Are your workouts getting stale? Have you hit a training
plateau? If so, here is a simple way to re-energize your workouts and get your
blood pumping fast!
Over time, any workout can become mundane. Even if you can
handle the monotony, your body needs a jolt. Doing the same workouts week after
week may be a comforting routine for you, but if done for too long, your body
will stop responding. When this happens, you need to shock your body and force
it to respond favorably.
With Silly Sets, you will find just the jolt your body
needs. Over the years, there have been all sorts of new approaches to working
out and even shaking up your workouts. A long time ago, someone decided to pair
two exercises together to work muscle groups in tandem to create a great pump.
These were called Super Sets.
Later, naturally, somebody decided to join three exercises
and call this grouping of exercises, Giant Sets. I assume you can guess what’s
coming?
I had used the routines above, long before they had names.
This was simply the byproduct of living in the gym in the 1980’s. You get bored,
you try things. Eventually someone gives these methods a name and sticks them
in a magazine and, a trend is born.
I came up with Silly Sets in 2012. I was preparing for my
first mud-run (at the age of 47) and I needed a way to prepare my muscles for
endurance demands. I needed a way to work as many muscle groups as possible in
the shortest amount of time. I wanted to improve my cardio endurance, and I
needed to burn-off the last of my body fat. I found the answer I was looking
for!
Now, if someone out there has come up with this method and
given it a different name, I am not trying to take credit or step on any toes.
I just thought of this method and gave it the appropriate name. And, here we
go!
Silly Sets are a simple training tool that you can alter
greatly for your needs. This is simply the grouping of 4 exercises, done
back-to-back, in order to train as many muscle groups as possible all in a few
simple sets. This is simple, but it can be as challenging as you want to make
it.
The exercises are done with a set of dumbbells and a flat
bench. That’s all you need . . . and a good bit of energy. The 4 exercises (in
order) are; flat-bench dumbbell presses, straight-legged dead-lifts, one-arm
dumbbell rows (I call these lawn-mower starters), and dead-lifts. Are you ready?
Simply grab a set of dumbbells which you can easily handle
for at least 10 reps of chest presses. Go to the bench and do 10 reps of the
following exercises, in order, for 4 sets each. Do NOT stop once you begin.
Keep going without setting the weights down, except for your one-arm dumbbell
rows.
1. 10 Reps Flat bench chest presses
2. 10 Reps Straight-legged deadlifts
3. 10 Reps (Each arm) One-arm dumbbell rows
4. 10 Reps Deadlifts
Do these sets one after the other, without stopping, and
repeat 4 times. Never stop the entire time. This will take you about 9 minutes.
You can use this to warm up before your workout, or as a great way to finish-up
after a workout. Your body won’t know what hit it.
Used as a shake-up for a stale routine, you can do these two
or three times a week for a month. This should help you get past your plateau.
Or, if you are really ambitious and want to challenge yourself, you can try
what I did. (I only did this once to prepare for the mud-run). It was very
tough for me.
Do the Silly Sets as described above, but add this twist.
Start out with Dumbbells at a weight that will challenge you. Do the exercises
for 4 sets without stopping, then, still without stopping, grab dumbbells which
are 5 lbs. lighter and do the sets all over again. Then, drop 5 more pounds and
continue until you get to dumbbells which are too light for this exercise.
In my case, I started with 45 lb. dumbbells and kept going
from 45, to 40, 35, 30, 25, 20. This was brutal. When I finished, it looked
like someone had a water balloon fight at that bench.
I only did this once. I think I’ll try to get back to that
again. This is a good challenge. I liked it, and I hope you will too. I will
continue to share my gym thoughts, techniques and ideas.
Feel free to leave comments, questions or ideas. Everyone
has something to share.
Stay fit my friends!
"Click to get fit!"
Hey all. I create these posts to help you reach you fitness goals. Let me know what matters to you. I will do my best to answer your questions. I'm here for you.
ReplyDelete