I am new to the gym, so for now I stick to a simple full body workout.
But Is it ok to mix sets? i.e. instead of doing lets say 3 sets of biceps one after another, I'd do 1 set for biceps, then 1 set for shoulders, then one set for chest.. then I'd do back and do anothet set for biceps, one set for shoulders...

Is there a difference between those mixed sets and sequential sets? What is a better way to gain mass?

If you want to make it harder, try super setting.. for example, bench pressing then straight to push ups with no rest in between.

the reason you stick to all your sets in a row is because of warmups and keeping your muscles ready for the next exercise.

If you go from curls to shoulder press, you'd better warm up before both, or you could seriously bust something. If you spread it out like that, you might not be warm when it comes time to do them again, or you may. If not, you're gonna be doing way more warm up sets than if you were to only warm up once.

However, if your workout is structured right, you should only have to do warmups before a few exercises, like chest and maybe a little shoulders, and then you could hit triceps without warming up too bad, because they've already been hit indirectly from the other ones, and are warm.

Originally posted by semag
the reason you stick to all your sets in a row is because of warmups and keeping your muscles ready for the next exercise.

If you go from curls to shoulder press, you'd better warm up before both, or you could seriously bust something. If you spread it out like that, you might not be warm when it comes time to do them again, or you may. If not, you're gonna be doing way more warm up sets than if you were to only warm up once.

However, if your workout is structured right, you should only have to do warmups before a few exercises, like chest and maybe a little shoulders, and then you could hit triceps without warming up too bad, because they've already been hit indirectly from the other ones, and are warm.

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Semag,

Thanks a lot for the answer.
So essentially you are saying from the point of gaining mass, it does not really matter much if I do my sets in a row or "randomize" i.e. mix them.

I am not lifting a lot now, I started just a couple of months ago and go slowly. I always felt I don't even need more then one warm-up so for now I am fine.

I was arguing with my buddy about this issue, he was saying that "all sets in a row" is much more superior to "mixed" sets.
Now it seems it doesn't really matter much.
Anyway, thank again.

Criminal Mind,

I don't want harder. I don't have enoudh endurance for that and and I am not very interested in developing it. I am interested only in mass.

You'll find it doesn't matter that much when you're starting out, because an untrained body will respond positively to ANY sort of training. Typically, you'll notice gains in strength first as the neurological connections between brain and muscle become more efficient. Put simply, the brain has to teach the muscle how to push/pull the weight more effectively. Once your strength has increased and your muscles have learned how to 'fire' properly, then your body will start responding to harder training (as your weights get heavier) with increases in mass. (so long as you're eating enough) By the time this rolls around, you may find that you just aren't getting the same stimulus from your mixed set workout and you'll want to change it to make things tougher anyway.