It’s the common refrain in every fitness class ever, and in the majority of the bro-centric, muscle-building gyms out there. It’s a refrain that drips of old-school discipline, of classic ideas of strength and conditioning. The idea of reps upon reps upon reps is the one I grew up with, from classic bodybuilders like Frank Zane, Steve Reeves, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Push through your set, because the reps are what matters is how it’s always been. But it’s not the only way. Meet the cluster set, the underutilized training technique that can push you to serious power and strength gains.
No, you won’t see a lot of people using this style in your average gym. But powerlifters use it, and top athletes train with it for sports performance. And science is increasingly on board with the cluster set, too.
YOUR MIND WILL take awhile to get used to the cluster set. Typically, you think of a set of 10 reps as a set in which you do one rep, then the next immediately after that, and the next immediately after that—and you keep doing that for the whole set. With a cluster set, you take a 10- to 30-second rest interval between every rep, or every few reps, in each set.
You’re still taking your traditional rest at the end of your set, too. Yes, that’s a lot of rest, but there’s a reason for that. Cluster sets have been used in a handful of practices, but I believe they should be more widely utilized.
The big benefit of cluster sets: You’ll build serious short-term power—and that can make you stronger and more muscular in the long run. You may not see yourself as a power guy or heavy-duty strength guy, but building power in your one-rep max on, say, the bench press or squat or deadlift, can have more benefits than you think. Look at the chiseled physique of your favorite NFL player.
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