Make 10x10 Better

Variations on the 10 Sets of 10 Reps Method for One-Exercise-Per-Bodypart Training

     Since the ‘90s, I’ve preached the benefits of one-exercise-per-bodypart workouts in articles I wrote for Ironman magazine and MuscleMag International.  The very first method that I touted was the 10 sets of 10 reps workout.  Back in the last century, when I still trained as a bodybuilder before my “conversion” to powerlifter, I did most of my hypertrophy workouts using the standard multiple exercises per muscle group for multiple sets—typically 3 to 4 lifts per bodypart for 3 to 4 sets of (somewhere between) 6 and 12 repetitions.  I’d hazard that’s still the way most bodybuilders train in today’s gyms.  Back then, I was “chasing the pump” in most of my workouts.  I noticed something, though. I would often start a workout with a good pump on my first exercise but when I switched to a new one, I would lose my pump or it would diminish somewhat.  Reading the likes of Vince Gironda and Greg Zulak—promotors of the one-exercise method—I began doing one-movement-per-muscle workouts and I didn’t lose that pump.  In fact, I got massive pumps, primarily using the 10x10 system.

     In 1995, the method went “mainstream” with the publication of Charles Poliquin’s “German Volume Training” in the pages of Muscle Media 2000.  He came up with a catchy little title and the workout seemed to catch on like wildfire in gyms.  I like Poliquin, I really do, may his memory be eternal, but I always had a bit of an “issue” with GVT.  (I know I’ve written this before in other articles, so bear with me if you’ve already read this.)  For one, I seriously doubt the German weightlifting team ever used it to gain muscle.  I mean, most weightlifters—especially ones training on a national team—try to not gain any weight so they can remain in their weight classes.  And while the 10x10 workout might build mass, it’s not that great for building strength.  In fact, it’s more likely to reduce your strength and power.  When you do multiple sets of (fairly) high reps, your body learns to “conserve” maximal strength because it needs it for those later reps—a big drawback for competitive weightlifters.  For another, I had already written about the exact same method in other bodybuilding magazines before Poliquin and, as mentioned, I had simply stolen the idea from Zulak and Gironda.  Gironda was touting 10x10 (and 8x8 and 6x6) for decades before Poliquin’s piece.

     I still think a 10x10 workout is a good method to utilize.  If you have never tried it before, then give it a go.  If you’re not familiar with exactly how to do it, it works like this: Select a weight that you would use for 20 reps on one completely all-out set to momentary muscular failure.  Now, do 10 sets of 10 reps with that weight, resting no more than one minute in between each set.  If you select a weight heavier than your 20-rep max, you’re not going to be able to get 10 reps on all 10 sets.  You’ll pretty easily get the first 5 sets and then you’ll probably struggle for a few sets after that.  Interestingly enough, most lifters find that they get stronger again on their last couple sets, meaning that sets 6 through 8 are usually the really hard ones, assuming they maintain the same rest time between all sets.

     You shouldn’t use the 10x10 workout until your body is ready for it.  It’s not a workout for someone just starting out or even for someone with a few months of training under his weight belt.  New lifters will find that it leads to both overtraining and undertraining.  It’s too much at one session, resulting in too much soreness the days after the workout (the overtraining part), and then, because of that soreness, they have to wait too long before training again (the undertraining part).  If you’re new to training, take those 10 sets and divide them up into 2 or 3 different workouts in the week.  So, you might do 5x10 on Monday and Thursday or you might do 3x10 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as part of a full-body workout.  Or anything similar.  The method is best for bodybuilders who have built up the work capacity to be capable of doing a 10x10 workout once every 3 to 4 days.  For example, if you train it on a chest movement on Monday, you ought to be completely recovered by Friday and capable of repeating it again for the same lift (or another chest exercise).

     As much as I like the workout for those seeking hypertrophy, I think it can be improved upon.  When you think about it, you’re doing 100 reps on an exercise in a fairly limited amount of time, around 10 minutes or even less.  Gironda’s bodybuilders would do it (or a 6x6 or 8x8 workout) with as little as 20 seconds rest between sets.  The exercise was completed in 5 minutes or so.

     For bodybuilders who have adapted to 10x10, they can get better results by doing workouts that allow them to use a heavier weight and still get 100 reps, all while minimizing fatigue while doing so.  Think about it.  If you could use a weight that you could only do for 10 to 12 reps and still manage 100 reps in (roughly) the same amount of time, you’d have a better system.  What follows are some training options that allow you to do this, making the 10x10 workout even better.  After I give you a few of the options, I’ll lay out some tips to help you get the most out of your workouts.

5x10/5/3/2

     For your first variation, select a weight on an exercise (after warming up) where you would reach muscular failure on about the 12th repetition.  So, a weight where 10 reps will be tough but you know you can get it.  Do a set of 10 reps.  Rest very briefly—20 to 30 seconds.  Do a set of 5 reps.  Rest briefly again, and do a set of 3 reps.  Rest, and then finish the set “cluster” with a 2-rep set.  Repeat 4 times for 5 sets of 10, 5, 3, and 2 reps and a total of 100 reps.  Rest a couple of minutes between each cluster set.

6x6, 8x8

     This is a variation on a workout that I wrote about recently.  In that program, I suggested doing 6 sets of 6 reps on one exercise for a muscle and then following it up with 8 sets of 8 reps on a secondary movement.  Here, you will use the method for only one exercise.

     Start your lift by utilizing a weight you would use for 10 reps for one set.  Now, do 6 sets of 6 reps with that weight, resting about 1 minute between sets.  Once you complete the 6x6 portion, drop down to a weight that you would use if you were doing 10x10, and do 8 sets of 8 reps with that weight.  6x6 (36 reps) and 8x8 (64 reps) still equals 100 reps.  Since you’re doing 14 sets instead of 10, it will take you a little longer to finish the workout, but the increase in poundage for the first 6 sets will make up for it.  As you adapt to the training, try to reduce your rest, especially on the 8x8 sets.

10x5, 5x10

     For the 3rd variation, do 10 sets of 5 reps with your 10-rep max.  Rest around 1 minute between sets.  When you complete all 10 sets, drop down in weight to, again, what you would use for a 10x10 workout, and do 5 sets of 10 reps to finish it off.

10x2/3/5

     This one is the most “intense,” as you will be using more weight than the other workouts.  Select a weight that you could do for one all-out set of 7 or 8 reps.  Do a set of 2 reps.  Rest briefly and do a set of 3 reps.  Rest briefly again, and do a set of 5 reps.  Repeat 9 more times for 10 clusters of 2, 3, and 5 reps and a total of 100 reps.

Programming Suggestions

     The frequency of your training will depend upon your work capacity and your individual recovery capacity.  I suggest using either a simple 2-way split or, at most, a 3-way split.  Here are some program suggestions:

2-Way Split Option #1

Workout One: Upper Body.  Do one exercise for your chest, lats, shoulders, and arms.  You could, for example, do bench presses, weighted chins (or pulldowns), military presses, and barbell curls.

Workout Two: Lower Body.  Do one exercise for your quads, such as squats, and one for your hamstrings, such as stiff-legged deadlifts.  All you might need are squats.

     Train on a 1-on, 1-off regimen or just train 3 days a week, alternating back and forth between the two sessions, doing each workout 3 times in 2 weeks.

2-Way Split Option #2

     For this one, use a “full-body split” system.  Your workout might look like this:

Workout One: squats, military presses, barbell curls

Workout Two: stiff-legged deadlifts, bench presses, weighted chins

     Again, train on a 1-on, 1-off schedule or a 3 days per week regimen.

3-Way Split Option #1

Workout One: Chest and Back

Workout Two: Shoulders and Arms

Workout Three: Legs

     Train on a 3-on, 1-off schedule or a 2-on, 1-off, 1-on, 1-off schedule if you need a bit more rest.

3-Way Split Option #2

Workout One: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

Workout Two: Legs

Workout Three: Back and Biceps

3-Way Split Option #3

Workout One: Chest, Biceps, and Triceps

Workout Two: Legs

Workout Three: Back and Shoulders

Tips

• You may not need to do all 100 reps in any of the workouts.  If, at any time during a session, you already have a massive pump, go ahead and stop.  On the 10x2/3/5, for example, you might find that somewhere between 6 and 8 cluster sets is plenty.  Same thing with the 5x10/5/3/2.  A lot of lifters find that 3 cluster sets is enough, so if you’re “pumped” after 60 reps, go ahead and call it quits, head home, and get in your post-workout nutrition.  Learn from old-school bodybuilding legends of the silver and golden eras.  Those guys quit their workouts as soon as a massive pump was achieved.

• If you want to combine these workouts with HFT, you can cycle your training loads.  On the 2-way splits, for example, you might train several days in a row before taking a day off.  For the 1st training session of a particular workout, do the workout as written.  At the 2nd, either reduce the number of sets or do all 100 reps with a weight that is around 80% of the 1st session.  At your next workout, you can return to 100%.

• When in doubt—especially when you first start—use less weight and not more on any lift.  If you find that it was too light, you can always add weight at the next session.

• Add weight to your workouts whenever your sessions start to feel easy.  Stick with that weight until it feels easy, and then add weight again.  Don’t rush weight progression.  It should come naturally.

• Stick with a particular workout for 6 to 8 weeks.  Don’t have workout ADD and constantly go from workout-to-workout.  8 weeks, however, is probably long enough for most lifters.

• You can use different workouts for different lifts.  You might do 5x10/5/3/2 for bench presses and weighted chins, 10x2/3/5 for your squats, and 6x6/8x8 on barbell curls.  Do stick with the workout for that lift, however, for your entire training cycle.

     I hope I’ve given you some new training ideas that you hadn’t thought of before reading this article.  If you’re already a fan of high-set, low-rep or one-exercise-per-bodypart workouts, and 10x10 in particular, you now have some more methods to add to your arsenal.  All of these workouts don’t mean that you should stop doing 10x10 workouts.  10x10 training will always be a good method, along with its cousins such as 8x8, 6x6, or, heck, even 20x20.  But those shouldn’t be the only workouts you utilize for one-exercise-per-muscle group routines.

     10 sets of 10 reps has been around for a long time, going back to the silver era of bodybuilding.  It still works.  But there’s no reason that it can’t be made even better.

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