I love a good burn and a good pump. There is something rewarding about having balloon-like muscles during training. I know it doesn’t last forever, but it feels good while it lasts. This article will put a few different techniques in the palm of your hands that will allow you to pump any muscle in just a few sets. I have to warn you that it is going to burn and there will be some pain, but you will love it. Perhaps too much, these techniques should not be used all the time because they are hard on your body and eventually slow down muscle growth.
Extended games for muscle building
This method for those who are not familiar with the term are ways to continue working after you have reached muscle failure in your set.
There are many ways to achieve this:
- drops sets
- break
- partial repeats
- Negative
- Sort sets
All of these methods are different, but they allow you to keep going when you hit the wall. It’s going to burn out, but you’ll get an amazing pump and can do a quick workout. You can also use these methods to stimulate muscle growth when it slows down.
Drop sets
This may be the most common extended set out there. It is simple, effective and fast, one or two series will be enough. To do a series of drops, start with a weight that you can do about 5 times. Do as many reps as you can and then reduce the weight. Again, do as many perfect reps as you can before lowering the weight.
Continue this pattern for a set number of reps, 30 is a good goal. You can go until you reach a base weight, like the barbell if you were doing barbell bicep curls. Play with the amount of weight you drop for each set and different methods.
Break
I like this method because it allows you to go heavy but still get some volume. This method is like making multiple sets within one set.
This is how you do it…
In this example we will use the bench press. Select a weight that you can do about 9 times. You’re going to do 12 reps, but break it down into 4 sets of 3. Do you do the first 3 reps on the bar, rest 15 seconds, get the 3 reps, get back on the grill, and rest? Repeat 2 more times for a total of 12 reps to do one set.
Partial repeats
This may be my least favorite extended set method. As the exercise becomes more difficult, the range of motion decreases. The board press works well with this method. After you hit your reps, add another board to the stack to shorten your range of motion. You can start to make a normal bench, then add a board, then go to two boards, finally ending up with 3 boards. One set of this and your triceps will be fried.
Negative
It is best done with a training partner. When you’ve reached fatigue, have someone help you complete the following reps, but slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. Continue until you are not in full control of the weight while lowering it. This is possible because your muscles are stronger in eccentric movements.
Sort sets
With tri-sets 3 different exercises will be used for the same muscle. Sort of like a superset of steroids. The weight remains the same throughout the set, but the exercises change. Start with the most difficult exercise, when you feel fatigued, move on to the next difficult exercise, then when you burn out, finish with the easiest exercise of the 3. If you want to burn your legs, give it a try. I know it is not a true tri-set as it is presented, but you get the idea.
Start with front squats and push yourself to the limit. Continue with the back squats, do not change the weight, go to the limit and finish with the sissy squats. This is where I deviate slightly from the plan. Ladybug squats are the easiest exercise but they don’t involve any weight. Generally, you would maintain the same weight at all times.
A bicep pump may be a better example:
- reverse curls
- regular curls, palms up
- hammer curls
There you can see that each exercise becomes easier without the need to change your weight.
Why use extended sets in your workout routines?
Extended sets are great for muscle building because they include:
- time under tension
- recruit more muscle fibers
There is a possible downside. This type of training is hard on your body and you can easily overcome it. You don’t need to do this all the time, when you do, limit your sets. One or two sets per muscle group is sufficient. If the volume is low, as with the rest pause, you can get a trail with 3 sets, but that’s the limit. Make sure you get enough nourishment and get plenty of rest.
We have covered a few different variations of extended stets. Be sure to add a few of these into your mass building schedule for a few variations or times when you want an extra pump.