We all know that going forward, youtube will be swarming with fitness "influencers" talking about cluster sets like THEY always knew it was the real deal.
I think this is what's going to help me get over my "pull-up anxiety", especially when I'm doing weighted vest pull-ups. I tend to hesitate for a long while after my inter-set rest period, because I keep thinking "6-8 reps of this is gonna be rough". But doing it in bunches of 2-4 with a 10-30s rest in-between? I think I can handle that 👍
It's important that you also face that softness and harden yourself up by doing the brutal training. Do the difficult stuff. Struggle breeds strength. Mental toughness is invaluable!
yes!! I got up to 10 in one set by working up to it over time with many small sets like this! Then I stopped doing them all together which isn't great but... y'know, I did 10 once XD
I have been having decent success with DC training. I like the rest pause sets, definitely gets the muscles worked while reducing time in the gym and the load on my joints.
@@karkkimarkkinat2109 its dogg crapp training you can check it out that's the name ,i feel if u have slow recovery like me try to avoid it but ur choice
@@karkkimarkkinat2109 its "doggcrapp" training. its basically just five exercises all rest pause. There are a bunch of articles online outlining the whole process. I am about to hit 40 and my joints don't like the high weights mid to low reps. So decreasing the rest and knocking out 3 sets to/near failure with 30 second rests in-between allows me to put in a lot of intensity with lower weight. Just make sure to warm up properly to avoid injury.
You know your stuff and we thank you. I started doing cluster sets for two weeks and they work and don't feel so tired. We appreciate you, thanks again.
This is such an incredible channel, i have never once regretted subscribing in the long time i have. Have ever been a lecturer at a university or such you presentation are of incredible quality
As a beginner I find this idea appealing. Currently as I get toward the end of my set and fatigue is setting in I can feel that my form and body shape isn't as good as it was during the first few reps. So this may actually help prevent injury
Honestly, one of the best ways to break through plateaus. This helped me a lot with pull-up volume a few years ago. Major con: you're definitely going to spend longer in the gym. If you're already the type who needs to squeeze in a workout during your busy days, it can be tricky to program in cluster sets
I love working CS with clients during first phases of max load training cycles. Also been implementing high volume MYOreps for hypertrophy segments when running short on time. Love the content!
Been doing clusters since June. Bloody hell do they kick gains into gear. Increase the weight from your normal set lift and do 3x4 with 30 secs between each 4 reps. Three minutes rest at the set end. Means you spend longer in the gym but I can’t argue with my own results. Really excellent for squat & bench.
It’s interesting because a benefit outside of Velocity and Staving off fatigue may just be a more focused session. Having to start reps every 30 seconds or so keeps intensity up. It seems that whether it be cluster sets or drops sets which are at opposite ends of the spectrum there is no real gain beyond traditional sets except that for some it makes them work harder.
@@justinmully1874 Cluster sets doesnt mean you do reps every 30 seconds, if your full rep goal is say 8 reps you do 3-3-2 the dashes meaning breaks then once you you have done that you take your full allotet rest and hit it again.
James, I would love to see a video on you... by you of course. How you got into training, how sports science application had helped your fitness journey. My housemate at Uni did Sports Science, I found it utterly fascinating when we use to talk about training and sports.
Interesting. I've been using cluster sets for a while. They do help stave off fatigue and seem to still get the same results. They do come in handy if you're going for a more strength and power building session. Just keep the breaks short but enough to recoup then hit it heavy again.
I've never heard of this before, thank you. I feel like I've been struggling lately to add weight, because I've always felt like I have to do my 12, 10, 8 sets. With this I feel like you can push heavier weights with the additional rest. Will be trying this for sure.
@Gibran Camus A opening post like that is normally written by someone that thinks they're smarter than the rest and that everyone around them is a dolt.
I started doing "cluster sets" for pull ups about a month ago - I didn't know they were called that. I started doing them that way because 3 pull ups doesn't bother my elbow tendinopathy - even if I do multiple sets. If I try to do a higher rep sets, the pain gets intense as the set goes, and the pain lasts into the next week. I can do more reps per session this way and the tendinopathy is decreasing.
I started training at home 2 years ago and I thought I wasted a lot of time doing 3x4 push ups (the app said 12 and I couldnt) but I guess it didnt matter as long as I struggled
Thanks for the explanation. I unknowingly was already incorporating them simply from fatigue, so the fact it may be beneficial overall is a major reassurance
I just pause for a few seconds on my later set's to achieve my required rep range, if I write down 12 reps you better believe I'm going to get 12 reps, no matter how many times I have to take a mini break 🤣
You and The Bioneer are the only two fitness channels I watch. Great information. Intelligent presentation. Still entertaining. View points and ideas backed with actual evidence. You guys are the cream of the crop when it comes to fitness. I mean, there are probably other channels out there as well, I just don't know about them.
I’ve been doing that for years with squats, deadlifts and bench because the heavy weight makes me super cautious about training to failure. Didn’t know there was a name for it.
Dude this is great news! Last night I felt bad because I had to split up a couple sets towards the end since I was fairly exhausted. Glad I’m not doing anything negative.
Thanks for the insights, James. I might incorporate Cluster Sets for my Log Press and maybe Viking Press, as I feel pretty fatigued doing Log Press - not so much in the Viking Press, but CS is also a good tood to add more volume and I think my shoulders are ready for an upgraded training regiment - although rear delt is always my weakness that won't go away. And in a sense I already do Cluster Sets with Farmers Walk. Walk 50 meters, pause 20-30 seconds, walk 50 meters, pause 120 seconds, continue.
This sparked my interest about how long the rest per cluster set was (intra-set) vs the rest until the next one (inter). Different models were used but it got me wondering if there is a relation between the two. Speaking in terms of the fitness-fatigue model, I can see why this is good for Power and Strength. Preparedness is important. But for non-functional/functional hypertrophy? My "stick to the fundamentals" side screams that I only need the Big 3: 1. Metabolic stress 2. Mechanical Tension 3. Muscle Damage Yet I know this contradicts with the "freshness" one has to be in relation to recovery.
Jeff Cavaliere programs cluster sets in his BeastX program as a hypertrophy method opening and closing the workout with 2 same movements (chest first i.e > rest of body > return to chest in the end with the same movement as in the beginning). This fatigue reduction perspective needs some adjustment to programming also. The way Cavaliere does it is one good method. Apart from that, going for straight sets will most probably produce the same results (other things equal), but doing straight sets all the time might get boring. It's good to add some variety now and then to keep things interesting.
Could be cluster sets would benefit senior lifters like myself. Wouldn't they enable one to increase total volume while reducing fatigue? I'll give it a go. Thanks for introducing this concept.
A set is defined by a "set" number of reps without a rest. Therefore by definition there are NO cluster sets as they are taking rests therefore are by definition sets. So really what you are saying is decrease fatigue by doing smaller sets.
I'm going to have to try CS out. When I'm benching I do sets of 8 and my last one or 2 reps tend to be absolute grinders where I sometimes lose form. CS sounds like a good way to keep the form good for injury prevention if it has the same muscle building performance as TS
I've used cluster sets for years... but it's not black and white. If I want to do 5 sets of 10-12 reps, say, then by the 4th set I'm usually finding things difficult at rep 6 or 7. I allow myself to hold the weight (in the least strenuous position) until I'm happy I've got my breath back, and that helps me to finish my set. Sometimes on the last set, I may even have to put the weight down and take 20s to stand up and move around a bit... This isn't a new thing in weight training. The overriding thing above all else, is that you have to do what works for YOU. I'm not trying to become an olympic powerlifter, so I prioritise form and stability above overall strength. I might be able to do all my sets as a traditional 10 reps, but if the last few have bad form, that doesn't benefit me and my goals...
I frequently perform a unique variation of Cluster Sets. I complete all the necessary repetitions until I reach failure, then rest for 10 to 20 seconds, sometimes slightly longer, based on my heart rate. Following the rest, I perform as many repetitions as possible until reaching failure once more. This process is repeated 2 or 3 times until the set is complete. Although this approach could technically be considered multiple sets, the lack of full muscular recovery before resuming the exercise makes it feel more like a single set with brief pauses. Therefore, I prefer to describe it as a variation of a Cluster Set. My approach essentially combines Myo-Reps and Cluster Sets, allowing me to perform a greater number of mini-sets in between compared to what I could achieve by merely incorporating brief pauses as in Myo-Reps. Despite this, I still reach failure and achieve greater muscle activation, unlike in Cluster Sets, where reaching failure during the initial mini-sets is not typical.
Working on mastering my own body weight at the moment. but I will likely do some free weight training in the future. video's like this are super helpful for this. thank you.
I'd love to see research on Dr Mike's myoset philosophy - I've included it into my regime and have to say, anecdotally I am seeing somewhat increased gains but really noticeable 1RM increases over a mesocycle....
I think I'm doing this but didn't realize it. Since pandemic started I've been working out as if im in jail. Been doing my workouts one set at a time but all day. End up around 15 to 20 sets a day. Need a shitload of free time but it works and I sleep like a baby.
I haven't actually ever thought about this. I've been using these without knowing what they were called. Sometimes I can't finish a set, I wait for just a moment, and when I think I've rested enough (no more than my rest time), I finished my reps. I don't really rely on them, but I do make use of them when I have to.
This is great information. As a relativity new lifter, I have not run into cluster sets before. This does seem like something that would be relevant to me however since I have been struggling once I hit the middle of my sets, specifically with velocity and power in general. I think I'll start working them in on my heavier sets where I've been seeing this struggle the most
I find cluster sets or higher affective for any muscle group that is injured. It allows me to maintain progress without worsening a existing injury. The majority of re-injuries for me occur because end of normal sets my form begins to break down. With a non-injured muscle group a little bit breakdown is not that big of a deal, but if the muscle group is already injured a breakdown and form will quickly result in me re-tearing or injuring further already damaged muscle groups. Cluster sets allow me to maintain near perfect form reducing the amount of wrist to injury
Determining velocity is where a tendo unit would be best and most scientifically way to see this. I used tendo unit in my early days as champion athlete and it was best way for me to achieve and see my results. This also makes cluster sets a real thing.
different kind of training are going to work. I am 49 i been injured for a while and still getting PRP prolotherapy treatments. I started training with moderate weight and high reps multiple set and my body is responding amazing. I am well aware that i won't be able to do powerlfiting anymore risking re injury. So for me high reps i can still train and keep fit and build a good body.
Ive been liking doing slow reps. Short rest then a static hold. Short rest. Fast reps. Short rest. Static hold etc One thing these studies do not comment on is long term benefits to ur CNS and recovery. Cluster sets are widely used by olympic weight lifters because of this benefit. So quality of reps are greatly increased as opposed to junk reps at failure
Hello James, I absolutely love your videos and that you try to educate people in making their own decisions. I just just wanted to throw an idea at you. Would you be up for making a video on how to read supplement labels? I know that you e had previous videos with mention of it, but maybe just a full video on what to watch out for and just how to correctly read labels. Thank you, please keep making these awesome videos!!!
I sometimes do this, in a way. If I have a goal of 5 sets of say, 8-12 reps, and I fail to reach even 8 on one of my later sets, I'll take a break and do an extra, smaller set to make up for it, in a sense.
Beein doing this since the pandemic started. Working lower body at home, you need to do 20-30 rep sets, obviously this is very challenging cardiovascularly on squats and deadlifts, so doing 10 reps + 15 second break + 10 reps + 15 seconds break + 10 reps kinda makes it possible.
Interesting. It seems you can also use this method when running. For my penultimate and final uphill sprint. I stop and run on the spot for 20 seconds to rest the leg muscles because I found I can then go full beans up the hills. People might not like this method because they think you should push all the way to the end in order to push the body and mind, and I agree, but just that small rest allows a much more intense end to your session and so more benefits, so when you do push all the way to the end, you'll be able to push even harder than before.
I like this approach to your science videos; looking at new studies and data. I'm very interested in what science says about strength and power training in terms of intensity (how heavy, intensity vs volume), going to failure or not, how many sets a week, strength/power before or after other modalities and max strength gains from traditional strength training compared to power training.
Nice video. Good work. Of all subjects for both CS and TS studies, what percentage of these subjects had predominantly fast twitch muscle fibers? Were the exact same subjects used in the TS and CS study? Seems fair and proper to compare apples to apples. As an athlete (hockey/weight training/bodybuilding) I can see the CS assisting velocity and strength endurance... greatly. CS would also decrease injuries. The real elephant in the room is how CS would lessen the strain on the Central Nervous System (CNS) and reduce "adrenal" fatigue. TS when taken to failure to reach a specific goal (number of reps in a given set), is often achieved through the release of adrenaline. CS may also tax the CNS but not how you described it. To the TS user, the CS system would appear to produce an extended TS-type workout. Perhaps a larger volume CS workout would favour the calves; a smaller volume CS workout would favour the arms or chest. Many, many ways to incorporate and trial the CS workout. Seems CS will allow heavier weights but is not limited to this. May also use lighter weights to achieve a specific target. Hmmm... Lots to contemplate. Cheers!
The idea that rest periods and spacing doesn't matter suggests to me that total work is the most important metric. Cyclists and runners already operate under that principle. They discuss miles per week as the most critical factor
What an awesome video. Ive introduced cluster sets to my workout. I only get to go to the gym twice a week. Due to work plus family commitments. I have a pair of 15kg DBs and a 30kg bar at home. Cluster sets and supersets and full body workouts are an absolute god send whilst at home. I have a more powerlifting approach to my workouts at the gym. Any chance you can do a video on full body workouts vs bro splits.
Brother man, you should do a video/collab with Doug Brignole. I've been binging his stuff and it's pretty epic. Right up your alley. The dudes on point.
Clusterer Sets would be ideal for heavy load solo training. By avoiding fatigue you decrease chances of self injury while training under higher weight load.
So I do 9-11 reps with 4 solid sets and a warm up obviously in the beginning of each exercise. I feel just decreasing my rep range to 7-9, increasing the sets by 1or 2 and upping the weight a little while still holding a good TUT per rep....the benefits would be more beneficial than the Cluster Set plan. But this is something I have not tried yet, I try not to go low on my rep count, but I'm going to give it a go and see how it works.
Kinda how I typically do heavy weighted pull ups... Pause between every rep or couple of reps. but it's mainly because it's hard to reset the movement if your shoulders collapse
This might be good for a specific psycho type of athletes who are very stressful, hight in cortisol. The such short pause might help in charging a CNS.
I often like clusters as a great way to pump the muscle either at start or end of workout as a finisher, i,e something on cable such as tricep pushdowns. light weight, 10 reps, 10 seconds rest between each set until i can no longer get ten reps and my tris are pumped up like balloons
Very interesting. I think in this case probably also a look at the papers based on which the meta analysis is based, might be advisable. I am starting to become incredibly critical of the method used, but it does sound that this is well done.
OR u could just do the push/pull split,which I recommend w the 5 x 5 program,w minimal rest in between sets.I'm 44,not on TRT or any other PEDs,have been lifting weights most of my life,and now I'm the fittest and strongest I have ever been in my life.
Are they equating volume in these studies? If so couldn’t cluster sets be better due to increased volume (such as being able to do 12 reps per set instead of 10)
I might have to try these out. I tend to drop off 1-2 reps every set unless I rest for like 5 minutes, and nobody's got time for that. Maybe this could help me get a little more volume in without adding a lot of time to the workout.
As someone who have been using cluster sets on and off for about 4 to 5 years, i find them highly fatiquing however i also use them as a way to take a normal set say of 4 reps to 5 reps. So rather than doing 4 straight reps i do 2-2-1 the dashes meaning the small break, or have 4 reps straight then do 2 to 5 singles with 15-30 seconds rest. So for me i use clusters to push the intense training volume up higher, thus creating more fatique never used them in the manner of if i can do 6 reps normally then just do 2-2-2 could be worth a try purely because the body will adapt to the stress you give it.
I use cluster sets but didn't realise they had a name. I'm lifting 6 days a week and about once every 3 weeks I have a "weak day" where I just can't keep in line with my usual numbers (probably should just rest on these days but I look forward to lifting after a day of teaching so can't resist). An example is doing sets of 6 on the bench, I just break the sets into double reps with a small rest in-between. Helps me mentally also, I used to just try and grind through on a "weak day" and be disappointed with not performing as well. Nice to know it is effective as I expected.
for me cluster sets make sense for excercises that i just cant perform with more than one rep for example pull ups only can do 1 clean pull up at a time so i dont have sets i have the fixed goal of 10-20 pull ups and then i just do 1 after 1
When i first started lifting many years back for my first few years id only ever rest no more than 30 seconds between sets but thought they were straight sets lol (although i guess they were in that each set was to failure) so set progression over 4 sets would go something like 20, 12, 10, 10 reps
I'm wondering, if clusters sets have the same effect as straight sets, (and those all stay far from failure compared to straight sets), does that sort of debunk the effective reps theory, and therefore not favor rest pause training? Example below Straight sets 3×10 =30 reps Cluster set 6x5 = 30 reps Rest Pause 1x10 +4+4 = 18 reps ?
How I learned Cluster Sets. You take a Weight you can do 10 reps (absolut max 12). Then with that same weight you do 6 reps - 10 sec pause. Same again for 4 times. So 4 x 6reps with 10 sec rest in between That is one Set. So instead you are doing 10 -12 reps for one set you are doing 24 reps in total for one set. Do this 3 or 4 times. It is hell on earth but if you like hell during training, you are gonna love it
a John Meadows favourite, damn you james hit me in the feels
as I was making this I also thought about him. He has a popular video on the topic, a very good watch
@@shreddedsportsscience can you share the link please. Thanks
We all know that going forward, youtube will be swarming with fitness "influencers" talking about cluster sets like THEY always knew it was the real deal.
Cue the V-shred ads... _"Find out which cluster set is best for your body type!"_ 😛
Coincidently I stated doing cluster sets again just a month ago
This is bullshit. Nucleus overload needs more coverage shout-out Team 3D Alpha
Bahahahahha I fucken hate when they do that!!!!!!! Kills my life.
I used to do a lot of cluster sets, I didn't know it has a lot of benefits, I just thought it was great way to do heavy weights with more volume
I think this is what's going to help me get over my "pull-up anxiety", especially when I'm doing weighted vest pull-ups. I tend to hesitate for a long while after my inter-set rest period, because I keep thinking "6-8 reps of this is gonna be rough".
But doing it in bunches of 2-4 with a 10-30s rest in-between? I think I can handle that 👍
It's important that you also face that softness and harden yourself up by doing the brutal training. Do the difficult stuff. Struggle breeds strength. Mental toughness is invaluable!
I can feel u on this one i have the same thing with pullups and weighted vest
If you reach failure and continue to improve, that’s all that is required. 👍
Bro i feel you on pullups you can bust out a 100 and still doubt you can do one
yes!! I got up to 10 in one set by working up to it over time with many small sets like this! Then I stopped doing them all together which isn't great but... y'know, I did 10 once XD
I have been having decent success with DC training. I like the rest pause sets, definitely gets the muscles worked while reducing time in the gym and the load on my joints.
thank you for the input AP
@@shreddedsportsscience please do one on ladder sets (by dan jhon) and 20 rep sets
What is DC training? Where can I learn this?
@@karkkimarkkinat2109 its dogg crapp training you can check it out that's the name ,i feel if u have slow recovery like me try to avoid it but ur choice
@@karkkimarkkinat2109 its "doggcrapp" training. its basically just five exercises all rest pause. There are a bunch of articles online outlining the whole process. I am about to hit 40 and my joints don't like the high weights mid to low reps. So decreasing the rest and knocking out 3 sets to/near failure with 30 second rests in-between allows me to put in a lot of intensity with lower weight. Just make sure to warm up properly to avoid injury.
You know your stuff and we thank you. I started doing cluster sets for two weeks and they work and don't feel so tired. We appreciate you, thanks again.
This is such an incredible channel, i have never once regretted subscribing in the long time i have. Have ever been a lecturer at a university or such you presentation are of incredible quality
As a beginner I find this idea appealing. Currently as I get toward the end of my set and fatigue is setting in I can feel that my form and body shape isn't as good as it was during the first few reps. So this may actually help prevent injury
Absolutely and this also gives you more of the "first reps" that will be more beneficial for developing your technique.
One of the authors, Dr Haff, was one of my lecturers at uni. Very insightful man and always produces quality research.
Honestly, one of the best ways to break through plateaus. This helped me a lot with pull-up volume a few years ago.
Major con: you're definitely going to spend longer in the gym. If you're already the type who needs to squeeze in a workout during your busy days, it can be tricky to program in cluster sets
I love working CS with clients during first phases of max load training cycles.
Also been implementing high volume MYOreps for hypertrophy segments when running short on time.
Love the content!
Been doing clusters since June. Bloody hell do they kick gains into gear.
Increase the weight from your normal set lift and do 3x4 with 30 secs between each 4 reps. Three minutes rest at the set end. Means you spend longer in the gym but I can’t argue with my own results. Really excellent for squat & bench.
thank you for your input Jason, very interesting.
just do your fahves
It’s interesting because a benefit outside of Velocity and Staving off fatigue may just be a more focused session. Having to start reps every 30 seconds or so keeps intensity up. It seems that whether it be cluster sets or drops sets which are at opposite ends of the spectrum there is no real gain beyond traditional sets except that for some it makes them work harder.
@@justinmully1874 Cluster sets doesnt mean you do reps every 30 seconds, if your full rep goal is say 8 reps you do 3-3-2 the dashes meaning breaks then once you you have done that you take your full allotet rest and hit it again.
James, I would love to see a video on you... by you of course. How you got into training, how sports science application had helped your fitness journey. My housemate at Uni did Sports Science, I found it utterly fascinating when we use to talk about training and sports.
Interesting. I've been using cluster sets for a while. They do help stave off fatigue and seem to still get the same results.
They do come in handy if you're going for a more strength and power building session. Just keep the breaks short but enough to recoup then hit it heavy again.
thank you for your ideas on the topic Ian
@@shreddedsportsscience please do one on ladder sets (by dan jhon) and 20 rep sets
@@ajithsidhu7183 watch?v=BV1pNkq8VoQ - this might be it
Hey same here, I would recommend it to just about anyone for trying to push heavier loads
I tell my clients its OK to take a pause rep. Just focus on form and finish the set. Form over injury any day.
I've never heard of this before, thank you. I feel like I've been struggling lately to add weight, because I've always felt like I have to do my 12, 10, 8 sets. With this I feel like you can push heavier weights with the additional rest. Will be trying this for sure.
FAQ
"Chronic effects" = long-term effects
"Acute RT session" = individual workout
"Attenuate" = reduce
@Gibran Camus A opening post like that is normally written by someone that thinks they're smarter than the rest and that everyone around them is a dolt.
@@numbzinger350 Or someone who watched the video and had to pause to google the words and were kind enough to leave a comment for others convinience?
@@NightyFloes There are in fact two sides to every coin.
I started doing "cluster sets" for pull ups about a month ago - I didn't know they were called that. I started doing them that way because 3 pull ups doesn't bother my elbow tendinopathy - even if I do multiple sets. If I try to do a higher rep sets, the pain gets intense as the set goes, and the pain lasts into the next week. I can do more reps per session this way and the tendinopathy is decreasing.
try doing some wrist and forearm exercises. this helped my elbow tendinitis.
I started training at home 2 years ago and I thought I wasted a lot of time doing 3x4 push ups (the app said 12 and I couldnt) but I guess it didnt matter as long as I struggled
Intensity and volume are the drivers of strength and size. If that’s 3 push-ups, you’ll see progress from frequently trying to do 3 pushups.
Thanks for the explanation. I unknowingly was already incorporating them simply from fatigue, so the fact it may be beneficial overall is a major reassurance
I just pause for a few seconds on my later set's to achieve my required rep range, if I write down 12 reps you better believe I'm going to get 12 reps, no matter how many times I have to take a mini break 🤣
That’s really interesting! I may start trying these for things like pull-ups and barbell rows, where form breakdown can be an issue for me!
You and The Bioneer are the only two fitness channels I watch. Great information. Intelligent presentation. Still entertaining. View points and ideas backed with actual evidence. You guys are the cream of the crop when it comes to fitness. I mean, there are probably other channels out there as well, I just don't know about them.
I’ve been doing that for years with squats, deadlifts and bench because the heavy weight makes me super cautious about training to failure. Didn’t know there was a name for it.
I approve of how you've updated your models. Both the evidence pyramid, and the girl with the kettlebell and barbell :P.
Wouldn't less fatigue lead to easier recovery? Wouldn't improved velocity lead to heavier lifts after awhile?
Dude this is great news! Last night I felt bad because I had to split up a couple sets towards the end since I was fairly exhausted. Glad I’m not doing anything negative.
Thanks for the insights, James.
I might incorporate Cluster Sets for my Log Press and maybe Viking Press, as I feel pretty fatigued doing Log Press - not so much in the Viking Press, but CS is also a good tood to add more volume and I think my shoulders are ready for an upgraded training regiment - although rear delt is always my weakness that won't go away.
And in a sense I already do Cluster Sets with Farmers Walk. Walk 50 meters, pause 20-30 seconds, walk 50 meters, pause 120 seconds, continue.
All right! An upload by man S.S.S. A great way to start my week.
Keep up the great content sir.
:)
This sparked my interest about how long the rest per cluster set was (intra-set) vs the rest until the next one (inter). Different models were used but it got me wondering if there is a relation between the two.
Speaking in terms of the fitness-fatigue model, I can see why this is good for Power and Strength. Preparedness is important.
But for non-functional/functional hypertrophy? My "stick to the fundamentals" side screams that I only need the Big 3:
1. Metabolic stress
2. Mechanical Tension
3. Muscle Damage
Yet I know this contradicts with the "freshness" one has to be in relation to recovery.
I think doing cluster sets is a great idea that I've never even considered. I will definitely incorporate it in my training from now on.
Jeff Cavaliere programs cluster sets in his BeastX program as a hypertrophy method opening and closing the workout with 2 same movements (chest first i.e > rest of body > return to chest in the end with the same movement as in the beginning). This fatigue reduction perspective needs some adjustment to programming also. The way Cavaliere does it is one good method. Apart from that, going for straight sets will most probably produce the same results (other things equal), but doing straight sets all the time might get boring. It's good to add some variety now and then to keep things interesting.
Could be cluster sets would benefit senior lifters like myself. Wouldn't they enable one to increase total volume while reducing fatigue?
I'll give it a go. Thanks for introducing this concept.
A set is defined by a "set" number of reps without a rest. Therefore by definition there are NO cluster sets as they are taking rests therefore are by definition sets. So really what you are saying is decrease fatigue by doing smaller sets.
im pretty much getting the same conclusion from this vid yea ..
A set consisting of clusters of smaller sets.
I'm going to have to try CS out. When I'm benching I do sets of 8 and my last one or 2 reps tend to be absolute grinders where I sometimes lose form. CS sounds like a good way to keep the form good for injury prevention if it has the same muscle building performance as TS
I've used cluster sets for years... but it's not black and white.
If I want to do 5 sets of 10-12 reps, say, then by the 4th set I'm usually finding things difficult at rep 6 or 7. I allow myself to hold the weight (in the least strenuous position) until I'm happy I've got my breath back, and that helps me to finish my set. Sometimes on the last set, I may even have to put the weight down and take 20s to stand up and move around a bit...
This isn't a new thing in weight training. The overriding thing above all else, is that you have to do what works for YOU. I'm not trying to become an olympic powerlifter, so I prioritise form and stability above overall strength. I might be able to do all my sets as a traditional 10 reps, but if the last few have bad form, that doesn't benefit me and my goals...
But wait, what does pausing mean? Let's say we're doing bench press, do we rack the weight during the pauses or just hold it?
Rack it
@@badm0t0rf1ng3r Interesting, are you able to do more weight this way?
You rack it. Complete disengagement from the weight.
@@badm0t0rf1ng3r I see, thanks!
Look up DoggCrapp training for some guidelines.
I frequently perform a unique variation of Cluster Sets. I complete all the necessary repetitions until I reach failure, then rest for 10 to 20 seconds, sometimes slightly longer, based on my heart rate. Following the rest, I perform as many repetitions as possible until reaching failure once more. This process is repeated 2 or 3 times until the set is complete. Although this approach could technically be considered multiple sets, the lack of full muscular recovery before resuming the exercise makes it feel more like a single set with brief pauses. Therefore, I prefer to describe it as a variation of a Cluster Set. My approach essentially combines Myo-Reps and Cluster Sets, allowing me to perform a greater number of mini-sets in between compared to what I could achieve by merely incorporating brief pauses as in Myo-Reps. Despite this, I still reach failure and achieve greater muscle activation, unlike in Cluster Sets, where reaching failure during the initial mini-sets is not typical.
That sounds like Doggcrapp training to me
Working on mastering my own body weight at the moment. but I will likely do some free weight training in the future. video's like this are super helpful for this. thank you.
I'd love to see research on Dr Mike's myoset philosophy - I've included it into my regime and have to say, anecdotally I am seeing somewhat increased gains but really noticeable 1RM increases over a mesocycle....
Nice, i like this format. Keep it up! :)
Cluster sets also allow more reps to be performed in most cases, especially with deep controlled breathing during pauses
I think I'm doing this but didn't realize it. Since pandemic started I've been working out as if im in jail. Been doing my workouts one set at a time but all day. End up around 15 to 20 sets a day. Need a shitload of free time but it works and I sleep like a baby.
I haven't actually ever thought about this. I've been using these without knowing what they were called. Sometimes I can't finish a set, I wait for just a moment, and when I think I've rested enough (no more than my rest time), I finished my reps. I don't really rely on them, but I do make use of them when I have to.
That’s probably closer to “myoreps”
This is great information.
As a relativity new lifter, I have not run into cluster sets before. This does seem like something that would be relevant to me however since I have been struggling once I hit the middle of my sets, specifically with velocity and power in general.
I think I'll start working them in on my heavier sets where I've been seeing this struggle the most
I find cluster sets or higher affective for any muscle group that is injured. It allows me to maintain progress without worsening a existing injury. The majority of re-injuries for me occur because end of normal sets my form begins to break down. With a non-injured muscle group a little bit breakdown is not that big of a deal, but if the muscle group is already injured a breakdown and form will quickly result in me re-tearing or injuring further already damaged muscle groups. Cluster sets allow me to maintain near perfect form reducing the amount of wrist to injury
Determining velocity is where a tendo unit would be best and most scientifically way to see this. I used tendo unit in my early days as champion athlete and it was best way for me to achieve and see my results. This also makes cluster sets a real thing.
So if I'm understanding correctly, this research suggests ditching regular sets/reps and purchasing a ThenX program to super-set with V-shred? 🔥
different kind of training are going to work. I am 49 i been injured for a while and still getting PRP prolotherapy treatments. I started training with moderate weight and high reps multiple set and my body is responding amazing.
I am well aware that i won't be able to do powerlfiting anymore risking re injury. So for me high reps i can still train and keep fit and build a good body.
Ive been liking doing slow reps. Short rest then a static hold. Short rest. Fast reps. Short rest. Static hold etc
One thing these studies do not comment on is long term benefits to ur CNS and recovery. Cluster sets are widely used by olympic weight lifters because of this benefit. So quality of reps are greatly increased as opposed to junk reps at failure
In the future, would it be beneficial to add the hyperlink to the references papers in your description box? Just a thought. THanks.
Hello James, I absolutely love your videos and that you try to educate people in making their own decisions. I just just wanted to throw an idea at you. Would you be up for making a video on how to read supplement labels? I know that you e had previous videos with mention of it, but maybe just a full video on what to watch out for and just how to correctly read labels. Thank you, please keep making these awesome videos!!!
I sometimes do this, in a way. If I have a goal of 5 sets of say, 8-12 reps, and I fail to reach even 8 on one of my later sets, I'll take a break and do an extra, smaller set to make up for it, in a sense.
Beein doing this since the pandemic started. Working lower body at home, you need to do 20-30 rep sets, obviously this is very challenging cardiovascularly on squats and deadlifts, so doing 10 reps + 15 second break + 10 reps + 15 seconds break + 10 reps kinda makes it possible.
would this be useful for greasing the groove with harder movements? (eg. doing cluster sets of single one arm pullups to manage a full set of 3)
wow. thank you for the awesome video and your hard work! super intersting!
Jonni Shreve got me into cluster sets about a month ago! It's all I do now.
Interesting.
It seems you can also use this method when running. For my penultimate and final uphill sprint. I stop and run on the spot for 20 seconds to rest the leg muscles because I found I can then go full beans up the hills.
People might not like this method because they think you should push all the way to the end in order to push the body and mind, and I agree, but just that small rest allows a much more intense end to your session and so more benefits, so when you do push all the way to the end, you'll be able to push even harder than before.
I like this approach to your science videos; looking at new studies and data.
I'm very interested in what science says about strength and power training in terms of intensity (how heavy, intensity vs volume), going to failure or not, how many sets a week, strength/power before or after other modalities and max strength gains from traditional strength training compared to power training.
Nice video. Good work. Of all subjects for both CS and TS studies, what percentage of these subjects had predominantly fast twitch muscle fibers? Were the exact same subjects used in the TS and CS study? Seems fair and proper to compare apples to apples. As an athlete (hockey/weight training/bodybuilding) I can see the CS assisting velocity and strength endurance... greatly. CS would also decrease injuries. The real elephant in the room is how CS would lessen the strain on the Central Nervous System (CNS) and reduce "adrenal" fatigue. TS when taken to failure to reach a specific goal (number of reps in a given set), is often achieved through the release of adrenaline. CS may also tax the CNS but not how you described it. To the TS user, the CS system would appear to produce an extended TS-type workout. Perhaps a larger volume CS workout would favour the calves; a smaller volume CS workout would favour the arms or chest. Many, many ways to incorporate and trial the CS workout. Seems CS will allow heavier weights but is not limited to this. May also use lighter weights to achieve a specific target. Hmmm... Lots to contemplate. Cheers!
Always with the information, thank you!
I've been doing this for years. I was convinced that I'm just lazy. I'm still convinced, but at least now I can say that it's a valid way to exercise.
The idea that rest periods and spacing doesn't matter suggests to me that total work is the most important metric. Cyclists and runners already operate under that principle. They discuss miles per week as the most critical factor
I'd be curious to see if a reducing rep count for each cluster would be effective (6/3/1 for example)
Check out DC training. He made recommendations. All out, three times, with breaks.
The reps should be relatively even through out, there may be a dip say 3/3/2 however not major like you made it.
What an awesome video.
Ive introduced cluster sets to my workout.
I only get to go to the gym twice a week.
Due to work plus family commitments.
I have a pair of 15kg DBs and a 30kg bar at home.
Cluster sets and supersets and full body workouts are an absolute god send whilst at home.
I have a more powerlifting approach to my workouts at the gym.
Any chance you can do a video on full body workouts vs bro splits.
Brother man, you should do a video/collab with Doug Brignole. I've been binging his stuff and it's pretty epic. Right up your alley. The dudes on point.
Clusterer Sets would be ideal for heavy load solo training. By avoiding fatigue you decrease chances of self injury while training under higher weight load.
So I do 9-11 reps with 4 solid sets and a warm up obviously in the beginning of each exercise.
I feel just decreasing my rep range to 7-9, increasing the sets by 1or 2 and upping the weight a little while still holding a good TUT per rep....the benefits would be more beneficial than the Cluster Set plan. But this is something I have not tried yet, I try not to go low on my rep count, but I'm going to give it a go and see how it works.
Kinda how I typically do heavy weighted pull ups... Pause between every rep or couple of reps. but it's mainly because it's hard to reset the movement if your shoulders collapse
This might be good for a specific psycho type of athletes who are very stressful, hight in cortisol.
The such short pause might help in charging a CNS.
Love the introduction
I often like clusters as a great way to pump the muscle either at start or end of workout as a finisher, i,e something on cable such as tricep pushdowns. light weight, 10 reps, 10 seconds rest between each set until i can no longer get ten reps and my tris are pumped up like balloons
Very interesting. I think in this case probably also a look at the papers based on which the meta analysis is based, might be advisable. I am starting to become incredibly critical of the method used, but it does sound that this is well done.
please do on ladder set by Dan Jhon and 20 rep squat
Keep
Asking. I’m sure spamming will not be rejected on principle alone.
@@Xplora213 better visibility😂
As always, thanks for the info, James
I used to do this thing where I did 20 singles per exercise per workout. It worked really well (created by Dan Moore)
I kind of have been doing this for years, only instead of a complete rest, I do static holds to gain a little strength back.
OR u could just do the push/pull split,which I recommend w the 5 x 5 program,w minimal rest in between sets.I'm 44,not on TRT or any other PEDs,have been lifting weights most of my life,and now I'm the fittest and strongest I have ever been in my life.
Seems great for martial arts related strength training, especially since we usually lift after sparring and prioritize explosiveness.
cluster sets and myo reps are the same thing or two different concepts??
I don’t know why but I just find well executed dry humor so funny
Are they equating volume in these studies? If so couldn’t cluster sets be better due to increased volume (such as being able to do 12 reps per set instead of 10)
I might have to try these out. I tend to drop off 1-2 reps every set unless I rest for like 5 minutes, and nobody's got time for that. Maybe this could help me get a little more volume in without adding a lot of time to the workout.
As someone who have been using cluster sets on and off for about 4 to 5 years, i find them highly fatiquing however i also use them as a way to take a normal set say of 4 reps to 5 reps. So rather than doing 4 straight reps i do 2-2-1 the dashes meaning the small break, or have 4 reps straight then do 2 to 5 singles with 15-30 seconds rest. So for me i use clusters to push the intense training volume up higher, thus creating more fatique never used them in the manner of if i can do 6 reps normally then just do 2-2-2 could be worth a try purely because the body will adapt to the stress you give it.
I use cluster sets but didn't realise they had a name. I'm lifting 6 days a week and about once every 3 weeks I have a "weak day" where I just can't keep in line with my usual numbers (probably should just rest on these days but I look forward to lifting after a day of teaching so can't resist). An example is doing sets of 6 on the bench, I just break the sets into double reps with a small rest in-between. Helps me mentally also, I used to just try and grind through on a "weak day" and be disappointed with not performing as well. Nice to know it is effective as I expected.
18 "and so"s (I was hoping he'd get up to 20, but only 3 "for example"s. Quite a good effort, James!
Oh, yeah, it was interesting as well!
Very well explained. Merci 👍
I do lots of cluster sets, almost unintentionally, just don't like waiting so much and they work well for me
Myoreps is my favorite way of doing clusters💪
Top video geeza, appreciated
Jonni Shreeve has been doing this.
Excellent as always. 💯
Any information on occlusion training?
Cluster sets looks beneficial for people who are just starting out or just short on time
So, cluster sets are basically doing more sets with less reps?
Excellent I will try this
for me cluster sets make sense for excercises that i just cant perform with more than one rep
for example pull ups only can do 1 clean pull up at a time so i dont have sets
i have the fixed goal of 10-20 pull ups and then i just do 1 after 1
When i first started lifting many years back for my first few years id only ever rest no more than 30 seconds between sets but thought they were straight sets lol (although i guess they were in that each set was to failure) so set progression over 4 sets would go something like 20, 12, 10, 10 reps
I'm wondering, if clusters sets have the same effect as straight sets, (and those all stay far from failure compared to straight sets), does that sort of debunk the effective reps theory, and therefore not favor rest pause training?
Example below
Straight sets 3×10 =30 reps
Cluster set 6x5 = 30 reps
Rest Pause 1x10 +4+4 = 18 reps
?
This reminds me of pavel tsatsoulines quick and the dead protocol
What does Kali Muscle’s meta-analysis say in this matter?
How I learned Cluster Sets.
You take a Weight you can do 10 reps (absolut max 12).
Then with that same weight you do 6 reps - 10 sec pause. Same again for 4 times.
So 4 x 6reps with 10 sec rest in between
That is one Set.
So instead you are doing 10 -12 reps for one set you are doing 24 reps in total for one set.
Do this 3 or 4 times.
It is hell on earth but if you like hell during training, you are gonna love it