HOW TO: UTILIZING PLUS SETS

In this article, we will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a plus set, as well as considerations on when to put them into your program. Plus sets can be a really strong programming technique to increase the intensity and demand of a particular lift or exercise. At Performance Course, we have utilized plus sets in our summer and in-season training numerous times and wanted to give you a quick resource on why, and how you can utilize them in your training programs.

What is a plus set or an AMRAP set?

A plus set or AMRAP set (As Many Reps As Possible) is when you push an exercise to technical failure typically on the last set of that given exercise to increase the metabolic/stimulus demand on the muscle being emphasized or as a means to retest/reevaluate.

POSITIVES OF PLUS SETS

1. Increased intra-set intensity (difficulty of set via getting you closer to rep threshold for the given intensity)
2. Increased intensity without having to add a bunch of time to the workout
3. Increased metabolic demand (typically from cellular swelling “Pump”)
4. You can narrow down projected maxes or find new training maxes to work off of without having to go 95%-100% of max
5. Can be a way to add volume to your strength block while holding onto hypertrophy training adaptations that were previously developed

DRAWBACKS OF PLUS SETS

1. Accumulate a lot of fatigue, especially on heavy compound movements
2. If used too frequently it can result in injury or overtraining
3. If done too soon in the training or sets, it can hinder the overall output on later sets
4. Going too light in order to get more reps (you won't induce the desired stress response and will not have accurate projections for rep max)

WHEN TO USE PLUS SETS AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAMMING

1. Typically you want to use this on your last set of an exercise as a way to make sure you are pushing close to failure for a given intensity
2. It is smarter to use plus sets when you are closer to a deload or recovery phase. This is because you WILL induce more stress on the muscle, and if done too long this could result in over-training
3. These should be pushed to technical failure, not absolute failure, meaning we don't want to see huge compensation or change in technique. This is another way to decrease likely hood of injury as well as it won't allow them to ingrain a bad movement pattern
4. Make sure to record your last set so you can track and/or readjust maxes for that exercise

USING PLUS SETS TO READJUST MAXES

In my opinion, one of the most significant benefits of plus sets is it gives us the ability to make small adjustments to intensities throughout a mesocycle. This allows us to make sure the intensity our athletes are using is accurate without actually having to do another 1 RM (Rep Max).

REPETITION MAX SHEET (NSCA)

EXAMPLE

Let's say on week 4 of a training block we will be training at 5 sets of 5 reps with our last set being a plus set at 85%. We know by using a rep max sheet that we should roughly be able to get 6 reps with 85% intensity if our max is accurate. However, if on the plus set, they get 8 reps then we know the training intensity may be a little lower than we wanted. So the easiest thing to do would be to plug the weight lifted and reps into the formula below to get a new projected max.

Weight × (1 + (0.0333 × number of reps))

One thing to consider when doing this is the more repetitions you have the athletes do, the more skewed the rep max will be. We typically try and keep all rep max adjustments under 8 reps because anything would be more of an indication of work capacity or muscular endurance.

Keep in mind that plus sets are not only for testing strength increases. It can be a way to track increases in work capacity as well. For example, If you were able to get 8 reps on DB Bench last week on your plus set but performed 11 this week, that would be a pretty good indicator of an increase in work capacity or endurance.

Closing thoughts

Plus sets can be utilized in many ways, and could even just be a way to spice up your workout at the end to get more of a pump. Whether your goals are Strength, Hypertrophy, or Endurance, plus sets are a great way to track and push yourself and your athlete's limits. Let us know what you think and how you utilize this in your own workouts.