Effects of Continuous and Cluster-Set Configurations Performed to Failure on Performance and Physiological Responses in the Bench Press and Half Squat.

This study compared the acute effects of continuous execution (CON) and two cluster-set configurations performed to momentary failure with high loads (~85% one-repetition maximum) on mechanical and physiological responses during the bench press and half squat. Twelve recreationally trained men completed three randomized, counterbalanced conditions: two using cluster sets of three repetitions with either 10 s (CS10) or 20 s (CS20) intra-set rest, and a control (CON) condition. In the bench press, CS10 did not significantly increase the number of repetitions compared with CON, while CS20 increased repetitions from 6.8 ± 1.6 to 11.4 ± 2.9 (p = 0.044). In the half-squat, the effect of cluster sets on repetitions was evident in both CS10 and CS20 compared with CON (18.3 ± 4.0 and 42.1 ± 7.7 vs. 10.6 ± 3.2 repetitions, respectively, p < 0.001). Set duration increased progressively with longer intra-set rest, particularly in the half squat, reaching in CS20, 90.7 ± 26.2 s and 344.6 ± 65.3 s (p < 0.001) in the bench press and half squat exercises, respectively. Mean heart rate (HR) in CS20 was higher in the half squat than the bench press (87.2% ± 4.9% vs. 70.4% ± 6.5% of max HR, p < 0.001), while blood lactate responses were also greater in half-squat compared with bench press (~8.5 vs. 5.5 mmol L