The Synergytraining Blog

Getting Our Terms Straight

Written by Carlon M. Colker, M.D., FACN   

Bodybuilding, as in every discipline, has its nomenclature. Of particular interest to those embracing the bodybuilding lifestyle are terms that apply to advanced training concepts. These terms are often thrown around the gym incorrectly. Unfortunately this misuse blurs a clear understanding of our standard. As a result, a guy might recommend doing giant sets when he really means super sets. Maybe he means he trained to failure, while he’s telling others he did forced reps. This simple, yet, disturbing corruption of our art by misuse of terms is pervasive and undermines the legitimacy of our sport. But little if anything has ever been written to establish the industry standard definitions of advanced training terms used by experienced bodybuilders. That said, what follows is a list of the most commonly used advanced training terms. Any advanced bodybuilder should get these terms straight. 

Failure

Performing a set to the point of a total muscular inability to move the weight through the intended range of motion. This method must be performed with a spotter when doing certain motions, which would either trap you under the weight (chest or shoulder pressing) or put you in peril (squats, leg press, etc.). Smaller movements that don’t place your body in jeopardy require no spotter to train to failure. Once failure is reached, the set is over. The benefits of going to failure are you’re assured a fairly high degree of intensity without definitively overtraining, assuming you’re careful. The downside is, if done with regularity, your body tends to subconsciously gear for the failure and hold back a little bit. This robs the muscle of full late-stage muscle recruitment and thus growth. A good general caveat when using this method of training to failure, is only to do so on the last set of a given exercise and not every time. 

Forced Reps

Forced reps go one step beyond failure and utilize a spotter to help you complete the intended number of repetitions of a given set with assistance. This method helps you through extra reps after you’ve failed on your own. It raises the level of intensity and deep muscular stimulation to a very high level. But the key here is getting a good spotter. A bad spotter will let you collapse under the weight with the bar either not moving or moving in the opposite direction before offering assistance. A good spotter will give you just enough help to keep the bar moving at all times, but not too much. So the bar should slow, but never stall. As with training to failure, try keeping forced repetitions to no more then the last set of a given exercise and even then not every workout. This is because the likelihood of overtraining is higher then when just going to failure. Still, when done correctly, forced repetitions represent the single best way to spur muscle growth.

Split Set

I coined this term back in the late 80’s to describe a training method we began to incorporate to raise the level of intensity and burn the muscle deeper. We did this by using a method that spurs recruitment of more individual muscle fibers into firing, but without going to failure or forcing out a repetition. The split set is executed in what I call “mini-sets.” It’s basically a “set-within-a-set” concept. The idea is to work in continuous motion through each repetition of a given set, but divide the set into predetermined sections where you intentionally pause briefly in the near-lockout position just to grab a breath. Done correctly, this should stave off failing or necessitating assistance with a forced repetition. Yet it will allow you to train with a slightly heavier weight then you would, had you done each repetition continuously throughout the entire length of the set. So for a 10-repetition set it might run like this: five reps, pause and breathe, three reps, pause and breathe, two reps, done. Just note the split set doesn’t work well if your weight isn’t geared for a set lasting at least eight repetitions and you must not take your pause for more than one breath. If you do, you’re not just pausing anymore. You’re resting and thus actually decreasing intensity. 

Super Set

A super set simply describes a sequence of two to three different exercises for different body parts lined up in sequence with the purpose being to condense training. To be a super set, the chosen exercises must be for different muscles otherwise you’re doing a giant set. For example, you might decide to hit both chest and back by doing a barbell incline bench press in super set with a lat pull-down movement. When done correctly, it should intensify your routine and save you time in the gym. Unfortunately, too many people don’t do it correctly and fall into the inherent trap of holding back on the first exercise just a little bit and, consciously or subconsciously, gearing for the next exercise in sequence. As a result, they end up turning a super set into more of a circuit and, though they might work up a sweat, they never really pump up the muscles. So if you’re going to do a super set, be sure you’re throwing out maximum intensity on every exercise in the sequence regardless of whether it’s your first, second, or third movement.

For this reason, I’ve never been a big fan of super sets and never seen huge growth as a result of doing them. Perhaps this is because while one of the body parts usually gets inadequate stimulation for extreme growth, the time lag between the next set makes the other body part ice up and flatten. If you’re going to try them, some of my caveats on the subject include only doing a super set with visually developed and fairly strong body parts. This is because the super set will almost invariably soften your ability to focus and concentrate on a single exercise set— an element essential to bringing up a weak body part. So pick your battles carefully as to exactly when and how often you incorporate super sets, if at all.  Also don’t go too low on your repetitions. At less then six on each exercise, you simply have no chance of stimulating the muscles well enough to grow. 

Circuit

A circuit is a sequence of four or more exercises lined up in succession with the purpose of getting a whole-body or near whole-body workout without rest. It’s done exclusively with machines and not free weights. For this reason, circuit training is ideal for the youth or novice interested in general fitness, some athletes, those coming back from a hiatus or injury, or for light maintenance. In other words, you won’t build extreme muscle doing a circuit.

Giant Set

A giant set works like a super set except it involves doing multiple exercises in rapid sequence for the same body part. In other words, you could do a set of leg presses and then go right to leg extensions. It’s a good way to key up intensity and stimulate muscle growth in either your strong or weak areas. The only caveats are to be careful adding a third or fourth exercise to the sequence. More is not necessarily better. In my experience with the pros, the big juicers in the gym might be able to handle a third or even fourth exercise in rapid sequence with an honestly high level of intensity. But the natural bodybuilder will overtrain in a heartbeat trying to do the same. So I like giant sets, but seldom if ever use a sequence of more than two exercises.

Drop Set

Properly executing, a drop set starts with a relatively heavy weight set, followed in rapid succession with another set of the same exercise, but with a lighter weight. This can continue for almost any number of sets. For example, after a good warm-up doing dumbbell shrugs for your traps, let’s assume you work your way up to a strict 100 pounds in each hand for 10 reps. After that, a drop set would involve immediately picking up the 80-pound dumbbells for another 10, followed by the 60-pound dumbbells for 10 and finally the 50-pound dumbbells for 10-15. When my diet is on and training is clicking nicely, I love a good drop set. It gives me the added intensity I’m looking for, while at the same time doesn’t take my focus and concentration away from either the body part I’m working or the specific exercise I’m absorbed in performing correctly. Simply stated, drop sets are a stupendous way to build muscle and finish off the targeted body part. 

Negatives

Negatives are performed after you’ve completed a set to failure. A spotter then lifts the weight for you to the top position and then slowly releases it for you to fight on the way down. For example, a guy reaches failure on his sixth repetition with 315 pounds on the barbell flat bench press. The spotter then comes in and basically deadlifts the weight off the guy’s chest and back up to the top position for the guy to then resist as it plummets back down to his chest. Sound stupid? Well it is. In fact, the only one that’s stupider than the guy doing the set is the guy about to get injured giving him a spot. In a few words, negatives are senseless and inane. Though they might have some role among your tomato can powerlifters trying to max out, they won’t help you build extreme muscle.   

Cheat Reps

Doing cheat repetitions means to perform a rep in sloppy form by using momentum to raise the weight. The swing is produced because a given weight is too heavy. The result is deep muscle fibers are never really fully recruited into action. When training alone and without a spot, a little form-break here and there on the last repetition of a given set may actually be necessary and even helpful. But try not to cheat your repetitions if you don’t have to. Also cheating on your early reps is a big mistake, as it reduces the degree of deep stimulation and exposes your body to injury. Try to come up against failure or rely on a spotter to help you just a little bit in getting through the last rep of a set in perfect form. That’s the best way to build the most extreme muscle. I should note as an interesting aside that over the years I’ve seen a few bodybuilders cheat their reps, still grow and not injure themselves. One was the great Arnold. He would do heavy barbell cheat curls like they were going out of style and no one would dare question his arm development. Even so, these few have almost invariably told me in later years that had their form been sharper they believe their development would have been far greater. Furthermore, I’ve never, ever seen a guy bring up a weak body part by cheating his ass off. They have always involved guys with a freakishly good body part who decide to overload the weight for ego, or whatever. So it’s not to say you definitely won’t grow from cheating your reps, but rather it’s not an optimal way to stimulate deep muscle fibers and certainly should never be at the centerpiece of any competent routine regardless of what big guy you might see doing them.

Dr. Colker’s book, Extreme Muscle Enhancement: Bodybuilding’s Most Powerful Techniques is available by calling 1-800-310-1555 or online at www.prosource.net.