Ten sets of ten
by openGym
One big lift, ten sets of ten, then a little extra. An old bodybuilding idea for a four to six week block when growth has stalled.
- Days a week
- 3
- Per session
- 75 min
- Level
- Advanced
- Goal
- Muscle
- Split
- Something else
- Sets a week
- 62
The week
- Monday: Chest and back
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Legs
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Shoulders and arms
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
The 3 sessions
Chest and back
-
Barbell bench press
10 × 10 repsrest 1:30
-
Barbell bent over row
10 × 10 repsrest 1:30
-
Dumbbell lateral raise
3 × 15 repsrest 45 s
Legs
-
Barbell full squat
10 × 10 repsrest 1:30
-
Lever lying leg curl
10 × 10 repsrest 1:30
-
Lever standing calf raise
3 × 15 repsrest 45 s
Shoulders and arms
-
Dumbbell standing overhead press
10 × 10 repsrest 1:30
-
Barbell curl
3 × 12 repsrest 1:00
-
Cable triceps pushdown (v-bar)
3 × 12 repsrest 1:00
From openGym
Pick a weight you could lift about twenty times and keep it for all ten sets, resting 90 seconds. The first sets feel too easy. Sets nine and ten do not.
Run it for four to six weeks at most, then go back to something with fewer sets. Your joints will thank you.
Where the work goes
62 working sets a week, per muscle. The main muscle of an exercise counts a whole set, each helper half a set.
What you need
- Bench
- Dumbbells
- Barbell
- Cable
- Machines
Routine by openGym, CC BY 4.0. Added 2026-11-08. See the file or report a problem.