Bigger Arms & Shoulders Fast Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Bigger Arms & Shoulders Fast 5 Tri-Sets and Quad-Sets for Size by Nick Tumminello July 20, 2017March 22, 2022 Tags Arms, Bodybuilding, Shoulders, Training What Are Tri-Sets and Quad-Sets Tri-sets are three exercises done back to back. Quad-sets are four exercises done back to back. You can do them whether you're on a body part split, a push-pull routine, or doing full-body workouts. You can do these tri and quad-sets for arms and shoulders at any gym, even when it's packed. Each series is designed so that you can remain where you are without having to walk all over the gym and lose the equipment you're using to another member. As a bonus, these are great workouts if you're short on time. Sets and Reps For all of these (except the last barbell quad set) do 2-4 sets, 8-16 reps per exercise, resting 1-2 minutes before repeating the sequence. You'll need a low cable set at ankle height and a handle attachment. All the exercises are unilateral – performed one arm at a time. A1. Rear-Delt Flye A2. Face-Away Biceps Curl A3. Triceps Kickback You can certainly perform these exercises in any order you'd like. But since both the rear-delt flye and triceps kickback involve holding yourself in the bent-over position, it's best to put the curl between the two to get a break from holding the position for so long. This one works best when using a cable column that has both a high and low setup. Place an EZ-bar attachment on the low cable and attach rope handles to the high cable. A1. Rope Face Pull A2. Rope Triceps Pressdown A3. EZ-Bar Biceps Curl Instead of doing EZ-bar curls, you can attach a single handle to the low cable and perform either face-away biceps curls or single-arm cable curls. You'll need a flat bench and two sets of dumbbells: a lighter set and a heavier set. The lighter set will be used for the shoulder exercise; the heavier set will be for the biceps and triceps exercises. A1. Seated Biceps Curl A2. Skull Crusher A3. One-Arm Side-Lying Rear-Delt Flye To remain more stable on the bench during the flye, hook one foot around the top of the bench. Keep your down hand on the floor, which requires you to position yourself with the top of the bench under your armpit. You'll need two sets of dumbbells. A heavier set will be used for the first exercise; a lighter set will be used for the remaining three. A1. Biceps Curl A2. 90-Degree Front Raise A3. Kickback A4. Dumbbell A's This one is sequenced in a way that incorporates isometric arm work, on the same area you just hit, during each of the subsequent shoulder exercises. After you do the curls, you then have to further work your biceps isometrically when doing the front raise. And after you've performed the kickbacks, your triceps have to work isometrically to hold your elbows straight as you do the dumbbell A's. So, not only does this quad-set ramp up the amount of time under tension your arms experience, it also hits both your arms and you shoulders front-to-back. This one is really more of an arms and shoulder-oriented complex than it is a quad-set. Regardless of what you call it, perform for a high volume with light loads and use as a workout finisher. Load the bar with no more than 10 pound plates for a total of 65 pounds. A1. Overhead Triceps Extension x 15-25 reps A2. Curl x 15-25 reps A3. Wide-Grip Upright Row x 15-25 reps A4. Overhead Press x 20-30 reps Do 1-3 sets, resting 1-2 minutes between sets before repeating the sequence. Although there's no magic order to the exercises, I recommend placing the overhead presses at the end since that's the strongest of the movements. Since all of the exercises are done with the same load, it makes sense to leave the easiest exercise at the end when you're fatigued. Regardless of the order you choose, don't put the bar down. Switch grips holding the bar so that you keep the pace up and keep working throughout the sequence. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip Test Your REAL Upper Body Strength Two exercises are all you need to test out your upper body strength for sports performance. Check 'em out. 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