Right now there's some stuff being said about Cluster sets that are not, and are being confused because of the cluster training research.
Mainly that cluster sets reduce fatigue and thus it would make the rest of the workout more productive because cluster sets give you the same or similar amounts of hypertrophy with less fatigue.
This is blatantly false and is confusing the cluster set research that used moderate loads very far from failure that helped to increase things like the rate of force development (which is on the velocity side of the FVR curve).
In the research on cluster sets and hypertrophy, it either produces SIMILAR or less growth.
However I will show how you COULD do them if you wanted to do them for a change of pace.
You'd use a 5 rep max load, because we know we have full motor unit recruitment at 5 rep max loads, and contraction velocity is slow enough to create high force/mechanical tension.
So then you'd do 2 reps...
rest 30-45 seconds
Do 2 reps
rest 30-45 seconds
Do 2 reps
Then you could do a 4th "set" to failure etc
There's many ways you could approach this.
This could "theoretically" net you 6-8 stimulating reps towards growth.
Since a single set done to or close to failure can net you 5-6 reps, and 2 sets will net you 6-8 stimulating reps, then what you'll find is that considering the total time it takes to do them it's more or less a wash.
If you do 3 clusters (2+2+2):
- Work time: 3 × 4 = 12 seconds
- Rests: 2 intervals of 30–45 sec = 60–90 sec
- Total: 72–102 seconds (about 1:12 to 1:42)
If you do 4 clusters (2+2+2+2):
- Work time: 4 × 4 = 16 seconds
- Rests: 3 intervals of 30–45 sec = 90–135 sec
- Total: 106–151 seconds (about 1:46 to 2:31)
So clusters can be used as a nice fun change of pace, but anyone trying to push that they reduce OVERALL workout fatigue while giving you the same amount of growth doesn't know what they are talking about or is just confusing the cluster data.
Here's a list of exercises I would use these on for a nice change of pace:
- Curl variations
- Triceps pushdowns (bilateral)
- Lateral raise variations
- Seated Shrugs (using a jammer hammer strength machine)
- Lat Pullover machine or cable pullovers
- Pec Deck
- Leg Ext
- Seated Leg Curl
- Calf Press
- Paul Carter Hypertrophy Coach & Author
