Are you curious about giant set tricep workouts?
Do you want to know to use giant sets to build bigger, stronger triceps?
Then you’ve come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, I will teach you exactly how to use giant set tricep workouts to take your training to the next level!
Introduction
- Part 1: John Meadows Giant Set Tricep Workouts
- Part 2: Milos Sarcev Giant Set Tricep Workouts
Giant sets are one of the most effective training methods in the world.
Many of the world’s top bodybuilding coaches like John Meadows, Ben Pakulski, and Milos Sarcev have used giant sets to build the chest and other major muscle groups.
But what are giant sets, and why are they so effective for building muscle?
Giant sets are a series of 4 or more exercises performed in a row for a single muscle group.
For example, a chest giant set would include 4 different chest exercises performed in a row with a max of 10 seconds rest between sets. Check it out:
Giant Set Template
- Step #1: Perform exercise “A”, rest 10 seconds
- Step #2: Perform exercise “B”, rest 10 seconds
- Step #3: Perform exercise “C”, rest 10 seconds
- Step #4: Perform exercise “D”, rest 2-4 minutes, then repeat!
Talk about an intense training method!
Giant sets are so effective because they prolong the time under tension of your sets.
Just think about it: a normal set for triceps might take about 20 seconds to complete. But if you perform 4 triceps exercises in a row as part of a giant set, your triceps now have 80 seconds of time under tension!
This is crazy when you think about it: you just quadrupled the time under tension, but you are still lifting just as much weight on the first exercise!
Talk about a powerful stimulus for muscular hypertrophy!
In my experience, the key to getting the most out of your giant set tricep routines is to use different exercises that overload different parts of the strength curve.
You should use a healthy mix of compound and isolation exercises that overload all three heads of the triceps.
Doing this will prevent burnout, and stimulate far more growth than sticking with 4 identical movements.
Let’s start by looking at one of John Meadows’ favorite giant set tricep workouts. Check it out:
John Meadows Giant Set Triceps Workout
- Exercise A1: Machine pushdown, 3-5 sets of 8 reps, 10 seconds rest
- Exercise A2: Machine dips, 3-5 sets of 8 reps, 10 seconds rest
- Exercise A3: Machine chest press (neutral grip), 3-5 sets of 8 reps, 10 seconds rest
- Exercise A4: Machine triceps extension**, 3-5 sets of 8 reps, 2-4 minutes rest
**Performed through the bottom 50% of the range of motion only.
Here is the training video for this workout:
Talk about an intense workout!
John Meadows is a big believer in sequencing your triceps exercises correctly for maximizing muscle growth and minimizing joint pain.
For this giant set workout, he starts with a variation of tricep pushdowns, then performs a couple of compound triceps exercises, and finally finishes with a skull crusher variation.
John says starting your giant set tricep routines with pushdowns, and finishing with extensions, is the way to go if you are trying to build size.
John likes to perform giant sets about once every 6 triceps workouts.
He says they are a great chance of pace from his normal Mountain Dog tricep routines.
Of course, you can’t talk about giant set routines without mentioning Milos Sarcev! Milos is one of the greatest bodybuilding coaches of all time.
He is famous for training all of his clients with high-volume giant sets workouts.
He sometimes performs as many as 10-15 exercises in a row as part of a giant set!
Here is one of his favorite triceps giant set routines that you can try. Check it out:
Milos Sarcev Tricep Giant Set Workout #1
- Exercise #1: Dip machine, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise #2: Close grip bench press, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise #3: Lying ez-bar extension, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise #4: Rope cable pushdown, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise #5: Lying cable extension, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise #6: Straight bar cable pushdown, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise #7: Ez-bar overhead extension, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise #8: Underhand cable pushdown, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise #9: Football bar bench press, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
Here is the training video:
Talk about an intense workout!
Milos Sarcev performs a total of 9 exercises in a row for his triceps, including a healthy mix of compound and isolation exercises.
Milos almost always performs 10 reps per exercise in his giant set routines.
In his opinion, 10 reps gives the perfect balance between mechanical tension and time under tension for stimulating hypertrophy.
If you are really in the mood for some punishment, then you may want to try the following 14-exercise Milos Sarcev triceps giant set routine. Check it out:
Milos Sarcev Tricep Giant Set Workout #2
- Exercise A1: Seated ez-bar french press, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A2: Seated dip machine, 3 x 10, 1/0/X/0, no rest
- Exercise A3: Decline ez-bar extension**, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A4: Decline ez-bar press***, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A5: Seated ez-bar french press, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A6: Lying ez-bar extension (to forehead)****, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A7: Milos Sarcev tricep extensions*****, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A8: 45 degree incline behind-the-head DB extension******, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A9: Standing cable pushdowns (wide / supinated grip)*******, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A10: Lying cable skull crusher, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A11: Seated machine dips, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A12: Standing cable pushdowns (medium / pronated grip)*******, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A13: Standing cable pushdowns (narrow / pronated grip)*******, 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
- Exercise A14: Standing cable pushdowns (narrow / pronated grip), 3 sets of 10 reps, no rest
**Use the same weight you used for exercise A1.
***Perform exercise A4 immediately after finishing exercise A3 using the same weight.
****Performed as eccentric-only reps. Lower the weight to your forehead over 3 seconds, then have your training partner do most of the work lifting the weight back up to lockout.
*****I don’t know what to call this exercise! Lay on a flat bench with an ez-bar. Lower the weight to your chest like in a closer grip bench press. Then push the bar back behind your head to the bottom position of a pullover extension, then perform a pullover extension to lift the bar back to lockout. Repeat for 10 reps. See the video for more details.
******Hold 1 dumbbell with 2 hands.
*******Aim your torso at a 45 degree angle to the ground (instead of standing straight up) and use plenty of “body English” or momentum to get the weight moving in the starting position.
Here is the full training video for this workout:
Talk about an intense workout!
Milos Sarcev doesn’t just perform 14 exercises in a row for this giant set: he also performs plenty of high-intensity techniques, like eccentric reps, forced reps, and mechanical advantage drop sets.
You won’t find any scientific studies supporting this high-volume training style.
However, Milos Sarcev has plenty of real-world results showing that his programs work extremely well for building muscular hypertrophy.
Conclusion | Giant Set Tricep Workouts!
Giant sets are one of the most effective training methods in the world – especially if you are trying to build big, strong triceps!
This isn’t just my opinion though – many of the world’s top bodybuilding coaches like John Meadows, Ben Pakulski, and Milos Sarcev use giant sets in their bodybuilding tricep workouts.
If you are looking for a new routine to shock your triceps into growth, then let it be one of these 3 giant set tricep workouts.
They may be just what you need to take your training to the next level!
“The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.”
Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of luck on your strength training journey!