The 30-day Muscle-Jolting, No-Burnout Strength Plan

Make your strenuous, strength-spiking workouts more manageable with cluster sets.

Goal
Build Strength
Skill level
Intermediate
Duration
30 days
Days per week
3
Type
Strength Training

Popularized in the 1970s by U.S. weightlifting coach Carl Miller, clusters—also known as interset rest periods—break sets of strenuous, strength-spiking lifts into shorter, more manageable bouts. For example, instead of doing five sets of five reps using your five-rep max, you’d split each set into four clusters of two reps, with brief rests in between.

Ultimately, you’ll do more work, but it will seem easier because your body will have time to catch its breath between clusters. Adding them to your routine is a monotony killer when you’re searching for a training method that will jolt your muscles for three to four weeks.

Directions

For cluster sets, stick to a five-rep max weight. For regular sets, use weight that causes you to fail one to two reps shy of the designated number.

The Plan

Goal
Build Strength
Skill level
Intermediate
Duration
30 days
Days per week
3
Type
Strength Training

Weeks 1-4

Day 1

Back

--

9

Yes

Start

Back
Day 2

Rest
Day 3

Chest

--

9

Yes

Start

Chest
Day 4

Rest
Day 5

Legs

--

8

Yes

Start

Legs
Day 6

Rest
Day 7

Rest

Topics:

Written by Michael Simone

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