for my contest prep. I’ve grown more in this offseason than ever before. Give them a try and see how you like them.